David Cameron: Britain Cannot Afford To Miss Out On Shale Gas

Fracking has become a national debate in Britain – and it’s one that I’m determined to win. If we don’t back this technology, we will miss a massive opportunity to help families with their bills and make our country more competitive. Without it, we could lose ground in the tough global race. So my message to the country is clear – we cannot afford to miss out on fracking. For centuries, Britain has led the way in technological endeavour: an industrial revolution ahead of its time, many of the most vital scientific discoveries known to mankind, and a spirit of enterprise and innovation that has served us well down the decades. Fracking is part of this tradition, so let’s seize it. –David Cameron, The Daily Telegraph, 12 August 2013

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Level poll ratings wouldn’t come close to delivering David Cameron a Commons majority - rather they would leave Mr Miliband short of a majority by only five seats Prime Minister David Cameron says in today's Daily Telegraph: 'I want all parts of our nation to share in the benefits: north or south, Conservative or Labour. We are all in this together.' David Cameron has insisted the UK should accept fracking, claiming the controversial method of extracting gas will attract "real public support" when the benefits are explained. The prime minister said the process would not damage the countryside and cause only "very minor change to the landscape". Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Cameron said: "I want all parts of our nation to share in the benefits: north or south, Conservative or Labour.” He said a thriving shale-gas industry could create tens of thousands of jobs. He sought to play down fears about the environmental dangers posed by fracking, saying there was "no evidence" that it would cause contamination of water supplies or other damage if properly regulated. --The Guardian, 12 August 2013

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In this morning's Telegraph, David Cameron has issued another call for the country to get behind shale gas. That's all fine and dandy, but take a look at what the BBC has to say in its coverage of the PM. “Fracking - short for "hydraulic fracturing" - involves drilling deep underground and releasing a high-pressure mix of water, sand and hundreds of chemicals to crack rocks and release gas stored inside.” "Hundreds of chemicals". I don't think so. That is just normal BBC embellishment of the green story line. --Andrew Montford, Bishop Hill, 12 August 2013 At least here in the UK political leadership on shale development has been forthcoming. David Cameron spoke this week of the great opportunity provided by shale, saying: “We would be making a big mistake as a nation if we did not think hard about how to encourage fracking.” Sadly, that message doesn’t seem to have got through to the Environment Agency. A recent consultation paper suggests that fracking permits might take as long as six months to obtain, rather than a couple of weeks, because of public sensitivities. Not exactly the message George Osborne was trying to impart when he talked about speeding up the fracking licensing process, but a perfect illustration of the battles that lie ahead if Britain is to reap the benefits of the shale revolution. --Editorial, The Daily Telegraph 10 August 2013 David Cameron’s plans to kick-start shale gas fracking faced a fresh setback after the Environment Agency said energy companies could face a six month wait to secure permits – despite a government pledge to cut the process to less than a fortnight. In June, the Treasury pledged the government would take a series of measures “designed to kick start the shale gas industry in the UK” including plans for the EA to “significantly reduce the time it takes to obtain environmental permits for exploration”. But in a consultation document, the EA has now said that current public attention on the process means the regulator is “likely” to “treat such sites as being of high public interest”. Simon Colvin, energy expert at law firm Pinsent Masons warned the EA’s plans represented “another layer of red tape” for a process that was “already time consuming and costly”. “This is a policy statement by the EA which has the potential to delay the exploration of shale gas resources in the UK,” he said. --Emily Gosden, The Daily Telegraph, 10 August 2013 The shale revolution has shamed the wind industry by showing how to cut carbon emissions for real. Supplies of cheap and plentiful gas are here to stay for many decades to come … but only if we tell the Greens and their supporters to “frack off”. --Struan Stevenson, The Sunday Times, 11 August 2013 George P. Mitchell was a remarkable individual who combined vision with wisdom and persistence. Through sheer hard work and dedication, he leaves behind an extraordinary legacy. It can be said of very few people that they changed the world -- but George Mitchell is among those few. I am proud to remember him as a friend. While none of us can match George's ingenuity in geophysical discovery, I am happy to say that I still managed to beat him in wheelchair racing, even if it was only by a narrow margin. Loved, admired and respected, through his work in energy production, his humanitarian generosity, his academic curiosity and passion for inspiration. And his wonderful, warm family, George P. Mitchell will live on in the hearts and minds of all who knew him. --Professor Stephen W Hawking, 9 August 2013

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