A delay in the government’s fracking plans for Lancashire is good news for all of the UK according to the Green Party’s environment spokesperson.
Today’s (31 July) Independent newspaper exclusively reports that a two year delay on shale gas exploration is now expected because of the county council’s decision to reject an application from fracking company Cuadrilla to drill eight wells at two sites.
The Green Party’s Environment and Climate Change spokesperson, Keith Taylor explained that communities throughout the country are refusing to be “bullied or bribed” by fracking companies.
Taylor said:
“It’s not just people in Lancashire who’ll be breathing a sigh of relief over this announcement. Everyone in the UK will take delight that these Tory plans are being postponed.
“The public’s view of fracking is becoming more and more negative and this will continue to grow as more people learn the risks of what fracking can do to their city, town or village.
“Communities are refusing to be bullied or bribed by the frackers and the government needs to listen to public opinion on this and stop putting corporate wealth before public health. The more this government extols the virtues of shale gas extraction, the less the public will believe them.
“Fracking is a distraction from investing in clean energy sources and we must leave the majority of fossil fuels in the ground to have a good chance of avoiding the impact of extremely dangerous climate change.”