MP's report rejects moratorium on shale gas exploration

MPs' report rejects moratorium on shale gas exploration
Green campaigners express dismay as MPs back shale gas prospecting despite evidence of environmental dangers

There should be no moratorium on prospecting for shale gas in the UK despite concerns about its negative environmental impacts, a report from an influential group of MPs has advised.

The UK could have "considerable" shale gas resources, particularly offshore, said the energy and climate change select committee, and should exploit these to reduce reliance on energy imports.

But the MPs acknowledged that exploiting shale gas could be environmentally damaging and could spell severe problems for the renewables industry, which is facing a lobbying onslaught from gas industry representatives seeking to position their fuel as "green" because it produces less carbon than coal.

Tim Yeo, the Tory MP and former minister who chairs the committee, said: "Shale gas could encourage more countries to switch from coal to gas, which in some cases could halve power station emissions. But if it has a downward effect on gas prices it could divert much needed investment away from lower carbon technologies like solar, wind, wave or tidal power."

France recently agreed a moratorium on new shale gas projects, and similar steps have been taken in several US states, after widespread reports of shale gas wells leading to contamination and dangers to homeowners.

However, the MPs dismayed green campaigners by dismissing evidence that shale gas exploration can be dangerous and damaging to the environment. Drilling for shale gas requires blasting the dense underground rocks in which the gas is found with vast quantities of water mixed with chemicals. In the US, the pioneer of shale exploration, communities have had their water supply polluted with methane, meaning that in some places the water can be set on fire.

Keith Allott, head of climate change at WWF-UK, said: "Concerns about water contamination and the greenhouse gas footprint of shale gas are serious and deserve to be thoroughly investigated." He cited US research that found more than 1,000 cases of contamination from gas drilling, and a recent study that found shale gas had a bigger greenhouse gas footprint than coal.

There is likely to be much less shale gas in the UK than in the US, with most of the recoverable supplies believed to be in the Bowland Shale, near Blackpool. Cuadrilla Resources, a UK-based company drawing on US expertise, has so far drilled two exploratory wells in the area, with some local opposition.

The MPs said there was only a risk of water contamination when the walls of the gas wells were not sufficiently well made, leading to cracks or other failures. "There is no evidence that hydraulic fracturing poses any risk to underground water aquifers provided the well casing is intact before the process commences," they said.

They called on the Environment Agency to monitor the chemicals used in the process, which in the US have included benzene and lead, and for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) to "monitor closely the current exploratory activity in the Bowland Shale in order to both assess the likely impact of large scale shale gas extraction in the UK and also to promote public confidence in the regulation of this activity".

The MPs also warned against branding shale gas as low-carbon, and as a "transition fuel" that could be used for the next decade before the widespread move to renewables is complete. "Although gas emissions are less than coal, they are still higher than renewables," the committee concluded. "Shale gas has the potential to shift the balance in the energy markets that Decc has tried to create away from low carbon electricity generation. The UK needs to manage this risk if its aim is to increase the proportion of the UK's energy from renewable sources."

Craig Bennett, the policy and campaigns director at Friends of the Earth, said: "Instead of seeing shale gas as a miracle fix, the government should focus on developing the clean, safe energy alternatives at our fingertips like solar power and wind."

Allott added: "Shale gas is a dangerous distraction from the urgent need for us to tackle climate change. Chasing after risky and hard-to-get fossil fuels like shale gas, tar sands or drilling for oil in the Arctic may seriously undermine the move towards renewables as the only effective and sustainable solution to our energy challenges."

Gas Shale Report

The final draft of the Co-operative Gas Shale Report is now available in PDF format from here: Gas Shale Report.

This report was commissioned by The Co-operative from the Tyndall Centre based at University of Manchester and provides a provisional assessment of the environmental impacts of Shale gas extraction.

Taking action on gas shales extraction

As part of their Toxic Fuels campaign, the Co-op are taking action to call for a halt to the extraction of natural gas from shale formations in the UK until the environmental impact is fully understood, since the practice holds signifcant risk of hazardous groundwater pollution as well as a detrimental effect on climate change.

what are the environmental concerns?

In January this year the Co-op called on the Government to impose an immediate suspension on gas shale extraction following this report from the Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester, which shows how shale gas extraction brings significant risk of groundwater contamination.

Moreover, the exploitation of gas shales is bringing new greenhouse gas sources into play and even a mid-range extraction scenario could see carbon dioxide levels rise globally by some 5 parts per million by 2050. This will further reduce any slim possibility of maintaining global temperature changes at or below 2oC and thereby increase the risk of entering a period of 'dangerous climate change'.

why does action need to be taken?

Campaigners in America believe the practice has already polluted water courses there and they have created an award winning film on the subject called Gasland. The documentary shows some Pennsylvania residents setting fire to their drinking water and other astonishing implications of shale gas extraction in the United States.

The rapid growth of shale gas production in the US has raised interest in the UK. The Co-op have issued The Co-operative commissioned report to coincide with the UK premiere of the Gasland movie, together these act as compelling evidence that a cautionary approach should be taken in the UK as the only responsible way to proceed. However a number of businesses have already begun gas extraction activity particularly on the scenic Fylde coast in North West England.

does gas shales extraction have benefits?

Supporters of gas shales extraction using hydraulic fracturing (also known as "fracking") say it could release so much gas across the globe that it could solve the energy crisis for the next century.

Paul Monaghan, Head of Social Goals and Sustainability, said: "On the face of it new natural gas finds appear to be good news, but this important report highlights the significant gaps in our knowledge when it comes to understanding the impacts of shale gas extraction.

"That is why we are calling for a moratorium on any further exploitation of shale gas which will allow the wider environmental concerns to be fully exposed and addressed."

"Our members have been fully supportive of our on-going Toxic Fuels campaign in which we have highlighted the issues associated with tar sands, and as a responsible institutional investor we will continue to engage with energy companies in order to ensure they act responsibly and work to support the development of sustainable energy sources."

Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change at the Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester, said: "In an energy hungry world any new fossil fuel resource will only lead to additional carbon emissions. In the case of shale gas there is also a significant risk its use will delay the introduction of renewable energy alternatives. Consequently, if we are serious about avoiding dangerous climate change, the only safe place for shale gas remains in the ground."


To find out more you can read the Gas Shale Report and find details of nationwide screenings of the film Gasland.