BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 10:04 AM

I can see the worry, Al, but it really doesn't work that way (except around the periphery) in the energy sector in the UK any more. We're not in the world of JR or Algy Cluff any more, except in the case of a few "bottom feeder" firms that don't have the wherewithall to finance (or borrow) these kinds of project.

When I'm doing project management (as opposed to the technical/ geodetic part of my work) I spend by far the biggest proportion of my time sorting out Risk Assessments, Environmental Impact Assessments, Health and Safety (including technical specs to mitigate risk factors) and organising cetaean/ marine mammal observers, fisheries protection officers and environmental monitoring teams. The actual technical side of conducting a survey or drilling a well is a tiny part of a whole, which is heavily regulated and requires in most cases significantly more than "box ticking". A project I'm managing now off the UK has 8 environmental scientists assigned to monitor the work and only 12 technical staff actually doing it!

So it's not quite as simple as saying "gizza share option and you can make your casings out of plasticine".

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 11:06 AM

Well I don't doubt your sincerirty Rob, but we DO have other examples of privatisation and how they have gone - enough to give us cause for concern.

The problem isn't technical - its human frailty, cupidity, original sin - call it what you will.

Was there ever a more rained upon nation, and yet we have water shortages every year. Somehow Murdoch owns our free press. Our troops march into battles in places in the world no one gives a shit about, with dodgy equipment supplied by the shoddiest suppliers. Its cheaper to take a gas guzzling plane to Scotland than a train.

And as someone said - water - well its a pretty basic need. At one point, I believe the private water company was supplying the city of Sheffiels with 20% rat piss. Are you sure we can trust these people Rob - they don't have a good track record.

The problem is that the wealth of the country still resides in the pockets of the same families who were around in the 18th century, and reinvestment isn't happening. Which brings us back to William and Kate. (I agree Lizzie a marvellous young couple! An example to us all!)

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 01:54 PM

Frucking Frack Trucks, and soon, Cuadrilla will be filling OUR country with them too, driving folks in towns and villages around their Wells, almost half insane with the noise and pollution..But hey, THIS is frucking CLEAN energy, right?

You'll need to be logged in to FB to see this video.

Oh, and 'Killer' who's mentioned at the start is John's chihuahua.This is what he and his neighbours now endure every single day in his part of Pennsylvania. He told me it used to be a really quiet mountain road, but now the mountain, the forest, the wildlife, have all taken such a terrible battering that he goes up to the mountain with his family at times and just cries when he see the shocking damage that fracking has done.   

Frucking Fracking Trucks 24/7!!!!!

This is NOT SAFE!!
HOW can ANYONE tell me this is safe when the very first time Cuadrilla fracked here they caused a frucking earthquake! HOW can they tell me that our water is safe when they have NO idea what will happen and NO idea what this frucking industry even puts INTO the water they blast the shale apart with, because frucking Dick Cheney brought in laws, at least in the States, whilst he was still vice-president, to say the industry did NOT have to disclose the chemicals they were using???!!!

I mean...WTF is that all about??????
Of course, Cheney was the head of Halliburton at the time...

Now, tell me, PLEASE, that there is NOT a connection here between the Bastards BLASTING DEADLY CHEMICALS into our planet, whilst ensuring that NO-ONE needs to say what they are and the deep corruption of The Corporate Fracking Bastards and American politicians!

And hey, look what I've just found! The Slimey Little Freckers!! Make them DRINK their own chemicals....that's the BEST way to test them..

Halliburton (oh we're SO honest!) 'Fluids Disclosure' page

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Greg F.
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 03:59 PM

Take a pill, Liz.

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 05:12 PM

"Take a pill, Liz zie"

I have. It's an Anti-Fecking-Stalkers Pill which is why I'm now able to ignore most of your posts.

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: gnu
Date: 16 Dec 12 - 05:41 PM

YO! A mod? Please... ONE FRACKING thread?

This is just gonna get harder and harder to follow and THIS is important!

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 03:16 AM

So, it goes like this. We have been using electricity for more years than any of us have been alive. That fuel that generates this electricity has been gathered in ways that none of which can be described as clean. Coal, oil, gas, nuclear and fracking. Wind farms and water powered generators are damned by the Nimbys and other ways are in their infancy.

Now, when it becomes apparent that generating electricity in traditional ways is neither sustainable or environmental friendly the very people who use that electricity tell the rest of the world, usually people who have not had it's benefits before, that they must stop generating it. The way in which they do this is to use the internet, presumably on their self-powered computers, to whinge and moan and generally do nothing of any use whatsoever. Like, maybe, giving up their hourly rants, doing away with their computers and going back to basics, like they preach all the time.

Seeing as this is a folk music forum I am reminded of Fred Wedlocks talking blues which sums up the hypocrisy brilliantly .

"Smash violence. Kill the warmongers. Get your arse over here on Saturday man, we're having a peace riot!"

Now, if those advocating that we should not be using alternatives could use the energy they expend to come up with something that IS viable then maybe we would take more notice of them. If they were to go to the Cantonese peasant or Bolivian Hill farmer and tell then in person that they must NOT use this wonderful technology that the rest of us have benefited from for over a hundred years then they would be doing something positive. And if they survived those meetings I would happily shake their hand. Until that time I am sure I can be excused for not joining a campaign that involves using even more energy for no reason than making them feel better about themselves.

Cheers

DtG

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 04:16 AM

Get over it Lizzy or get therapy.

Church or secular counsiling..

It is the start of a new week. You are whipping yourself into a frenzy.
Find someone at church or a therapist to talk with.

Sincerely
Gargoyle

A tastey Pastey is a terrible thong to waiste.

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 17 Dec 12 - 06:01 AM

I think you may be have to decide what you want to do, Lizzie. Throw strops or communicate your concerns about environmental issues.

I didn't realise you had banned me on facebook. I sort of hoped you realised that i didn't know any native Americans and (having spent a lifetime struggling with technology in the vain hope of being heard as a musician), I am bit unsympathetic to people who don't engage in the struggle, but whose message seems to be -give me a home where the buffalo roam.

i sort of hoped you had got over that.

You obviously know something about this fracking business and have given it some thought. You need to martial the information and present the main point cogently, calmly and stop spitting feathers at us.

Kind regards

al

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 23 Mar 13 - 06:16 PM

I'm not sure that this is the best thread for new information, but it appears to be the most recent one where anything has been posted.

While the effect is unclear, a new agreement may offer some indication that some of the hazards of fracking may be reduced in one part of the US

Energy firms, environmental groups agree on tough new fracking standards

"PITTSBURGH -- In an unlikely partnership between longtime adversaries, some of the nation's biggest energy companies and environmental groups have agreed on a voluntary set of standards for gas and oil fracking in the Northeast that appear to go further than existing state and federal pollution regulations."

I'll leave it to those interested to check out the full report at the link. It may be encouraging that a degree of "cooperation" is shown, but whether those who "agreed" follow through with improvements will need to be watched for a while before planning the party.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Mar 13 - 08:09 PM

Fracking = Taking clean water, pumping it into the ground with poisonous chemicals, poisoning the water below and getting less energy than we could get using a combination or Earth friendly renewable energy sources...

In other words??? Pretty fracked up...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Fracking now give the go-ahead in the UK
From: GUEST,guest
Date: 24 Mar 13 - 05:23 AM

Any extractive industry causes some harm to the environment. Modern society is entirely dependant upon these industries-without them life would become very harsh for the survivors.
Hopefully some lessons have been learnt over time. The mining disaster of Abervan was a catastrophe that could and should have been avoided.
Today there is some attempt to quantify risk by way of environmental impact statements. Not a perfect solution but a step in the right direction.
Personally I would have no problem with fracking if indenpendant auditors monitor the process at all stages. This is common for landfill cell construction.
The techniques for fracking are not vastly different to those employed for oil or gas wells. The major problem would appear to be departures from the original planning submission on the grounds of expediency.
Independant monitoring would prevent this from happening.
Issues of water source contamination would seem superficially to be due to lack of casing integrity, and there are a variety of ways of checking this.