Gift Horse Under Scrutiny

[Valin]

The Corner:

 

Andrew Stuttaford

June 30, 2013

 

As Obama prepares to subject America to even more environmentalist command-and-control, Bjorn Lomborg (someone, incidentally, who takes the phenomenon of AGW seriously) notes this news from the UK:

 

The British Geological Survey this week announced possibly the worlds largest shale gas field in mid-England. By itself, it increases the global estimated shale gas by more than 18 percent. At the same time, the UK is pushing to get the most of their green energy from off-shore wind turbines by 2020, which will now cost more than even solar power in subsidies. There seems to be a lack of sense of proportion. UK shale gas could dramatically lower European and global CO₂ emissions. Instead they focus on subsidizing a still very inefficient and unreliable energy source.

 

(Snip)

There is an argument to be made that the extent of the UKs possible shale bonanza has been overstated, but even so this is good news. Or at least it should be, but when it comes to the question of energy every banquet these days comes with a Banquo.

 

The Daily Mail reports:

 

Green pressure group Friends of the Earth is preparing a bitter legal battle to try to block Britains trillion-pound shale gas bonanza. It wants to prevent any exploitation of this vast new reserve of cheap, clean energy forever and is already fighting to stop all exploratory test drilling.

 

(Snip)

Fascinating really. One of the hallmarks of cult-like belief is an obsession with, one way or another, purity. Compromise is heresy, half a loaf is never enough.

(Snip)