Articles
1. Do you think the UK needs fracking as part of its energy mix moving forward?
Yes: 66%
No: 25%
Don't know: 9%
A clear two thirds majority of readers favour fracking to help meet the country’s growing energy needs. However, nearly all accept that drilling for gas is a complex and emotive subject, with layers of risk, regulation and technical matters to be debated.
2. Do you think fracking can be conducted without adversely affecting the environment?
Yes: 65%
No: 18%
Don't know: 17%
Again the oil and gas engineers come out on top on the issue of safety, with most readers putting their faith in technology. But it’s not an insignificant number that either feel insufficiently qualified to judge or think that we shouldn’t mess with such deep geological formations.
3. Do you think current regulations will adequately protect the environment while allowing fracking?
Yes: 37%
No: 35%
Don't know: 28%
The split in opinion can be seen to reveal the poor handling of fracking by the government and media. Some question the government’s competence to decide on such technical matters, while many fear the risk of groundwater contamination and long-term damage but think the issues have been over-hyped.
5. Would you favour the use of shale gas over low-carbon energy sources such as renewables or nuclear?
Yes: 18%
No: 73%
Don't know: 9%
Most PE readers prefer the use of low-carbon energy sources to shale gas. A reason given to favour nuclear energy and renewables is that the risks and viability of those technologies are better understood than those of fracking.
6. Would close proximity to a fracking installation negatively influence your decision to live somewhere?
Yes: 52%
No: 37%
Don't know: 11%
Perhaps unsurprisingly many people wouldn’t choose to live next to an industrial facility, alt-hough a few readers helpfully point out that there are a lot of things that they don’t want to live near. Associated infrastructure and activity is highlighted as a worry for a lot of people.
7. Do you feel the economic benefits of fracking outweigh the environmental risks?
Yes: 53%
No: 32%
Don't know: 15%
A weighty question that sits at the centre of the debate because industrial development is a matter close to the self-interest of many engineers. Progress shouldn’t be at the risk of the environment though and, while many feel that the risks are understood and manageable, the bigger environmental issue of climate change influences the debate for some.
8. Do you think central government is right to overrule local decisions regarding energy projects such as fracking?
Yes: 62%
No: 31%
Don't know: 7%
Large infrastructure projects and often energy projects have a polarising effect on politicians where the concerns of local communities conflict with a greater national requirement or political aim. Most PE readers think it’s right that central government should hold the trump card in these situations because it is able to give a more balanced and impartial view on matters. However, planning issues are rarely straightforward and inconsistent application of legislation and hypocrisy can create pitfalls that many projects fail to emerge from.
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