Why lifting the ban on fracking will be so divisive in many communities - The Yorkshire Post says
There is no doubt that the country’s energy security needs to be shored up. The energy crisis has shown that we cannot allow the country to be reliant on the whims of foreign dictators.
Britain has dragged its heels on nuclear power and renewable energy, whether it be wind or solar, has fallen well short of the ambitions set out by the government.
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Hide AdFracking, a technique for recovering gas and oil from shale rock by drilling into the earth, was banned in 2019 after research raised fears over the risk of earthquakes.
“We will end the moratorium on extracting our huge reserves of shale, which could get gas flowing in as soon as six months, where there is local support,” Liz Truss said.
But that is the problem. The majority of local communities rejected the idea out of hand. And the shale gas industry will have a tough task convincing people to allow fracking on their doorstep.
Kirby Misperton in North Yorkshire being the perfect case in point, after the village fought off shale gas exploration.
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Hide AdThat should not distract from the need for Britain to become self-sustaining when it comes to energy.
That is why there needs to be a much more serious focus on renewable energy. And Yorkshire stands primed to lead the green energy revolution with energy generated from renewable sources in the region increasing from 651 gigawatt hours in 2003 to 28,044 gigawatt hours by 2020.