Objections to fracking in the UK are pouring in thick and fast!
We have now heard that the RSPB is issuing its first objections to fracking proposals over concerns that the controversial drilling technique will harm wildlife and the climate.
Their website stated that the charity has lodged a letter of objection with Lancashire County Council to a proposal by Cuadrilla at Singleton near Blackpool in Lancashire. The drilling site is close to an internationally important protected area for pink footed geese and whooper swans and could cause disturbance to the birds. The RSPB is also officially objecting to the contentious plans to explore for oil and gas at Balcombe in Sussex on the grounds that no Environmental Impact Assessment has been carried out, and because increasing oil and gas use will scupper their chances of meeting climate targets.
Harry Huyton, RSPB head of climate and energy policy, said: “Balcombe has hit the headlines as the battleground in the debate over fracking. The public there are rightly concerned about the impact this new technology will have on their countryside. These are not just nimbys worried about house prices – there is a very real public disquiet about fracking. We have looked closely at the rules in place to police drilling for shale gas and oil, and they are simply not robust enough to ensure that our water, our landscapes and our wildlife are safe.”
Mr Huyton added: “Figures suggest that in the north of England there is potential for 5,000 sites and a total of up to 100,000 wells. The idea that these will not have an impact on the countryside is very difficult to believe. Fracking is technology largely untested in the UK and we really have no idea what the impact will be on our wildlife. We do know, however, that concentrating our resources on extracting fossil fuel from the ground instead of investing in renewable energy threatens to undermine our commitment to avoiding dangerous levels of climate change.”
Read the full article on the RSPB website at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/351702-rspb-raises-fracking-fears-for-wildlife
RSPB Wind Turbine Proposal
As an animal and nature lover, I find it very reassuring to see that the RSPB who are dedicated to protecting wildlife are working hard against climate change and, like Dorset Energized, believe we must invest in renewables. Interestingly, earlier this year in April 2013, the RSPB announced its grand plans for its own wind turbine (see my previous post at: ‘RSPB announces plans for a wind turbine at its HQ’).
Adam Murray from the RSPB, previously commented that “We believe that renewable energy is an essential tool in the fight against climate change, which poses the single biggest threat to the long term survival of birds and wildlife.” He added “We know that with the right design and location wind turbines have little or no impact on wildlife, but we always take care to consider any wind turbine proposal on a case-by-case basis.”
Dorset Energized also agree strongly with the RSPB that wind turbine proposals should always be very carefully considered on a case by case basis to make sure they will not have a detrimental impact on wildlife. Find out more about Wind Power here: www.dorsetenergized.co.uk/energy/wind-power