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Guest blog debate: Is fracking good for Britain?

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MumsnetGuestBlogs · 18/09/2013 16:14

Andrew Austin, CEO of IGas:

Enjoying a hot shower, washing clothes and cooking a family meal are things we take for granted. But these home comforts depend on being able to access reliable and affordable energy. Right now, Britain relies on places like Russia and the Middle East for its energy - leaving us vulnerable to rising prices and volatile foreign markets.

Using energy produced here at home would mean we are much less exposed to these risks, and fracking or hydraulic fracturing, as its technically known is an established technique that could help us achieve this. Certainly, this subject is controversial. But so far the conversation has been clouded by myth and it seems sensible to look at the facts before passing judgment.

There are three key questions to answer: what is fracking, how does it impact climate change and can it be done safely?

So, lets start with fracking. Essentially, it's a technique used to release oil or gas trapped underground by injecting water and sand, with a small amount of disclosed chemicals (most you would find at home) into shale rock under high pressure. This causes the rock to fracture, releasing the gas trapped inside - the same type of gas weve been extracting onshore in the UK for 150 years. And fracking isnt new, either. Invented in 1947, it has been standard practice ever since. Of the 2,000 conventional wells drilled onshore in Britain since the Second World War, around 200 have used fracking - and all without incident. Its a safe, highly-regulated industry and while the process being discussed in the media today uses higher pressures and more water, its the same technology.

In terms of emissions, experts actually predict that the introduction of shale gas into the UK would be good for the nations carbon footprint. This is because gas produced locally would generate lower emissions than imported gas, as it doesnt have to be transported from places like Qatar. Gas also produces half the CO2 generated by burning coal, which currently accounts for 31 per cent of Britains energy. Developing our shale resources will help us move away from coal, and decarbonize our economy.

Like most people, I support the development of renewable energy resources. But right now, these resources are not developed enough to supply our energy needs. Many environmentalists agree we will need gas as part of our energy mix in the short to medium term, and shale gas provides an ideal stepping stone to keep Britains lights on whilst this shift accelerates.

And what about safety? People have talked about the risk of small earthquakes, water pollution, and industrial sites, but its important to keep these concerns in perspective. Firstly, naturally-occurring earthquakes are recorded daily across Britain. In March this year alone, 16 tremors were recorded across the UK of greater intensity than those picked up near Blackpool in 2011, which related to a shale site. Recorded seismic incidents related to fracking are extremely rare and, to put them in context, the vibrations in Blackpool were the same intensity as a man jumping off a ladder.

Water? Fracking does of course use some water but the quantity required to frack a shale well is broadly the same amount used to irrigate a golf course each month and there are over 7,500 of those across the UK. Pollution concerns are also exaggerated the fluid is typically 99.51 per cent water and sand, with at least a mile of solid rock between shale and underground water supplies, making the risk of contamination extremely unlikely.

Finally, fracking will not alter Britains landscape. Onshore wells are not intrusive in fact, most people are surprised to hear there are already some 250 across Britain. They take around three months to drill before leaving an unobtrusive well that is often barely visible to local residents and significantly smaller than the oil and gas field at Wytch Farm, which is set in one of the most environmentally-sensitive areas of the UK, yet produces 16,000 barrels of oil a day.

Aside from these concerns, fracking could be very good for Britain. It could create and support 74,000 jobs in regions that need it most. It could provide greater energy security, meaning we wouldnt be dependent on gas from the other side of the world, and it will supply a lower carbon fuel as we transition to renewable energy.

Ultimately, we in Britain have a valuable resource literally beneath our feet one that has potential to deliver real benefits for the whole country. Surely we owe it to ourselves to at least explore the role shale gas could play in securing Britains energy future?

Caroline Lucas, Leader of the Green party:

Lets start by getting two of the big myths out of the way.

First, youre not likely to see your fuel bills going down because of fracking.   Its not just me or other environmentalists saying that - the energy regulator Ofgem and Deutsche Bank are among the wide range of industry experts who say that the addition of UK shale gas into the energy market wont bring down prices. The respected economist Lord Stern recently described the Prime Ministers claims that fracking will bring down gas prices as baseless economics?. Even a Cuadrilla representative, when asked whether shale gas could reduce energy bills, admitted: Weve done an analysis and&at the most its a very small percentage&basically insignificant.

Second: we cant expect an American style energy boom (to use the words of some pro-frackers).   The comparison just doesnt hold up. Unlike the states, the UK is small and densely populated; our planning laws are very different, as is our geology. We dont even know how much shale gas can be extracted. And, also unlike the US, were part of a huge multinational European energy market, so the impact on prices of shale gas extracted here would be minimal.   In fact, probably the most relevant lessons that can be drawn from the American experience are the negative ones like the fact that communities have been hit hard by water shortages. This has the potential to be an even bigger problem in the south and east of England, which are already water-stressed.

Ive been to visit the people resisting fracking at Balcombe several times. Many of them were local mums who told me this was the first time theyd protested against anything. From talking to them, I know how real their fears are about the effect of fracking on their communities and their families.   Theyre worried about contamination of groundwater supplies, the impact on areas of natural beauty, the noise of traffic to and from the site, the possibility of gas flares at night. And theyre not alone.   Fuel poverty campaigners, pensioners groups, the National Farmers Union and the RSPB have all raised concerns.

The desperation of the Prime Minister to act as a PR man for fracking, and the fact that figures from the shale gas industry have senior roles in Government, hasnt helped. But in addition to the important concerns about the impact on local communities, I also oppose fracking on the basis that its incredibly perverse to be embarking on another dash for gas when the planet is at risk of potentially disastrous climate change. According to current estimates, 60% to 80% of fossil fuel reserves have to stay in the ground if we want to avoid dangerous levels of global warming.

The fact is that this generation of politicians has a moral responsibility to ensure our climate is safe and habitable for our children and our grandchildren. Ultimately that can only be achieved if we move away from a high-carbon, high-cost future, to one based on renewable energy sources and better energy efficiency. Thats whats happening in Germany, which has reduced its carbon emissions by 27% since 1990, and is working towards a target 80% of the energy it uses to come from renewable sources by 2050. Meanwhile, our Government is offering tax breaks for companies trying to extract new sources of fossil fuels.

A cleaner, sustainable future doesnt have to mean higher prices. The reason fuel poverty exists is that our energy market is dominated by huge, under-regulated companies making massive profits from high-risk, high-polluting energy sources.   There are a whole range of steps the Government could be taking to bring down bills regulating the Big Six to prevent them from overcharging, providing free insulation for homes that need it, investing far more seriously in energy efficiency but extracting yet more fossil fuel through a process about which there remain serious concerns is not one of them.

I agree with the Government that we need an energy revolution, but it needs to be based on clean, renewable sources of energy and improved efficiency not the dangerous extraction of another high-carbon fuel.

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LifeIsBetterInFlipFlops · 18/09/2013 18:27

It's good to hear the positives regarding fracking as the anti-brigade so far are the only voices heard.