But even if fracking won’t transform our energy reserves, isn’t it sensible to take gas from all sources, to take steps to increase our domestic energy supply?
FACT. The UK is currently 4th globally in terms of energy security, equity and sustainability, according to the World Energy Council[i]
It is of course sensible to keep taking steps to improve our energy security, and there are many measures we could take right now to reduce our reliance on gas. For example, simply getting UK residents to turn down boiler flow temperatures and lower thermostat settings by 1oC would have 6 times the impact of fracking scenarios promoted by the industry. And we wouldn’t have to wait 5 years. Add in acceleration of onshore wind and solar, home insulation rates and heat pump installations and we can do 10 times better than anything fracking can provide[ii].
So if energy security is the question then fracking isn’t the answer. Indeed, supporting a shale gas industry would distract and divert investment from what we need to do to improve our energy security.
[i] WEC Energy Trilemma Index Tool (worldenergy.org)
[ii] https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-why-fracking-is-not-the-answer-to-the-uks-energy-crisis/#evidence