Recent protests in England over the use of ‘fracking’ to recover gas from underground rock formations may be a harbinger of things to come. It is an issue that has engaged not just environmental campaigners, but farmers and wealthy homeowners who worry about the ‘industrialisation of the countryside’ and falling house prices. Their objections run counter to a government policy that wants Britain to lead Europe in exploiting this resource.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, involves pumping water, sand and chemicals at high pressure into bedrock and recovering the released gas. Its use in the US and Canada in recent years has changed the global energy map; reduced costs and created a platform for growth. It has been estimated that the US, long dependent on Middle East oil, may become a net exporter of energy by the end of the decade.
There are downsides. Some of the companies involved in this form of energy extraction have damaged the environment, polluting aquifers and local drinking water. Others followed best practice. But none of the companies have publicly disclosed the content of the chemicals being pumped into the bedrock. As a consequence, links to public health issues cannot be properly examined. Local objections are widely disregarded while the most important issue – the contribution to climate change – is dismissed by the industry as scientific fantasy.
Governments are driven by short-term advantage. The US signed and then declined to ratify the UN protocol on climate change, which set legally binding emission limits in 1997. Canada later withdrew from it. They are now leading the charge to exploit this new resource. With North Sea gas running out, the British government favours the industry and has granted prospecting licences. The European Commission has serious concerns about possible environmental impacts. It is consulting with governments and preparing legislation. Minister for Energy Pat Rabbitte has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to prepare a report on the risks involved. Differences of opinion exist within and between governments. It is a highly emotive issue that has already generated protests in border counties. Mr Rabbitte appears reluctant to issue prospecting licences even as the Taoiseach has spoken of jobs the industry may deliver. In the North, the SDLP and DUP disagree over it.
Whatever about the possibility of lower fuel prices and economic advantage, the climate change issue must be faced. Fracking exploits a fossil fuel and will add to carbon emissions. The planet is warming at nearly double the rate set down in the Kyoto protocol, according to the International Energy Agency. Rising sea levels, extreme weather events, drought and desertification are scattering populations and reducing food production. That is the primary threat to the planet. Fracking may worsen it.