Futures Forum: Climate Week: more on Sidmouth event: Friday 7th March
a provocative presentation was given on what fracking is doing in the US and what it could be doing in the UK.
The same presentation was given last year in Crediton
Futures Forum: Fracking: Golden Goose or Dead Duck? ...event Thursday 28th November
and in January in Exeter.
Here is a useful overview of the talk - with a link below for the full text:
Fracking - Golden Goose or Dead Duck?
At our open meeting in January, Simon Tytherleigh of Sustainable Bradninch discussed "Fracking - Golden Goose or Dead Duck?".
Fracking is touted as a way to reduce energy prices, hailed as a transition fuel on the way to low-carbon renewables, and welcomed as an energy revolution in the US. But is this too good to be true? Could it be a danger to the environment, and keep us hooked on fossil fuels and failing to invest in future technologies?
Simon Tytherleigh has generously sent us his presentation; it can be sent to anyone on request. As well as showing what a fracking rig and its concrete pad look like, and how injecting high pressure water and chemicals far underground gets the gas out, the main points were:
- Fracking needs very many wells – so it has high impact on the landscape. The output from each well declines quickly.
- Most shale gas wells in the US are making a loss now.
- Fracking will not solve our energy supply problem alone, and will not significantly reduce the price of gas as it has done in the US because we are part of a European market.
- Gas power stations emit less CO2 than coal, so some argue that it is a ‘transition fuel’ helping us get off coal; but because methane escapes from fracking wells – amounts are poorly researched – fracked gas may be as bad for the climate as burning coal.
To get the full talk and other material email gillwestcott@gmail.com or phone 01647 24789
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