The whole of the country must “get behind fracking”, which ought to get “real public support” once its benefits are explained, David Cameron has said.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said he wanted all of the UK to benefit from shale gas drilling – “north or south”. The prime minister moved to allay concerns about the technique, insisting it was safe if properly regulated.
Environmentalists fear it can cause small earth tremors, water contamination and environmental damage.
Fracking – short for “hydraulic fracturing” – involves drilling deep underground and releasing a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals to crack rocks and release gas stored inside.
Supporters say it is safe and argue it is essential to make the UK more energy self-sufficient. The PM said it could create thousands of jobs as well as reduced energy bills.
Last month, Tory peer Lord Howell of Guildford said fracking should be confined to “desolate” areas of northern England, for which he later apologised. He went on to acknowledge there were parts of both northern and southern England “less densely inhabited than others”.
- BBC News
