Two important developments

We note this week two items of particular interest to those who have real concerns relating to the exploitation of Gaz de Schiste here in France.

Firstly, the parliamentary committee charged with investigating alternative methods to hydraulic fracturing ( the committee was set up under the terms of the loi Jacob of July 2011 banning fracking by hydraulic means ) must make it's interim report 'before the summer ' and probably in May with the final report to be presented to parliament in October. We fear the worst.

Read ( in French ) more here: http://fr.reuters.com/article/frEuroRpt/idFRL5N0D53I220130418

Also this week we note that American Schuepbach Energy are to seek judicial review by testing the constitutional validity of the loi Jacob ( introduced by the Sarkozy administration ) before the Conseil d'Etat or State Council. Again, we fear the worst.

Read more here ( in French - or simply copy and paste into Google Translator ): http://www.romandie.com/news/n/_Gaz_de_schiste_un_rapport_d_etape_en_mai_sur_les_alternatives_a_la_fracturation29180420131508.asp

Dirty tricks...........

Nothing much to report this week except that Environment Minister Delphine Batho and the minister charged with re-invigorating the economy ( and a pro-fracking apologist ) Arnaud Montebourg are at loggerheads over whether France should deploy public funds on subsidizing private Oil and Gas companies in their exploration of alternatives to hydraulic fracking here in France.

We would just wish at this point to re-iterate that we don't really care if they use orange juice! The effect of the logistics ( hundreds of truck loads of earth removal, personnel and plant movements, airborne methane and visual desecration of landscape amenity/ unsightly derricks in close proximity to populated areas ) is a definite none starter.

Just one more thing for now and that is to beware of fake 'pro-fracking' petitions. They sometimes turn out to be completely false. Read more here......................

http://grist.org/news/co-fracking-petition-a-fraud/#.USzxiif3uLY.email

Fracking chemicals revealed - in part

Until now it has been a case of deny, deny, deny. 'Only harmless chemicals are used in fracking'. Really? Read here how the use of cancer-causing carcinocens has been voluntarily reported by gas companies themselves in all 'innocence' to a fracking-friendly website. This in spite of consistent and persistent refusals to reveal any of the chemicals involved to the press or scientific community! Straight from the horse's mouth, if you will. Read the report here:-

 Big Gas Comes Clean: Carcinogens Used in 1 Out of 3 Fracking Operations

Information provided by Care2.com. Care2 is the largest and most trusted information and action site for people who care to make a difference in their lives and the world.


Care2.com

Euphemisms and mis-representation!

We now read in an article in Le Monde which you can read here:-

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/article/2013/01/22/gaz-de-schiste-ne-dites-plus-fracturation-mais-massage-de-la-roche_1820407_3244.html

 

- that having so far failed to come up with viable alternatives to the dirty business of hydraulic fracking, industry chiefs are.................seeking to call it something else entirely! Perhaps they think we are all totally stupid?

One bright spark ( actually the CEO of a major Oil and Gas concern ) speaks of 'massaging the rock', another of 'stimulation' and yet another of 'brumisation' which we understand to be.......spraying.

Shale Gas - A Gigantic Con?

For our first post of 2013 we have a short introduction with two important links from organic chemist ( hydro-carbons ) Robert Earl which nicely balances the endless hype increasingly issuing from the Oil and Gas PR pundits.

"Two articles below discuss the coverup that has been going on ( for some time ) regarding the overall picture relating to energy supplies and in particular gas sourced from Shale Gas exploitation.
The articles are well worth reading with the latter quarter of the first article dealing specifically with Gaz de Schiste. 

The fact is that there is a huge cover up concerning the actual rate of decline of gaz production in existing wells. The rapid decline rates have the potential to bankrupt many of the GDS producers and all those who have been sufficiently gullible to swallow the hype from both petroliers and politicians who have been promulgating the 'Dash for Gas'.

In the meantime, in order to provide an image to investors of high production rates the industry has to drill thousands more wells to further fuel the deception. This strategy has catastrophic potential in terms of lasting environmental damage."

http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/13629-age-of-cheap-oil-abundance-a-myth

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_natural_gas_bubble_20130104/

Thank you Bob.

Clearly, it is our job to challenge our political representatives at every possible opportunity ( write, call, e-mail and lobby generally ) and not just wait for periodic elections.

Dernier mot de 2012........

For those who have asked, we are still here - and won't be going away! The 7 permit applications including the one for Cahors appear to have been set aside for the moment pending either an eventual change of government here or the discovery of alternatives to hydraulic fracking ( all of which of course, would still utilize derricks, water, massive logistics and visual desecration and represent the continued use of a fossil fuel contributing not one jot to the inevitability of a move to renewables  ). Rest assured that the overall problem has not gone away.

The Commission of Enquiry set up by the Sarkozy government following the introduction of the loi Jacob banning hydraulic fracking and charged with finding alternative methods and the reform of the Code Minier recently came up with the bright idea of handing the responsibility for authorizing fracking to the maires of individual communes. Democratic on the face of it and of course  premised on the idea that politicians ( even local ones!) are not open to internal and external bribes! Neat one.

Two days ago, we noted the goodwill trip to Algeria by President Hollande. Now we hear that French oil and gas concerns are to be awarded contracts to explore fracking possibilities  there. No doubt this will be the chemically dirty version ( hydraulic ) using and then spoiling obscene amounts of water and not any of the new 'wonder solutions' being put forward by 'les petroliers'.

Here's wishing you a Happy Schistemas and Frack-Free 2013!

From all at Schistehappens.

Dirty money and disinformation........

We forgot to add that the sheer volume of pro-gas propaganda now being funneled via the French popular press is little short of obscene. To gain an insight simply enter 'Gaz de Schiste' in your Google.fr search box or in Google Actualities.