Letters / Demonising fracking
Professor Paul Younger, a Yes voter, a distinguished expert in groundwater issues in the coal industry and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, who served, unpaid, on both the UK and Scottish Governments’ investigations into shale gas extraction has tossed a PR hand grenade through the Scottish Government’s open window.
Professor Younger, writing in The Times, expresses his dismay that, by temporarily banning the use of fracturing technology (“fracking”) in Scotland, the Scottish Government has ignored his panel’s conclusion that:
“The impacts are trivial compared to those I spent my career combating.”
He continues;-
“…the fuss which has greeted UK shale gas proposals has portrayed it as an apocalyptic development with unfathomable scope for damage. This is simply wrong.
“…Yet the Scottish government has repeatedly refrained from reminding people that the report even exists…….
“Stewart Maxwell claimed on the BBC that the report didn’t address public health issues (it did, at length). Corrected by the interviewer, he went on to claim that “many experts disagreed with its findings”. This is simply untrue.
“…In the days following the Yes campaign, I and other scientists watched in dismay as our social networks degenerated into wilfully uninformed anti-fracking lobbies…..”
Concluding, he wrote:
“In the midst of this carnival of misinformation, when I happened to publish an academic paper which demonstrated that the UK government’s hastily-introduced rules on fracking-induced seismicity are 40,000 times stricter than the rules for quarry blasting, I ended up with a death threat.”
Lovely!
The Scottish government’s energy policies, in this case, banning shale gas exploration in Scotland are contributing to increasing fuel poverty and, via the desperate dilemma, “heat or eat”, are driving people to food banks.
And this “anti-fracking” policy, it seems, is based on nothing more wholesome than demonising fracking, as a stick with which to beat Westminster.
Professor Younger’s short, compelling, article can be read at: www.thegwpf.com/paul-younger-why-strangle-the-golden-shale-goose/#.dpuf
Become a supporter of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.
Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.
Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has over 600 supporters who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.
Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -
- Bring you the headlines as they happen;
- Stay editorially independent;
- Give a voice to the community;
- Grow site traffic further;
- Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.
Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.
Already a supporter? Sign in to hide this message.
