Denial phase

Readers still concerned about man-made global warming and climate change will be interested to learn, as I was, that Professor Anne Glover, then chief scientific adviser to the Scottish Government who delivered an apocalyptic talk on that most quixotic of occasions the Shetland Climate Change Summit at Lerwick Museum on 26th March 2010, in her new role as chief scientific adviser to Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission in Brussels, has given the scientific “all-clear” for extraction of shale gas in the EU.

Her advice backs the position of EU energy commissioner Guenther Oettinger who at the launch of the EU green paper on energy and climate on 27 March said:

“I am in favour of producing shale gas, particularly for safety reasons, and to reduce gas prices. In the United States, which is a big producer of shale gas, the price of gas is four times less than in Europe.”

Alas, Prof Glover’s advice contradicts climate commissioner Connie Hedegaard who said:

“We do not expect that it will be so easy in Europe: geological conditions are different, and so are environmental rules and the activity of soils.”

Speaking at a debate on science and policy-making in Brussels on 9 April, Prof Glover said:

 “As with all energy production, there will be risks involved whether that is wind or coal power …… We should not go into a denial phase. From my point of view the evidence will allow us to go ahead [with shale production].”

Don’t you just LOVE the bit about “the denial phase”?

We really mustn’t become “SHALE GAS DENIERS,” mustn’t we not?!

Doesn’t the Shetland Climate Change Summit seem like “a long time ago, in a far away galaxy….”?

John Tulloch
Lyndon
Arrochar