Gloucester’s MP Richard Graham has come out opposing fracking, believing we can meet zero carbon goals without shale gas.
Richard said, ‘My view has changed. I used to take the view that it was up to every part of the country to decide if they wanted fracking or not (once it was identified if there was potential for shale gas). I now believe we should not enable any fracking at all.’
The City MP noted the US has a competitive advantage from shale gas in energy prices and has seen shale gas produced in China, without apparent environmental damage.
But he added, ‘the nature of fracking carries risks to the environment with the possibility of mini earthquakes. We have and must develop our green sources of energy which we have in abundance (marine, solar and wind), which would reduce our dependence on imported gas and oil. Renewables now generate 37% of the UK's electricity, up from 6% in 2010, and this government has enabled a huge amount of offshore wind capacity to be added without additional costs to taxpayers’ energy bills. Our renewable capacity has quadrupled since 2010 and I do not think the risks to the environment justify the UK continuing to look at shale gas.’
Richard, along with the Conservative Environment Network (CEN), would like to see a larger move to electric if not hydrogen powered vehicles as soon as possible, while highlighting that there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in the UK charging to go ahead with shale gas production.
All of which suggests to Richard that ‘fracking isn’t going to happen here’.