Submitted by Capt. 'Bob' on
Scarborough's 'anti-fracking' movement Joins the international 'No Fracking Way' Campaign: A local 'invitation':
This is a *Peaceful Protest* Sunday 31st, Scarborough Town Centre, outside the Brunswick Centre 11.00 am to -2.00 pm !
Including speakers from Friends of the Earth & Greenpeace, information & support. Bring your children, Nanas & Grandads ALL inclusive!"
Not inc Texas? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jN6TSSPZwU
Why Scarborough?
15 Comments
The Gruff: Energy Crisis - Canned
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/12139151/UK-energ...
"Fears for UK energy supplies next winter after SSE confirms it plans to shut most of its Fiddler's Ferry coal-fired power plant in April, pulling out of Government subsidy contract to keep running until 2019"
Govt subsidies do not equate to sustainable.
"UK energy supplies were already forecast to fall to dangerously low levels next winter due to the closure of several other old plants."
Some anti-frackers won't believe that line.
"SSE will face a £33m penalty for pulling out of its Government contract but said the alternative was to incur "unsustainable losses" which would "undermine SSE's ability to invest in modern generation plant in the UK".
Fiddler's Ferry had already racked up "substantial" losses in recent years and this was expected to continue through to 2020, even with the subsidy contract, it said. Analysts estimate annual losses of £30m-£50m."
Fiddled or fuddled? Graphic - "All coal plants to close by 2026 - 29.1% of UK energy source"
"The fourth unit of the plant is expected to remain running this winter, having secured an emergency contract from National Grid."
National Grid hedging emergency contracts.
"Paul Smith, SSE managing director for generation, said: "The reality is that the plant at the station is aging, its method of generating electricity is being rendered out of date and it has been, and is expected, to continue to be loss-making."
Wax n Wayne.
Domestic: http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Our-company/Electricity/Balancing-the-ne...
Industrial ? Manufacturing/Business usage
Public Sector? Hospitals/Schools/Nursing Homes/Civic Buildings ..
Frankly, Am not bovvered if your smartphone, tv etc goes off ... and, if the public sector usage could be 'ring fenced' I'd flick the switch for three weeks, just for a trial period mind....
Fence.
Hot Air - Fiend on 'FOE'
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
http://www.nohotair.co.uk/index.php/57-content/front-page/3285-friends-o...
Interestingly, questions why anyone would invest in UK energy when thanks to Campaign groups against 'fracking' it would be easier to invest and exploit 'cornerstone' emerging economies in countries who don't hold Environmental Licences, permits, etc along with Health Safety and labour regulations ...
Do they have a FOE in Qatar, Iran, Algiers, Yemen, Syria? What would they say?
"No one can deny places as different as Blackpool, Yorkshire or even the London Borough of Brent will present challenges. They won’t make Argentina or Kurdistan look easy after this letter and the actual reality of the utter failure of the National Day of Fracking Awareness against shale."
Meanwhile I do applaud the efforts of FOE in the UK, and many of the other anti-fracking groups for putting pressure on UK Gov. in tightening up policy on the health and safetly aspects of 'fracking'.
Equally I would argue that it was Comorons Gungho first approach in 2012 that scored a few home goals for the shale gas industry. Amber Rudd's attempts to try and rectify the DECC abolished and integrated into the DoE only seem to inflame the many well researched and informed democratically anti-capitalist astute.
Geopoliticals and Energy Crisis aside, should Cuadrilla, Third, Ineos, Egdon etc choose to invest their hard earned in the UK 'Energy Mix' exploring the 'opportunities' and associated 'risks' then that is their choice... and should their R&D be matrixed into any future renationalisation of the vital UK energy requirement, then that is fine by me.
Ooops ... wots said is done ... so no I won't be writing to Amber Rudd to 'ban' fracking ....
Mebbe I just lurrve a good old bun fight. Seriously, the UK's energy infrastructure is a complete mess, UK energy policy is a mess, one step short of a disaster and in my humbly bumbly opinion (that can't be counted anyhoos). The UK is four years away from an election. Less of the electioneering and more investigative, exploring, engineering, R&D into what best fits the UK, and indeed our Borough's energy requirements. Wiser heads than mine n all that.
The stark choice, if the Energy Crisis is to be believed, and many facts suggest that it does, is a choice between Nuclear or Shale. I know which I would prefer, but that is only my humbly.... err rant over.
Firmly on the fracking 'fence'.
Does that answer your question 'Ms Lee'?
FOE? Friends of the Earth ... perhaps a name change? Oooh stop the planet I want to get off. Oh guess wot .....its my 'home' (along with 7 billion other people >>) FFS.
Karma.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3091MHksLM4
NYCC - 'Fracking' Sound Cloud
Submitted by Captain Qahn on
The sound recording for the NYCC joint sub-committee meeting held on 22/1/16 please find below the link to the recording:
The Sound Cloud link is
https://soundcloud.com/northyorkscc/sets/fracking-overview-and-scrutiny-meeting-22-january
You should however be able to access the sound cloud link from your home computer, tablet, mobile, etc.
The recording is bookmarked according to the agenda items.
https://soundcloud.com/northyorkscc/sets/fracking-overview-and-scrutiny-...
PS, Scarborough Cllr Andrew Backhouse in the Chair.
FoE on The Rake
Submitted by Capt. 'Bob' on
FoE - they see things differently ...
"The MP for Thirsk and Malton has repeatedly ignored his constituents concerns about fracking.
Before the election, Mr Hollinrake told his constituents he was concerned about fracking. But now he has changed his mind, despite hundreds of Rydedale residents raising their concerns at a local meeting with him.
Even after witnessing what fracking has done to the environment and local communities in Pennsylvania, he has called on the Council to let it go ahead in North Yorkshire.
He has organised a closed-doors meeting with fracking companies on 8 Feb to discuss how to roll out fracking across North Yorkshire, before the Council has made its decision. Local people have not been invited and this is unacceptable.
Don’t let him silence your voice.
Please email Kevin Hollinrake today to tell him to cancel his summit, and to start representing North Yorkshire residents instead of the fracking industry."
Just in case you can't quite manage an opinion of your own, FoE have a default one, however do feel free to edit ...
https://www.foe.co.uk/act/tell-kevin-hollinrake-mp-stop-pushing-fracking...
The Rake's at Westminster
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/14261893.Fracking_firms_pledge_to_...
"Energy firms Cuadrilla, iGas, Ineos and Third Energy, which have plans to extract gas in North Yorkshire and the North-East, pledged to map out where high pressure techniques may be used to extract shale gas after being told remaining silent could aggravate public opposition...
Hot Air & English
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
A N Other ... Nick - Grealy makes some quite salient points :
http://www.nohotair.co.uk/index.php/57-content/front-page/3288-why-do-pe...
English? Thats Middle Earth innit, ya know that big political battle over the 'middle ground' or erm 'middle class' ...
Tho I mostly agree with the mashedup mix that the anti-fracking movement has evolved into.
"To the true Englishman, any change at all is a change for the worse". Bullshit.
Motivational claptrap, chemical claptrap or a world of virtual reality. Life thru a lens huh?
Facts over fiction? Wot no Orcs, Dwarves or Gollum? Borrrring!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgJyMOeuNPQ
Tolkein's third persona is 'Gollum' btw.
Yawn Yawn Yawn.
Working.
NB (http://www.reimaginegas.com/) google No Hot Air
Fracking - Green Piece
Submitted by Capt. 'Bob' on
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/greenpeace-builds-frackin...
"Greenpeace has built a 10-metre high mock fracking rig outside Parliament, to protest the Government's support for the controversial drilling method.
The rig, accompanied by lorry and drilling sounds and featuring a flare which fires up every hour, was erected to coincide with the opening of a public inquiry into Cuadrilla's proposals to frack for shale gas at two sites in Lancashire."
Mock? Mock? Only a mock?
Traf Square. Buck House. Tower. Hamlets..... The Futurist? Get on with it ... testing.
Quadrillas & MyShake
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
Market forces ....
'A new app that turns a smartphone into a mobile seismometer is being rolled out by California scientists...'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35542274
Trident: 'dependent upon one another industrially'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35566480
GCHQ: 'Equip Interference'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35566480
La Defense ...
Referendums?
Digital Inclusion ... soppy moments ;-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDpipB4yehk
(Sparky! trip trip trip)
Oddites of Earth
Submitted by Captain Qahn on
"None of 2,500 species described is known from more than five locations, and for a few of them the total global supply could fit in a thimble.
The researchers say it is important to hunt down these oddities because they contain fundamental information about the construction of our planet.
Some will also undoubtedly have properties that are useful in technological applications."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-35569659
http://www.minsocam.org/msa/AmMin/Centennial.html
http://rruff.info/ima/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LV0UITZRXs
http://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/
Dimes.
Ah, so ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MWmCskZwM0
Coventry gets the Finger
Submitted by Capt. 'Bob' on
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35523310
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35571868
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxZdxgQ7zAU
Ah, So ... 'Bingo'
http://www.gazetteherald.co.uk/news/14273621.Scarborough_hailed_has_home...
Boys Clubs
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
The existentials, are in need of a big slap:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-35354263
for perpetuating the 'female commodity' big western culture myth..... along with a complete failure to identify that big old boys club ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fltUauX6FKk
eg: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/35563858
Yep, take a look but don't touch ...
http://news.usni.org/2015/01/21/u-s-navy-enlisted-females-serve-subs-sta...
lip services : http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2014/may/05/14...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggBUmPrdUK0
Frack On Filey
Submitted by Mortal Mindy on
http://www.maltonmercury.co.uk/news/letter-national-grid-needs-a-more-re...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/energy/12175367/UK-energy-supply-f...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/02/22/funds-flock-to-form-super...
Powercuts at Haxby, York this am?
Lib Dems Ban 'Fracking'
Submitted by Capt. 'Bob' on
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/davey-snubbed-as-lib-dems-back-frack...
"LIBERAL Democrats ignored the pleas of former Energy Secretary Sir Ed Davey as the party voted to back an outright ban on fracking today.
Delegates at the party's spring conference in York moved to harden the its position on the controversial mining method over concern at the possible damage to the environment.
Sir Ed led an attempt to maintain the party's focus on allowing fracking under heavy regulation but was opposed by Baroness Lynne Featherstone, the party's current energy spokeswoman.
The debate at York's Barbican took place as Third Energy presses to carry out fracking operations at Kirby Misperton, less than 30 miles away.
Supporters of the call for a ban included Coun Andrew Waller, executive member for the environment on York Council.
He told the conference: "We are not the desolate north the supporters of fracking would have you believe. The whole city is covered by licences, including land underneath the Minster..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIkAX2bIzGI
http://scarboroughandwhitbylibdems.org.uk/en/
NE: Sabic Invest in Shale Gas
Submitted by Captain Qahn on
From Rats to Riches?
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/14434747.Teesside_petrochemica...
"... The company is one of the world’s largest makers of chemicals, fertilizers and plastics and has operations at Wilton, near Redcar, which include the Olefins cracker.
The cracker, also known as Olefins 6, was built by ICI in 1979, and supplies products used in plastic bottles, CDs and tyres by taking feedstocks and cracking apart components.
John Bruijnooge, the firm’s Teesside site director, also revealed work is now underway to build a cryogenic tank at Sabic’s North Tees site, between Port Clarence and Seaton Carew, near Hartlepool, which makes parts for medicines, sports equipment and computers, for its gas project..."
"Mr Bruijnooge, who is based at Sabic’s manufacturing headquarters in the Wilton Centre, said it was now looking to the future with greater positivity.
He said: “After a series of years of restructuring and downsizing, we are now re-investing to secure the long-term life of assets.
“With our new shale gas feedstock, we will be well positioned to face competition when the oil price rises again.”
He added the plans will also provide a boost for the 400 contractors the business employs at Wilton and North Tees.
The 49-year-old former maintenance productivity engineer, who is from the Netherlands, joined Sabic in 1996 and moved through the ranks before being appointed a director at the company’s Beijing operations in 2013."
"Sabic's North-East operations also include a low density polyethylene plant, which supplies customers across Europe with materials for plastic packaging for food and electrical goods.
New SABIC Site Director John Bruijnooge says upgrade work to the firm’s Olefins Cracker at Wilton will secure the company’s future on Teesside."
Yup, puts that 5p environmental tax on plastic bags into perspective...
"Petrochemical giant Ineos has signed an agreement to purchase even more shale gas from the USA.
The firm will buy ethane, propane and butane from US company Rex Energy’s source in the Appalachian shale basin near the east coast of America.
The natural gas liquids will be transported to Ineos cracker complexes in Europe.
The transportation of ethane begins this month with shipment of propane and butane beginning next year.
David Thompson, Ineos trading and shipping CEO, said: “This contract adds to our supply portfolio providing for long-term sourcing of advantageously priced US natural gas liquids for our European crackers.
“We are excited about our new business relationship with Rex Energy and look forward to future opportunities between our companies.”
Last month Ineos received its first shipment of shale from the US, with more destined for Grangemouth later in the year."
Source: http://www.falkirkherald.co.uk/news/business/business-news/ineos-make-ap...
YP: Fracking Phonetics
Submitted by Captain Black on
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/yp-letters-shale-gas-is-chea...
top comment
"7:37 PM on 14/03/2017
The article was excellent by Matt Ridley, of course the trolls against the UK having a shale gas industry came out in force to try and discredit him. He put some perspective on the matter of shale gas and what that industry could do for the UK economically particularly now that we are striking out on our own. We need our own resources and not be beholden to any other country. That is madness. I was pleased to read this letter today as many people dare not speak out, I for one. I live in Ryedale and we are now suffering a completely negative image due to the anti fracking campaigners who have set up a camp close to the village. They have lied continually and misled people. They made 5 promises and have steadily broken them. Most people are not even local but this is par for the course. What is disturbing is their horrendous bullying tactics against locals who support the industry, we have seen this for a long time. They also have now started to try and stop local businesses dealing with the gas company which is working in the area on a well site near to Pickering. The terrible thing is that no one dare speak out for fear of repercussions. Why have the local groups allowed this to happen? Why? Why? Why? All I can see is that they are causing the very problems they claimed the gas companies would do. I drive past the camp every day and every day I see the devastation of the field that they are camping in. It is common knowledge that they just took the field from a local business and claimed it as their own. Shockingly they have all the rights and we the locals have none. Good wishes to anyone who stands up to them because they are a frightening group of off the wall individuals."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K13hH0pJx5s
http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/warning-ostrich-type-bird-loose-near...
When is an Ostrich not an Ostrich?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYpRSs7pzJo