Sunday 2 December 2012

Fracking For Us

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the UK was stopped in 2011 when it was blamed for causing two earthquakes in Blackpool. Now the Government is planning to announce not only a lifting of the ban but announcing tax breaks for fracking companies and all in the name of  those handy coveralls 'boosting the economy' and 'creating jobs'.
So apart from causing earthquakes as witnessed in Blackpool, and in California, Ohio and Arkansas in the US, what else do we know about fracking?
We know how they 'frack', it involves drilling and injecting fluid into the ground at a high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks to release natural gas inside. The fluid is a mix of water, sand and up to 600 chemicals, chemicals that are known carcinogens and toxins and containing chemicals deemed to be 'hazardous wastes'.
In America, where fracking has been big business, the toxic chemicals have been known to leach out from the system and contaminate the groundwater, used for drinking water for nearby cities and towns. There have been over 1,000 documented cases of water contamination in the States as well as cases of sensory, respiratory, and neurological damage due to ingested contaminated water.
Environmental officials in Pennsylvania discovered traces of benzene and arsenic in the bodies of local residents causing kidney and liver damage and blamed the fracking industry and health officials advised residents in Wyoming not to drink the water in areas where fracking is going on after they found dangerous levels of hydrocarbons in the water supply.
Regulators ordered a cease to all fracking in Susquehanna County and advised residents to avoid drinking the water after chemicals used in fracking entered the water supply.
So earthquakes and poisoning the water supply are two big minuses against it but but fracking has yet another disadvantage to it, it poisons the air as well.
The toxic fluid that is not left in the ground to poison the water we drink is left in open air pits to evaporate, releasing harmful compounds into the atmosphere contaminating the air, causing acid rain, and releasing ozone.
George Osborne may well tell us that it would be good for our economy and will create jobs but at the cost of our health, our drinking water and our air quality but considering this Government are also pushing to land us with a load of nuclear power station and the radioactive waste that comes with them, i don't think they will be put off by a few earthquakes and poisoned water supplies.
It's all about the economy you understand so stop moaning and don't put anything fragile on high shelves. 

12 comments:

Nog said...

I told some folks not too long ago, "the good people of Goliad County would much prefer oil coming out of their wells to water."

Anonymous said...

According to the news, our biggest ecological disaster ever was BP, not fracking.

Nog is right, i know a lot of folks in Runge, Karnes City, Kennedy, Goliad, etc. They are plenty happy with the oil and natural gas. They now have enough money to buy bottled water...

q

Lucy said...

It's not fracking i am ranting about here, not directly anyway, it's the reason the Government is using to justify it despite all the dangers. Whenever they want to do something that is a bit controversial like privatise something or lift the ban on fracking, they use the 'it's for the sake of the economy' as if that makes it all okay. In truth, its bullspit, they would privatise everything if they thought they could get away with it, but they try and shut down the argument all the time with it.

Anonymous said...

right. they are politicians. they use the data that serves their purpose and ignore the data that disputes their purpose. plus, they will make up data. and they will change data.

of course, it isn't just politicians that do that...

q

david g said...

Humans are clearly stark raving mad.

They are rapidly making the world uninhabitable via mining and consumption of fossil fuels.

They are pursuing ambitions like global domination while knowing that it will inevitably lead to nuclear war and human extinction.

Though educated, the bulk of them continue to worship non-existent gods and believe they will go to heaven and live forever.

Fracking idiots, I reckon!

Lucy said...

The difference is q when politicians do it, they have greater consequences.

I think the next few generations will look back at what our Governments have done to the planet and call them fracking idiots david for ruining the planet.

Anonymous said...

can't think of anything worse than the UN.

q

Anonymous said...

ooops, meant to write:

can't think of anything worse than politicians and passive language, except for the UN - which is a complete disaster. i'd rather be under the rule of DG than the UN.

q

Lucy said...

The UN won't work until they remove the veto from the big boys and vote democratically.

Anonymous said...

wow, that is a delusional idea.

let's see, 1 billion indians vote to redistribute what little wealth is left in the UK and 130 million brits vote to keep it - ooops you lose.

1.1 billion chinese vote to redistribute what wealth is left in the USA and 300 million yanks vote to keep it - oooops we lose.

on the up side, mexicans, columbians, panamanians, and all the others in south america would not have a reason to flood into the USA anymore. hell, we might be trying to sneak into their countries.

q

Lucy said...

Wow, on our televisions they only show the edited version of 1 person voting for each country at the UN. No wonder nothing ever gets done there if they have to wait for 1.1 billion Chinese and 1 billion Indians to file through voting.

Anonymous said...

surely you don't adovcate a system where a nation with 1.1 billion gets one vote and a tiny place like the UK with 150million also gets one vote.

where is your sense of fairness and support for true democracy?

q