BBC news have reported that “controversial proposals to allow fracking under national parks will be voted on by MPs next week and it follows a suggestion from the industry-funded Shale Gas Task Force which stated the UK should start fracking “as soon as possible” to find out the economic impact of shale gas.”
However there has been a rise in opposition parties and campaigners coming forward, and they have criticised the lack of a Commons debate. They have also accused ministers of a U-turn as they previously pledged an outright ban on fracking in national parks.
But what is fracking and why is there so much opposition to it?
Fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth and injecting liquid at high pressures to open up rocks in order to release the gas or oil inside, and the name for the process come from the action of the rock being fractured apart from theses high pressures.
The process, which can be carried out either vertically or horizontally, not only only creates new pathways such gas and oils to be released, but also allows existing channels to be extended.
The extensive use of fracking has prompted environmental concerns after its mass use in the US.
Fracking uses huge amounts of water, which must be transported to the fracking site, at it is said that this comes at an enormous cost to the environment.
The BBC have said that “Environmentalists say potentially carcinogenic chemicals used may escape and contaminate groundwater around the fracking site. The industry suggests pollution incidents are the results of bad practice, rather than an inherently risky technique.”
The carcinogenic chemicals that environmentalists are worried about are a form of radiation that is linked to cancer. They don’t directly affect DNA, however, it could cause human cells to divide at a quicker rate than normal, and it is thought that this could increase the likelihood of changes in DNA.
Campaigners are also worried that the fracking process in the UK could potentially cause small earth tremors.
They’ve said that fracking is simply distracting energy firms and governments from investing in renewable sources of energy, and encouraging continued reliance on fossil fuels.
However, industry experts have said that UK needs to start fracking to establish the economic impact of shale gas that fracking produces. And the government believes that these shale gas have the potential to provide the UK with greater energy security, growth and jobs.