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FRANCE’S CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL has upheld a law banning fracking in France, keeping in place a law that had been a centerpiece of the Socialist president’s campaign.
Activists say fracking, also known as hydraulic fracturing, is disastrous for the environment, spewing dirty water, fouling the air and sickening people and animals. France banned the practice in 2011 over the objections of the oil industry.
Energy
Fracking – sending a pressurised mix of water, sand and chemicals into shale to release the gas – has changed the energy landscape.
Its use in the United States upended energy markets and led to wholesale prices for Americans that are about a third of what customers in Europe pay.
European Union lawmakers on Wednesday voted to require environmental studies from companies that want to use fracking.
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The French may be considered an opinionated bunch but I’ll tell you once thing, when they take a stand against something nice out if the was ASAP. Ireland, please observe & take a leaf out if the French way of doing things.
Note to self – looking at my spelling & grammar from the above post, please
don’t comment on the journal when you’re still steamed from a late night drinking session!
We just don’t have it in us. Maybe future generations might but we just can’t be arsed. Rather complain about how miserable and hard done by we are instead.
One word – Fluoride
France do not have it in their water
It would be more convincing if it was driven by a group other than the oil industry. Vested interest or what!!
Ammo for Joe Duffy …
oh I like it, maybe the all seeing eye is at us to, the illumati.
Good news. Would be nice if the Irish courts followed the French leads.
Good news for U.S. coal exporters certainly.
The French! Gotta love em!
Looks like French politicians don’t do brown envelopes.
At least politicians here and in the US aren’t above accepting wads of cash, in return for making their constituents water flammable. Or rezoning land. Or turning a blind eye (banking).
Our government stand up for the country’s citizens?! Please, they wouldn’t know how!
Next time you complain about the rising price of gas remember it’s because the US have cracking their prices are so cheap
Yes they will have cheap(er) oil but at what cost to their environment?
Comment for cooperguy.
The cost to their environment will be lower carbon emissions by switching power generation to gas from coal.
Meanwhile in Europe we are actually increasing our use of coal as it is becoming much cheaper relative to gas and this is increasing our carbon output.
do you know the amount of methane gas thats escaping into the environment by poor workmanship on the gas fields in america. it does far more damage to the atmosphere than smog from coal. go watch the documentary “Gasland” to learn the effects of fracking. whats shown in it can’t be argued, its right there on camera. in a few scenes you see people lighting the water thats coming out of their tap as the gas had found its way into the water supply and was causing severe illnesses.
I’m far from a lefty and would love if we could find a way of using our resources more effectively, but fracking is not the answer. far from it
Gasland can 100% be argued with. If you do some Googling you will find that the tap water n the area could be set on fire before fracking ever began. Gasland overplays its hand quite a bit, leaves out facts and wildly exaggerates others
What does the peer reviewed Science say about fracking? Is there a good peer reviewed review article on fracking effects?
No, anything pro fracking gets dismissed by the lefties , anything anti fracking isnt reviewed by anyone credible
Get outta here with your reasonable comment. None of us are gonna take the time to learn anything about fracking but that’s not going to stop us from condemning it as the work of the devil.
Franking will be future. Has to be any way but it’s ensured that eco warriors. ….. err I mean bums on the dole will have something to look forward to protesting
Unfortunately lots of crusty scroungers in this country with nothing better to do. The same mindset that saw science set backs hundreds of years in the dark ages still prevails today. Shell to sea man Willie Corfuff’s father campaigned against the introduction of electricity to the area in the 1950′s – sheer ignorance spans all generations.
You shouldn’t be complaining about the protests guardian, it means plenty more Golden Miles around the country and goodies from OSSL’s replacement for you and your workmates.
There is enough wave power in the atlantic ocean which we could be supplying to ourselves, uk and main land europe. We dont need fracking or turbines.
They have nuclear power so they can save their gas as a political stunt by the lefties in charge. None of the wild claims made by those against fracking have stood up to scrutiny
A sad day for france, in true form they surrendered to ignorance once again
What about frogging?
Im french and I love your humor! ;)
French frackers
Coming to a hole under your house soon!
Drilling for shale gas through hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, appears to cause smaller leaks of the greenhouse gas methane than the federal government had estimated, and considerably smaller than some critics of shale gas had feared, according to a peer-reviewed study released on Monday.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/09/10/1304880110.full.pdf
The study, conducted by the University of Texas and sponsored by the Environmental Defense Fund and nine petroleum companies, bolsters the contention by advocates of fracking — and some environmental groups as well — that shale gas is cleaner and better than coal, at least until more renewable-energy sources are developed. More than 500 wells were analyzed.
for people complaining that fracking being banned is a daft lefty policy that could save us a fortune. i recommend you find the film Gasland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0fAsFQsFAs. there are things in it that are down to dirty politicians but i can’t say that i’d trust ours in a similar situation! i’m not the protesting type, far from it, but if they thought of bringing this to my area i’ll be giving them hell!!
Gasland has long been debunked as a cartoon. here is a peer-reviewed paper on the subject of fracking which deals in reality.
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/09/10/1304880110.full.pdf
What the frack?
Groan.
Check out how green Irish electricity is by looking at smart energy traffic light on http://www.EnergyELEPHANT.com
Support reduced gas prices once the risks have been “independently” assessed.
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