Yearly Archives: 2012
Press Release: `Lord Smith` demonstrates his contempt for the environment
The announcement by Chris Smith, chairman of the Environment Agency, that he supports the use of fracking for shale gas in the UK is a further demonstration the gulf between the concerns of ordinary people and the profit driven motivations of government and industry. Frack Off activist Nathan Roberts said “Lord Smith’s endorsement of commercial-scale […]
Carbon capture and storage: Having your cake and burning it
- CCS is idea for sweeping carbon emissions under the rug
- Driven by psychological need for an easy solutions
- No evidence that it is actually practical
- Would require massive and complex system
- Combines multiple unproven processes
- CO2 unlikely to stay underground for long enough
- Could not stop global warming even if it worked
- Number of pilot projects recently cancelled
PRESS RELEASE: Residents Say No To Burning Coal Under Swansea Bay
Residents from Swansea teamed up with activist group Frack Off this morning to protest against Underground Coal Gasification outside an industry conference in central London [1]. Swansea Bay has been chosen by extraction company Clean Coal Ltd as a test site for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG)[2], the controversial method of gasifying un-minable coal by […]
The fracking Czar – Lord John Browne
As 30% owner of UK fracker Cuadrilla, and with a seat in the heart of government, Lord John Browne is the UK’s fracking Czar. Indeed, John Browne is an extraordinarily powerful man. Notorious for his involvement in raising student tuition fees and as a twelve-year head of controversial oil company BP, Browne is now an […]
“People were lighting the streets on fire”: 25th anniversary of Coal Bed Methane evacuation
2012 marks the 25th anniversary of the forced evacuation of a small village in Wyoming, USA following Coal Bed Methane (CBM) operations nearby. “It’s just kind of strange driving by all those empty houses and knowing what they have been and were worth. We bought the first home out there. We’ve lost it all. Everything […]
PRESS RELEASE: Activists denounce earthquake report as `dangerous distraction`
The release today of a second report into the earthquakes caused by Cuadrilla resources’ fracking activity in Lancashire has been met with disdain from environmental activists. The report, commissioned by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), concludes that, ‘it would not be possible to state categorically that no further earthquakes will be experienced […]
North Sea gas leak one of thousands worldwide
The leak at Total’s North Sea gas well is only one of thousands of gas wells leaking worldwide. Indeed, it’s an issue the industry tries to keep quiet – although it’s known about it for a long time. In 2000, eight thousand gas leaks were found in the Gulf of Mexico by the US Mineral […]
What does the announcement by IGas actually mean?
- IGas claims double previous estimate of 4.6 tcf
- Higher bound estimate for gas in place
- Actual producible gas is small fraction of this
- Probably less than a month of gas consumption
- No chance of even slowing North Sea decline
- Would require 1000’s wells to produce
- Not comparable to Polish figures
- Companies chasing investment cash with spin