In a vote on two parliamentary reports on shale gas, despite widespread recognition of the dangers of ‘fracking’, a split European Parliament did not impose a de facto moratorium, or ensure the highest possible environmental and health standards for an undeniably dangerous technology [1].
Antoine Simon, shale gas campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said: “The European Parliament missed an opportunity to take decisive action today to prevent the further spread of shale gas in Europe. Some of the inherent risks of shale gas were recognised, but there’s still a risk that the dangerous experiment played out on health and the environment in the US could be conducted in Europe.”
The reports prepared by the committees on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Environment and Public Health (ENVI) recognise the undeniably negative environmental, climate and health impacts of shale gas development [2], and call upon the European Commission to strengthen current environmental legislation related to shale gas, to be implemented by the member states.
Antoine Simon continued: “Although still not enough, one-third of MEPs voted for a moratorium. The various risks of extreme energy like shale gas are recognised in the reports, urging the European Commission to act with strong legislation.”
“The dash for unconventional gas won’t bring the economic and energy benefits touted by the industry –it will lock Europe into a future of dirty fossil fuel use, with all the associated negative environmental and social impacts.”
Intense industry lobbying leaves an ambiguous position on shale gas and other unconventional fuels, according to Friends of the Earth Europe, with the inclusion in the reports of overly optimistic projections of the economic benefits of shale gas and its role as a transition fuel reliant upon unproven technologies.
Friends of the Earth Europe is campaigning for European member states to suspend on-going shale gas activities, retract permits, and place bans on any new projects, whether exploration or exploitation. Europe must embrace a low-carbon energy model, based on renewable energy and improved energy savings – the only genuine path towards an environmentally sustainable and healthy future.
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NOTES:
[1] The European Parliament voted today on reports from the committees working on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and Environment and Public Health (ENVI). These reports outline the European Parliament’s position on the impacts of shale gas development in Europe on its environment, industry, energy choices and population’s health: http://www.foeeurope.org/shale-gas-risks-side-lined-by-industry-interests-180912Results of vote: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sed/votingResults.do
[2] Read Friends of the Earth Europe’s report – Shale gas: unconventional and unwantedhttp://www.foeeurope.org/shale-gas-unconventional-and-unwanted-200912
