Fracking ‘eck! Is shale gas about to take off in the UK?

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!

Greenpeace founder questions man made global warming

Appearing on Fox Business Network on Thursday, Patrick Moore, the co-founder of Greenpeace, said global warming is a ‘natural phenomenon,’ that there’s no proof of man-made global warming, and he suggested that ‘alarmism’ is driving politicians to create bad environmental policies.

In his interview, Moore also explains why he left Greenpeace, saying that his departure was in part due to the group’s ‘extremist positions‘ and it is being hijacked by political and social causes as well as the left.

When a parent abandons their child and decries they behaviour you can be fairly sure something is wrong with that child.  Moore’s comments seem to confirm what many people have said about the environmental lobby for some time.

You couldn’t make it up

After Greenpeace blamed global warming for (edit) one of Israel’s worst ever fires, an investigation has revealed the fire was started accidentally by an environmentalist at an eco camp. HauntingTheLibrary has the story.

Greenpeace activist issues threat to climate sceptics

Greenpeace is an organisation that has long styled itself as taking on people and groups it disagrees with through confrontation.  Be it via sailing the Rainbow Warrior to remote atolls in the hope of preventing nuclear tests, or trying to prevent whaling vessels chase down their quarry, Greenpeace activists like to further their viewpoint in an ‘in your face’, but generally non violent manner.  But one of their activists, ‘Gene Hashmi’ writing on Greenpeace’s ‘Climate Rescue weblog’, (Hat tip: Devil’s Kitchen) is encouraging a change of tack:

The proper channels have failed. It’s time for mass civil disobedience to cut off the financial oxygen from denial and skepticism.

If you’re one of those who believe that this is not just necessary but also possible, speak to us. Let’s talk about what that mass civil disobedience is going to look like.

If you’re one of those who have spent their lives undermining progressive climate legislation, bankrolling junk science, fueling spurious debates around false solutions, and cattle-prodding democratically-elected governments into submission, then hear this:

We know who you are. We know where you live. We know where you work.

And we be many, but you be few.

In response to this, the weblog editor has had to implore people in the comments section to ‘stay polite and don’t make death threats or incite violence’.  He goes on to say, in an attempt to evade possible legal action, ‘Gene’s blog entry is about encouraging PEACEFUL civil disobedience – the kind of peaceful methods that liberated Gene’s country (India) from imperialism.’  Desperate stuff. But the threats, implied and explicit, are clear for all to see.

You can get an insight into the foul mouthed ignoramus on ‘Gene’s’ Twitter page (profile image above has been condensed to fit on the screen).  In a further irony, his last Twitter post seems to suggest to his followers that he is off to Thailand where he will be visiting the ‘Freedom Bar’ (presumably that doesn’t include freedom of speech) on Tonsai Beach.  I wonder if he did his bit for the environment by flying there..?

The fact is Greenpeace has become increasingly focussed on the opportunity for argument and confrontation provided by climate change.  But it is hard for groups like Greenpeace to take on those who are sceptical of climate change in a confrontational way, because it is a battle of ideas largely conducted on the internet and through examination and discussion of scientific method and papers.

Scaling the house of a sceptic or navigating a ship into the path of a sceptic walking to the Post Office are respectively impractical and impossible.  What is becoming clear is that as the public increasingly questions the climate orthodoxy put in place by the warmists campaigners, Greenpeace is becoming impatient and frustrated.  Without the adrenalin rush of physical protest against a visible target on which they can vent their self righteous anger, Greenpeace activists are becoming more extreme.

We are starting to see the true, intolerant and controlling nature of the people who devote their time to telling other people what is permissible and how they should live their lives.  Anyone thinking of donating money to Greenpeace might want to think twice about the kind of activity their money will be funding.

Update:  Following howls of protest, Greenpeace finally and reluctantly removed the posting from their site – but it can still be read in full here.  Regardless of the Greenpeace spin, the posting was not taken out of context.  The threat was clear and the editors acted as apologists and spin doctors for Gene Hashmi. See Watts Up With That? for full details of the public climbdown by Greenpeace that masks a hidden endorsement of threats and intimidation being made people who disagree with the Greenpeace worldview.