Fracking can pollute water supplies and release methane, which research shows can be 72 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.
Another polluting factor in the gas supply chain is LNG, increasingly valued over pipeline gas for its flexibility.
Analysts say the liquefaction and regasification procedures are energy intensive and this is often ignored when measuring the environmental impact of gas.
The IEA has warned that unless tight regulation of water and chemical consumption in the hydraulic fracturing or fracking process for extracting gas from shale rock is implemented, public resistance could prevent the sector from expanding.
Snippets from this article: Climate bill mounts as dash for gas speeds up.
For anyone interested in the fracking plans for Southland, this article and others available on the net make very interesting reading. I'm concerned by the lack of awareness in our Southland community around this issue -
" Fracking? What's that?"
Friday, July 22, 2011
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9 comments:
If I lived in Southland, I would acquire the 'Gasslands' video. Then go on tour around Southland holding film viewings and discussions.
Did you find out whether Fracking is a permitted activity by SRC rules?
Jonesy beat me to it.
You HAVE to see Gaslands Robert. It is an amazing documentary that was filmed with a young man's handi cam while he looked into the whole fracking process, after receiving a very generous offer to allow fracking on his family's land in the US.
What he finds out about the effects of this process on the environment and peoples' health is horrifying.
I did Jonesy ... sort of. The story is, that all activities of this nature would be subject to the regulations in ES' Plans and those are covered by the RMA. My question about whether the depth at which the process would take place would have any bearing on the need for drilling companies to apply for consent in the same way they would for surface activities was answered but not convincingly. In my opinion, this sort of issue is one the Minister might 'call in', going over the head of the regional council in the same way that major actions by Solid Energy could/might/will be. I'm continuing my questioning. Your suggestion regarding 'Gaslands' is one I will take up, thanks.
Thanks Jacqueline. I better get cracking on fracking. Today I'll try to track down a copy. Horrifying isn't something we want to do in Southland.
Some might say 72 times nothing is still nothing.
Please expand on your cryptic comment Shane.
I'd love to know what you mean.
this time its hardly cryptic, mrG
Do you think Fracking is being fast tracked, to try & get it approved before many people even know what it is?
I haven't seem Gaslands, but have read a little about fracking- New Internationist had an article about it in the May issue. www.newint.org. I think it would be useful to try & get info from a few sources, I'm sure Gaslands is very good, but I have seen it dismissed by some, so it might be prudent to get more than 1 film to make a case against it.
Do you have any idea how close companies are to applying for consent to do this? Do we need to be getting organised to fight this too? Are the bastards just trying to wear us out? Lignite.....off shore drilling......dairy run off stuffing waterways.....new coal mines.......dumping dredge spoil....now fracking.
Viv - yes to all that. It's important to get up to speed now while at the same time keeping the other issues at the forefront of our minds - no one said it would be easy!
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