The Independent understands that Ed ‘Turbine’ Davey, the Energy Secretary, will soon end the current moratorium on shale gas production, which was put in place after fracking caused two small earthquakes near Blackpool in 2011. His decision will pave the way for a significant increase in shale gas exploration, says the Indy.
This is a turn up for the books and one wonders if Davey’s opposition to exploration for shale gas is being marginalised within government. In May, Davey told the House of Commons that at a seminar in 10 Downing Street with ‘experts in the shale gas industry’ the ‘experts’ were clear that it would take some time for shale gas to be exploited in the UK and that the shale gas reserves in the UK are not quite as large as some people have been speculating. If that is the case then pressing ahead with shale exploration seems a curious development.
The identities of the ‘experts’ remains a closely guarded secret and our Freedom of Information request to the Cabinet Office, for details of the attendees, has met with the same door slamming response the BBC gave to Tony Newbery when he sought the identities of the ‘best scientific experts’ who advised the BBC to report in biased fashion about climate change. The only thing we know for certain is that the only company currently exploring for shale gas in the UK, Cuadrilla, were not invited to the Downing Street chinwag – something of a curious decision.
Could it be that we are seeing a glimmer of common sense dawning in Whitehall? The signs look good because if Greenpeace are rattled by what they have learned from the response to their FOI request it can only mean something that undermines their Agenda 21 inspired attempt to de-industrialise the UK and drag us back into the stone age is in the offing. Here’s hoping!
Autonomous Mind 
I thought I read somewhere that the so called experts were a collection of apparatchiks from the energy producers and British Gas or Centrica. Of coarse we can imagine that they would over the moon at a bunch of outsiders coming in and undercutting all the existing contracts with Qatar, Norway and our own old gas fields.
AM, it would not surprise me, considering the bias and disinformation circulating, scurrilous scaremongering and the lies being told re fracking. That those responsible “the experts” were the self same faces who met in the BBC.
Oh dear!
Another smack with a wet haddock for our chums in Greenpeace:-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2012/nov/30/energy-climate-change-cameron-kennedy
Maybe even Cameron is beginning to see the writing on the wall.
Best source I know on the “Downing Street Briefing” is:-
http://www.nohotair.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2523:cuadrilla-not-invited-to-downing-street-briefing&catid=183:2012&Itemid=170
Centrica (in bed with Gazprom) were invited, for sure.
With the USA on target to be energy self-sufficient thanks to shale gas extraction (with all the benefits cheap energy implies), it would be extremely foolish of the UK not to get in on the act and see if we can achieve the same, or at the very least earn some security of supply.
With Eastern Europe and Russia becoming ever more insecure and corrupt, we have to consider alternative energy supply options. We can no longer afford the luxury of a green agenda as we don’t have the money to spare and the benefits were overrated anyway.