Fracking: Film and Discussion
March 07, 2011 19:30
Published:
March 04, 2011 14:04
by Watcher |
Broadway Cinema, Broad Street, Nottingham
Places: broadway nottingham
Could ‘fracking’ come to a gas well near Nottingham and Derby?
Film and discussion at Broadway Cinema, Monday 7 March
Environmental campaigners say that an area near Nottingham could be used for a controversial new way of drilling for gas.
Geologists have identified an area known as the Widmerpool Gulf as a prime site for exploration for shale gas. This runs deep beneath the ground from North of Derby along the Derwent Valley towards the River Trent South West of Nottingham.
A new technique of recovering shale gas has been developed in the US. Known as ‘fracking’ or hydraulic fracturing, it involves pumping water and chemicals at high pressure into the rock to release gas. In the US that has allegedly resulted in pollution of drinking water with claims that people can ignite gas coming out of their taps.
A documentary film Gasland, exploring experience of fracking in the US, will be shown at the Broadway Cinema, Broad Street, Nottingham at 5.30pm on Monday 7 March.
That will be followed at 7.30pm by a discussion led by Brian Davey from Feasta (Foundation for the Economics of Sustainability) and Nigel Lee from Nottingham Friends of the Earth.
Nigel Lee said “Fracking uses large amounts of water which has to be taken from local supplies. How will they dispose of contaminated waste water? They won’t even tell us what chemicals are used.
“We are also concerned that fracking may release methane to the atmosphere causing more global warming. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered before this controversial process is allowed to go ahead.”
Brian Davey said: "We should be using less fossil fuels, not going after ever more risky sources."
Notes:
Nottingham Friends of the Earth: www.foe.co.uk/nottingham
Feasta: www.feasta.org/
The British Geological Survey, based at Keyworth, has identified a number of areas around the country suitable for drilling for shale gas, including the Widmerpool Gulf near Nottingham. See:
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/research/energy/shalegas.html
The Cooperative has funded research by the Tyndall Centre which recommends a moratorium until more is known about fracking:
http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/shalegasreport
The House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee has been investigating the practice of fracking:
The session on 1 March 2011 included questioning the Chief Executive of Cuadrilla, a US private equity backed firm which is already drilling near Blackpool – reported in the Guardian, 2 March, that results will be kept secret until 2015:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/mar/01/fracking-shale-gas-energy-mps
There is also concern about another company which wishes to investigate the potential for fracking in South Wales:
Details of the film Gasland at the Broadway on 7 March:
http://www.broadway.org.uk/events/film_gasland
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