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2021-12-29

" ... energy bills could double or ... treble next year"

"The government should suspend costly Net Zero plans as a matter of urgency and put energy costs and security of supply at the centre of national security"

"natural gas prices in the UK are nearly ten times higher ($35/MMBtu) than they are in the US"

The solution?

"If the shale gas moratorium was lifted tomorrow, it would take at least 12 months to get the gas flowing. But the Government needs to take strong steps now, in order to send out a clear signal to investors. Otherwise the energy and cost of living crises will become permanent ... "

Net Zero Watch makes the case.

So, back to the fracking debate? It would seem so. 

Fracking has been very contentious, especially for those who believe the alleged deadly nature of CO2 as incessantly promoted by the tedious IPCC and other members of the unelected. 

But surely all the climate scientists agree that we face extinction if we burn any more fossil fuel?

"The surveys that have been taken say that scientists agree greenhouse gases have a warming influence and it may create some problems in the future, but they don’t agree it’s a crisis. In fact, the last IPCC Report concluded: “For most economic sectors, the impact of climate change will be small relative to the impacts of other drivers. Changes in population, age, income, technology, relative prices, lifestyle, regulation, governance, and many other aspects of socioeconomic development will have an impact on the supply and demand of economic goods and services that is large relative to the impact of climate change' " - CDN Quick Come-backs.

Oh, and the world hasn't been warming for some time now. So no need to panic just yet.

But fracking is extremely dangerous and can lead to contaminated water supplies?

I don't doubt that in the wrong hands it can. This is probably the biggest problem - how can we trust anybody appointed by government to regulate fracking and ensure that it is indeed safe? After the gross examples of crony government-industry relations that have become evident under the Covid situation, trust in government is now in ever-diminishing supply. 

Nevertheless if we want to enjoy the undoubted benefits of natural gas (much the cleanest fossil fuel when compared to coal oil and - dare I say it - biomass, much the most reliable for power-station supply, and much the most CO2-friendly in terms of transport and extraction costs) then we must find a way to regulate the fracking process that commands the respect of the public.

Could that happen? Yes it could, but it would require the discussion to be lead by pragmatic experts and taken out of the hands of the religious green zealotry.

We could for example demand a referendum on the resumption of fracking. This would ensure a public debate and place the outcome in the hands of the people rather than the elite.