LBC: Nick Ferrari 'Let's get cracking with fracking!'
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UK energy bills are set to reach £3,549 a year from October, as regulator Ofgem announced an 80 percent hike to bills. The typical household’s annual bill is currently £1,971, yet this is forecast to exceed £5,000 next year.
Some net-zero critics claim the UK should prioritise access to fossil fuels over the country’s green agenda and invest in fracking.
Fracking is the process of extracting shale gas from the ground but was banned in 2019 after scientific analysis exposed the risk of seismic activity from the process.
Treasury officials are reportedly set to urge the next Prime Minister – Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak – to lift the fracking ban and reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign energy imports.
A senior Government source said: “There is even one fracking company who reckons they could even get some energy into the market by next winter if they were allowed to get cracking straight away.”
In a poll that ran from midday on Thursday, August 25, to 1pm on Friday, August 26, Express.co.uk asked readers: “Should the next Prime Minister approve fracking to cut energy bills?”
In total, 2,664 readers cast their votes with the vast majority, 91 percent (2,422 people) answering “yes” the next Prime Minister should approve and invest in fracking.
A further nine percent (229 people) said “no” fracking should not be approved, while just 13 people said they did not know
In the dozens of comments left below the accompanying article, it was clear readers were in favour of fracking.
Username Justmypointofviewok said: “Fracking should have happened years ago, we would be in a different position if we had.”
Username mark18984 wrote: “Yep, the sooner the better.”
Another, username Douglas.Hancock, said: “We should do whatever is necessary to benefit our UK population.”
And username Gordie1234 said: “Yes without question. We need to make ourselves independent of the unpredictability that this market brings.”
While username Maudlin said: “I’m all for it, as long as it is done safely and responsibly.”
Some readers commented that any energy sourced should not be sold on the open market.
Username Fzwmyh said: “Yes fracking should be approved. All gas that is sourced from fracking or North Sea should be sold at a heavily discounted price to help the population.”
And username Jellybean66 said: “Yes, but should be for UK consumption, not sold on the open market.”
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However, other readers were against the new Prime Minister investing in fracking due to the environmental impact.
Username winniebrock said: “No! No! No! Haven’t we already contaminated enough of the earth?”
Username aribaldi wrote: “It’s filthy, disruptive and will make no difference to anything.”
And username fredregar said: “Fracking can contaminate groundwater supplies and also uses a lot of water in its operation both of which would put additional pressure on our already fragile water supply.”
The Government is soon expected to publish a report by the British Geological Survey which investigates the safety of fracking.
Both Ms Truss and Mr Sunak have said they would invest in fracking “if local communities support it”.
However, the Conservative Party manifesto from December 2019 claimed that the Party “will not support fracking unless the science shows categorically it can be done safely”.
Source: Read Full Article
