The Government must say no to fracking

Practically every single townland in west Clare is included in the shale gas extraction licensing agreement that has been issued to Enegi Oil.

Our beautiful part of the world is on the verge of becoming a rurally industrialised peninsular, where fields will be inhabited by huge wells, where bird song will be replaced by traffic and tourists surely won’t visit.

But we are told that shale gas extraction (fracking) will provide a solution to our growing demand for gas and that this inland method of extracting gas will provide between 10-15% of Europe’s energy needs.

However at a key energy conference at the European Parliament in Brussels on May 15, evidence heard from two international energy experts David Hughes and Werner Zitter exposed the hype that has been generated regarding the quantities of gas extracted through this new and expensive method of extraction. Werner Zitter informed the MEPs at the conference that shale gas extraction will return a mere 2%-3% of Europe’s energy need, that is 20% less than originally thought.

So why is Ireland, and for that matter other European countries, including shale gas extraction in the energy policy mix with all the significant environmental, social and health risks involved for such a low return? Our government has a duty and a responsibility to make informed decisions regarding our energy policy. The European Parliament’s conference provided that forum. Mindful of the facts that fracking will not yield in quantities previously thought, our government has to say no to fracking.

Jenny Bassett

Fracking Free Clare

Kilkee, Co Clare