Sometimes it seems that just as I start to think I’ve got a handle on world issues and I’m feeling solid about my opinions something crops up that reminds me just how naive and unaware I still am. A couple of weeks ago a friend introduced me to the idea of Fracking and once again I was left reeling at how little I know. Prior to that conversation if you’d mentioned Fracking I’d have assumed we were going to talk about Battlestar Galactica rather than a process used to extract an energy source (thanks internet!).
The idea is pretty simple, drill down into the earth and then fire high pressured liquid into the mine in order to fracture shale rocks and release the natural gas/oil/geothermal energy stored inside. Now at this point I’m already thinking (and I will remain happily naive on these kinds of thoughts) “That sounds pretty damaging … didn’t we have a meeting where we said we’d try and take care of the planet? I thought we were looking for alternatives to fossil fuels anyway?” Debates regarding the ethics of Fracking are raging right now and I highly recommend that you take a look and form your own opinion on the process but what I want to look at is an area that possibly we can all agree on – personal choice.
The reason I was introduced to Fracking in the first place is due to film-maker Lech Kowalski. His latest work Drill Baby Drill, documents the conflict between the villagers of a small eastern village in Poland and the worlds fourth largest energy corporation Chevron. At first the villagers are not against the building of a shale gas well near their farms, but after carrying out their own research they decide to oppose the construction. Their pleas to the government and Chevron fall on deaf ears (democracy in action!) and they are shocked to discover bulldozers making their way towards the proposed site.
Whether you agree with the process itself or not, surely it stands to reason that if there are doubts as to the safety and impact of a project like this and the people most directly affected by it disagree with it the construction should be stopped (naivety again damn it!)? If the building of wind farms can be stopped because someone thinks they’re ugly or too noisy how can something potentially dangerous get pushed through regardless of protest? Perhaps most terrifyingly of all is the precedent this sets. If a corporation such as Chevron has enough money and power to disregard the opinions of a village in Poland what’s to stop them doing the same elsewhere? There’s plenty of lovely countryside in West Yorkshire just ripe for plunder. I know this is perhaps a tad extreme but I think it’s a lot easier to understand an issue if we try and bring it as close to home as possible.
The fight is ongoing and the film itself was due to be screened at the Hyde Park Picture House last night along with a Q and A from the director. However, narrowly avoiding arrest and seeing that work remains to be done, Lech has decided to stay in Poland and continue to film the struggle. This is where Fracking impacts on my comfortable life – it ruined my Saturday night. To be honest I can’t really blame Lech for this, what I can do is continue to look into the issue, offer my support wherever I can and look forward to the film making its way over here.
You can find out more about Drill Baby Drill and Lech Kowalski’s other work here: http://www.lechkowalski.com/en
To keep up to date with the situation in Poland make sure to check out the Occupy Cheveron movement here: http://occupychevron.tumblr.com/
Wow! you have lots of catching up to do, there are already licence in place all over the UK, Yorkshire included! check out frack off UK, Biff (Britain and Ireland Frack Free) REAF (Ribble Estuary against Fracking)on facebook. Lots of information about what is going on with this madness
Thanks Janice, will do! The more I look into it the worse it gets. I’m determined to work on the basis that ignorance is not bliss though.
Ignorant would be a better description if you’ve only just heard of fracking, although a lot of what you say also sounds naïve. For instance, when you say fracking sounds damaging, damaging to what? It’s happening deep down underground, so how would that affect the ‘lovely countryside in Yorkshire’? Also, while we may be looking for alternative to fossil fuels they are still the most important source of energy. A fifth of the UK’s existing electricity generation capacity is expected to close over the next decade. And new nuclear won’t come on line for well over a decade, and wind turbines supply on 0.6% of UK energy needs. There are plentiful supplies of shale (and conventional) gas which produces lower carbon emissions than coal, and it would be criminal if the UK government (and Polish) didn’t plan to tap into it. You say it’s potentially dangerous. Well all sources of energy production are ‘potentially’ dangerous but in reality generally safe. And that ‘potential’ danger has to be balanced against the very real threats that would result from a failure to meet our energy needs.
I totally agree with you on the naivety aspect Paul although I do think a little bit of naivety can offer a different take on a topic. I’m just at the start of my journey into this issue which is one of the reasons I didn’t want to talk about the ethics of the fracking process itself too much and used phrases like ‘potentially damaging’ rather than just ‘damaging’.
I think the protest currently underway in Poland is more about freedom of choice. These people have made their decision on fracking and rather than being listened to their opinions and concerns have just been dismissed (or at least this is what they feel). In this case the situation is being totally mishandled by both the Polish government and Chevron
At the same time I can understand the viewpoint that a global energy crisis may trump the concerns of a vocal minority and that perhaps we’re nowhere near ready to rely fully on sustainable energy sources, it just sticks in my throat a little bit y’know? Not quite ready to dispense with all my naivety yet!