British governmental officials are about to announce the results from research conducted by the British Geological Survey on quantities of trapped gas in the rocks under Lancashire and Yorkshire.
The estimated amounts are much greater than initially thought, with more than a trillion cubic feet of gas at each site. The UK government is also planning to encourage companies involved in fracking by offering tax incentives and loosening the process of acquiring drilling permits.
The governmental statements come exactly at the time when the energy regulator Ofgem is expected to announce possible power blackouts in 2015, due to decreased capacity of the power industry in the country.
The decision of the government does not come as a surprise, especially considering that the UK is struggling to meet the tight regulations set by EU on carbon emissions. However, in their what seems like desperate try to find an alternative energy source and meet demands, the UK officials seem to neglect the possible consequences of fracking.
Many critics and environmental analysts argue that the process of extraction of shale gas might not only result in over polluted water sources, but it might also cause climatic disruptions as gas escapes from fractured wells.
The only possible benefit of it might be the tax revenues and possibly slightly reduced energy bills, however it will not be of any advantage to the environment. If fracking is being sold as a technique to help mitigating of climate change, we can safely argue that the purpose has been defeated.
