Fracking in the News (Part 2)

Oil and gas companies have the right to frack on 30 million acres of public land in the US and are targeting200 million acres on top of this, most of which lies within national forests and state parks. This article by One Green Planet highlights what areas are at risk all across the country. It includes:

• Glacier National Park, Montana which is being surrounded by fracking sites using horizontal drilling techniques. 
• White River National Forest, Colorado which is being targeted for 250,000 acres of land to be given up for fracking despite it being the countries most visited National Forest.
• George Washington National Forest, Virginia where 17% of the land is being targeted despite 4 million people relying on the Potomac River for drinking water.

Former New York Governor George Pataki stated in a debate recently that the solution to climate change isn't more layers of government regulation but rather technological advances such as hydraulic fracturing. He argued that we need to focus on innovation and technology to reduce any further damage. It is true that the USA is the only country to have reduced it carbon emissions, but could this really be due to the fracking boom? Yes fracking releases less CO2 emissions than using other fossil fuels such as coal and oil but that is not the only variable related to climate change and there are other impacts that need to be considered. If we are focusing on improving technology why not push all that focus over to making renewables more viable which would lead to dramatic drops in CO2 emissions?

In June 2015 Lancashire country council refused permission for energy company Cuadrilla to start fracking and seismic monitoring at two sites - Roseacre Wood and Little Plumpton, which they have appealed. The appeal will be heard by Wendy McKay in February after which she will write up a report and hand it to the government so the Secretary of Statecan have the final say. Local people fear this means their opinion will not be heard or considered in the decision making due to the governments known determination to pursue fracking as a new alternative energy source.