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  • 7/27/2019 Fracking_ American Dream, Chinese Pipe-dream, Global Nightmare - Comment - Voices - The Independent

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    Wednesday 14 August 2013 ebooks i Jobs Dating ShopRegister Login

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    Across Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia, fracking wells periodically

    burst out of the green scenery , little man-made islands heaving with activity

    in the middle of grazing lands. Trucks ferrying fracking equipment are

    ubiquitous on the back roads, some with Wild West names such as Stallion

    and GoFrack, others with lazy monikers like Key Energy and Basic

    Energy.

    US companies keenness to be part of this new gold rush is palpable, and is

    mirrored thousands of miles away in Shanxi Province, China, at the countrys

    state-owned coking coal companies. Except that in Shanxi Province, barren,

    brown landscapes assault the eyes with no visible evidence of any fossil fuel

    activity other than coal. While the US is fracking its way to energy supremacy

    (at least the fossil fuel kind) via more than 400,000 shale gas wells drilled so

    far, China, the world's fourth-largest natural gas consumer, has so far only

    drilled 150 wells. India has drilled none, and the EU-28 have drilled very

    few.

    China, India and the EU are all wondering how they will respond to this US

    energy revolution. But while they may dream of replicating

    Americas fracking frenzy, they will soon find that this isnt

    possible. Indeed, shale gas being a bridge to a cleaner

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    Tuesday 13 August 2013

    Fracking: American dream, Chinese pipe-dream,global nightmareEnergy policy should instead focus on renewables

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    USA

    Country Music

    China

    Energy

    Population

    Fossil Fuel

    India

    Earthquake

    world is a myth: The US will continue to successfully extract

    it, thus resulting in more methane emissions but also in

    cheaper US energy. As a result, cheap coal America no

    longer needs will continue to be diverted overseas, locking

    coal infrastructure for decades.

    Indias miserable track record of extracting coal bed methane

    (an underground fracking process similar to that used for

    shale gas) speaks volumes: After a decade of exploration, the

    country has a paltry haul to show for its efforts. Land

    acquisitions are nightmarish; the population density 10 times

    that of the US and its regulatory framework doesnt work.

    Water scarcity doesnt help either, and will get more difficult when the country

    shifts its attention to shale (which requires perhaps 20 times more water to

    extract than coal bed methane). One can anticipate the emerging conflicts over

    water with the local population when the drillers turn up in force.

    In China, shale gas reserves are a technological challenge of a different order

    than in the US, due to complex geology, a far greater earthquake risk, loud

    local environmental awareness, high population density, and water shortages.

    It will take a long time to move past these challenges. Sichuan Province, where

    Chinas fracking industry is taking-off, is a hotbed of seismic activity and its

    not difficult to guess what will happen when the local population wakes up to

    see hydraulic wells awkwardly sprouting in a province all too familiar withearthquakes human and environmental costs.

    In the EU-28, debate is raging about fracking. France and the Netherlands

    have banned the practice, whereas the UK, Denmark and Poland seem keen.

    But below the surface hiss any number of problems. The production sharing

    contract used throughout most of Europes energy projects, which would split

    the benefits of extraction between different parties including landowners and

    communities, doesnt work for shale. Similarly, different property rights

    frameworks will cause dramatic hold ups. While US frackers have bought out

    tens of thousands of landowners, you cant lease your mineral rights as a

    private landowner in most of Europe and local councils invariably have a loud

    say. Add the lack of infrastructure to carry the gas and increased dissent from

    local and environmental groups, and its not difficult to conclude that frackingwill not take off in any meaningful sense for a decade or more.

    Like an under-performing drug, what we are left with are the side-effects of

    fracking. Unwanted US coal is flooding the world and delivering a perverse

    gas-to-coal switch in Europe and elsewhere. In turn, this is causing increased

    emissions outside the US and logically making coal-fired power plants more

    desirable in the EU, China, India and elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the

    debate is raging about whether the industry is disclosing the correct number of

    wells it is drilling and what the actual methane emissions contribution of the

    industry is (my guess: huge).

    The only way out of this vicious circle is for Europe, China and India to realize

    that fracking is a pipe dream and focus on developing viable renewable energy

    sources while curbing their addiction to fossil fuels. Policymakers must not letshale gas become a smokescreen obscuring the need for robust emissions

    reduction policies. EU leaders should take decisive action to fix their

    continents ailing carbon market, currently crippled by a rock-bottom carbon

    price. India and China should change tack and lead the worlds climate change

    negotiations towards decisive action.

    Exporting the US shale gas model is a pipe-dream which if indulged will push

    the world down the path to climate c haos - truly an international nightmare.

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    17 COMMENTS

    DEGRAYDEGRAYDEGRAYDEGRAY 1 hours ago

    Fracking is a good idea for the US, until its effects are understood by local communities. In

    the meantime, risks abound in other countries about to frack their way to severe

    environmental, social and health headaches. There is no alternative to scaling-up

    renewable energy: It is already more than cost competitive today were it not for $2 trillion

    of harmful annual fossil fuel subsidies worldwide.

    REPLY + 0

    JAMES GEARYJAMES GEARYJAMES GEARYJAMES GEARY 2 hours ago

    Natural gas is a bridge to nowhere. It undermines progress on clean energy and is

    dangerous for our climate. http://clmtr.lt/cb/weC0AU

    REPLY + 0

    CHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWING 5 hours ago

    As the environmentalists so often say, follow the money. From Wikipedia: "Assaad Razzouk

    is Group Chief Executive Officer of Sindicatum Sustainable Resources, which he

    co-founded in London in 2006. Sindicatum is an award-winning developer, owner and

    operator of clean energy projects worldwide and a producer of sustainable resources from

    Post a Comment

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    natural products and waste." Funny the Independent didn't think it was important to

    mention that.

    REPLY + 0

    CLIMATEHERO1973CLIMATEHERO1973CLIMATEHERO1973CLIMATEHERO1973 11 hours ago

    Natural gas is a bridge to nowhere. It undermines progress on clean energy and is

    dangerous for our climate. http://clmtr.lt/cb/weC0bJd

    REPLY + -1

    ROBERT JONES ROBERT JONES ROBERT JONES ROBERT JONES 11 hours ago

    Want to see the effects of fracking in the USA? All the widespread

    devastation?????????????????????? Ft. Worth, Texas has 1,000 fracked gas wells WITHIN

    THE CITY LIMITS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Google: Ft. Worth, Texas - and look at

    the pictures to see the devastation................................... P.S. That county - Tarrant County

    - has 15,000 fracked gas wells. Imagine living in a place that looks like that!

    REPLY + 0

    BSQBSQBSQBSQ 17 hours ago

    Firstly, by going further down into the silo of fossil fuels and fracking our way out of our

    short term energy woes, we fail to address the fact that energy diversity is critical to

    addressing the challenges we face. We need to fuel our energy future from a portfolio of

    sources going forward. Secondly, shale is not, and cannot be, an alternative to renewables;

    the question is will shale bridge, or will it distract from the transition to renewables? Shale,

    like all hydrocarbons, will ultimately run out and along the way become more expensive

    and dangerous to produce, and continue to progressively damage the environment (albeit

    slightly less than coal). All this whilst we build even greater dependence on its production.

    Prima facie shale gas could make an effective 'bridging fuel' to renewables, but if that's

    what we seek, there is a significant stumbling block - the economics. Advocates of shale gas

    are also often keen to point out that shale is cheaper than renewables, and won't require

    subsidies, thus posing a "competitive threat" to all forms of renewable energy". If that's

    true, and shale gas out-competes renewables instead of out-competing coal, it's not really

    going to help with cutting emissions in the medium-to-long term or a transition torenewables. Shale gas production certainly poses some big questions, and dilemmas about

    the difficulty of looking into the future. Probably most key is whether there is a realistic

    chance of significant shale gas production from Europe over the next decade, and if not,

    whether gas prices in Europe will fall as a result of cheaper prices in the US. The zeitgeist

    seems to be, 'not immediately', for a variety of reasons. Prospecting for gas in the Sussex

    commuter belt, for instance, is a much more c omplex proposition than it is in the sparsely

    populated Northwest of Pennsylvania. Infrastructure for extracting and shifting gas

    around also is not as developed in Europe as it is in the States, and differing approaches to

    mineral rights also alter landowners' reactions to the prospect of gas discoveries under

    their land: all points addressed by the article. It is therefore plausible that a significant

    amount of shale gas will not be produced in Europe in the next five years, and will remain

    an unlikely possibility for 15-20 years. Notwithstanding what ones position may be - it is

    widely accepted that carbon and the environment are now a mainstream issue - the effect

    of shale gas production on coal prices and renewables is sadly often ignored in the public

    discourse. So nostrums indeed...but not from Mr. Razzouk.

    REPLY + 0

    FRED DAGG FRED DAGG FRED DAGG FRED DAGG 19 hours ago

    So, we would rather have what as alternative. Japan is leaking nuclear waste into the

    Pacific, the Russians have a reactor that has left us a thousand year legacy, and all I read is

    waffle about the impact of fracking. All you critics seem to believe it will not be viable. Well

    if that's the case, it won't survive. As for the long lasting affects to the environment, lets get

    real, it can't be any worse than the worst alternative. Don't forget a certain piece of the

    Pacific is dead due to French and US nuclear testing. Tell me a coal mine that has killed an

    entire community...oh yes, when there was no more coal.

    REPLY + 0

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    CHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWING 5 hours ago

    Long-term security through covering the country in tens of

    thousands of giant windmills, backed up by tens of thousands of

    STOR diesel generators for when the wind isn't blowing at the right

    speed, all costing 2-3 times as much as the Chinese or Americans

    pay for their energy, thus meaning thousands of extra pensionersdie in their cold houses every winter to pay the subsidies, and

    making our exporters uncompetitive in international markets?

    That sort of long-term security, right?

    REPLY + 0

    JLATNERJLATNERJLATNERJLATNER 17 hours ago

    Right, so basically what your point boils down to is: 'it's better than nuclear

    power'...so that's ok then. Frac king is 'viable' in the same way that other

    fossil fuels are 'viable', in that they temporarily solve the problem but lead

    to far greater and unavoidable problems down the line. Not to mention the

    constant potential for the environmental hazards associated with fracking.Long-term ecological damage and long-term power security is ONLY

    achievable through renewable energy sources.

    REPLY + -1

    CHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWING 5 hours ago

    Fracking uses little water in comparison to many other users. A fracking

    well uses in ten years what a golf course uses in a month. If the local water

    supply isn't up to it, the oil company won't be granted a water abstraction

    licence anyway.

    REPLY + 0

    ANONYMOUS 1 ANONYMOUS 1 ANONYMOUS 1 ANONYMOUS 1 21 hours ago

    Fracking, although one of the cheaper methods of extracting natural gases (to most of the

    current alternatives at least) in the short term, could end up a costly exercise: Water

    wastage, especially if it relies on the current UK water pipe system or equivalent with pipes

    bursting or getting clogged up with household oils etc and the average consumer feeling the

    repercussions in higher rates Future human / legal implications assuming there are any

    more hush hush cases: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/range-resources-

    paid-750-000-in-fracking-accord.html The major fear however is that if all these

    countries are considering fracking how long before acid jobs come on the scene and

    becomes a real plausibility...

    REPLY + -1

    DOOGALLDOOGALLDOOGALLDOOGALL 22 hours ago

    Mr Razzouk, I agree and so does TERI, UNICEF & FAO in India. It will be a fracking a

    nightmare! Water shortages are imminent, projections show that shale gas areas such as

    Cambay, Krishna-Godavari, Gondwana and the Indo-Gangetic plains will experience

    severe water stress by 2030.

    REPLY + 0

    ANONYMOUSANONYMOUSANONYMOUSANONYMOUS 23 hours ago

    France and the Netherlands have banned the practice - question is why? 1/France derives

    over 75% of its electricity from nuclear energy. This is due to a long-standing policy based

    on energy security 2/France is the world's largest net exporter of electricity due to its very

    low cost of generation, and gains over EUR 3 billion per year from this. So why would

    France want to see it position threatened and market share threatened. Cheap coal = cheap

    energy / Coal fired stations are cleaner today due to continued developments (just like jet

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    engines) The aurthor is stating that the process is not economically viable - well if that's the

    case, why should we be scared of a few sights opening up? If, as the aurthor says, fracking

    is a pipe dream due to economics, we will get out answer pretty quick. As all the

    enviromental rubbish - all I would say is, do you homework!

    REPLY + 0

    JLATNERJLATNERJLATNERJLATNER 24 hours ago

    It's a good thing that fracking won't lead us back to the same exact problems as we are

    currently facing when supplies invariably run out. Why the idea of creating limitless

    renewable energy (thus solving the never-ending cost hikes associated with unsustainable

    resource gatheringsuch as fracking) is appealing to some is beyond me. Lets exploit the

    short-term benefits of environmentally disastrous fracking operations, and let future

    generations worry about the crippling and irreversible long-term damage.

    REPLY + -1

    CHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWINGCHARLES EWING 5 hours ago

    Fracking won't be "environmentally disastrous", or even damaging, provided it is

    properly monitored and regulated. Read the Royal Society report on fracking.

    REPLY + 0

    COLINWR5COLINWR5COLINWR5COLINWR5 24 hours ago

    From Wikipedia - Assaad Razzouk is Group Chief Executive Officer of Sindicatum

    Sustainable Resources, which he co-founded in London in 2006 Sindicatum is an award-

    winning developer, owner and operator of clean energy projects worldwide and a producer

    of sustainable resources from natural products and waste. So he obviously has financial

    reason to denigrate fracking.

    REPLY + 1

    STEVE HILLSTEVE HILLSTEVE HILLSTEVE HILL 1 days ago

    Sindicatum Sustainable Resources is, frankly, a tiny Singapore based company employing

    260 people. Why should we take a blind bit of notice about what their CEO says, and why

    are you giving him a free advertorial to sell his nostrums?

    REPLY + -1

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