News review
In brief
Sustainable Awards
Solar for schools
The 10:10 Solar Schools
programme and Good Energy
have announced the launch of a
new partnership. The initiative
will start by providing 20
comprehensive packages of
fundraising training, materials
and mentoring, giving schools
the chance to set up and benefit
from their very own solar array.
Schools have until 6th June to
start an application to be in with
a chance of taking part.
Sustainable Industry
Lagoon inclusion
The trade association
representing the wind and
marine energy industries,
RenewableUK, has announced
that it is expanding its
membership to include
companies involved in
tidal lagoon energy. The
organisation has covered wave
and tidal stream energy since
2004 and will now take on an
additional form of tidal power.
Sustainable Research
Building standard
Carbon Trust has announced
that the UK’s first low-carbon
commercial building has been
awarded the new Low Carbon
Workplace Standard, opening
the door for more commercial
buildings to follow suit and cut
emissions. Investec Wealth and
Investment Management passed
the demanding requirements to
achieve the Standard by making
a 33% reduction in carbon
emissions per person at its office,
a 160-year-old former printing
press in Guildford.
Sustainable Industry
Next chapter
As reported in GreenWeek last
week, ‘The Story of the Line’ is a
new series of animations bringing
a fresh perspective to debates on
renewable energy myths, society
and the economy. It has been
created by Abundance, the UK’s
leading crowd funding platform,
and the second chapter can now
be viewed here.
8 GreenWeek May 9, 2014
Sustainable Politics
Coalition faces voter backlash
against under-house fracking
New survey reveals depth of public opposition to Government plan
By Chris Edwards
G overnment plans to allow
fracking companies to
drill under people’s
homes without their permission
are set to run into widespread
opposition as a major new poll
reveals 74% of British people are
against the move.
Nearly three-quarters of Tory
(73%) and Lib Dem (70%) potential
voters hold the view that energy
companies should have to get
permission from owners or residents
before drilling for gas under their
homes or land, the YouGov survey
reveals. Only 13% of respondents
said energy firms should not be
required to have this consent.
The results were published as the
heads of the Homeowners Alliance,
RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, Friends of the
Earth, Greenpeace, the Angling
Trust, and the Salmon and Trout
Association wrote to David
Cameron, urging him to ditch
moves to weaken people’s property
rights in order to clear the way for
fracking. Ministers are planning to
include the policy in the new
Infrastructure Bill, due to be
announced in the Queen’s Speech.
The letter argues that people’s
right to say no to under-house
drilling is “appropriate and should be
retained given the associated major
Politicians warned of election fall-out from planned fracking law change
risks and lack of a precautionary
approach by the government”.
Under current laws, if an energy
company wants to drill or frack for
gas which is found under
somebody’s home or land, they
need the person’s consent, or must
obtain special permission from a
judge, otherwise they can be held
liable for trespass.
A group of Sussex residents
have already formally denied
permission for drilling under their
properties, forming a ‘legal
blockade’ around a potential
fracking site near the village of
Fernhust in the South Downs
National Park.
Over 45,000 people across the
country have already denied
permission for under-house
fracking by joining the wrongmove
platform set up by Greenpeace.
The survey also shows 80% of
Labour and 77% of UKIP potential
voters are opposed to the policy.
Greenpeace UK Executive
Director John Sauven said:
“Having failed to reassure the
country that fracking is safe,
ministers now want to render
people powerless to oppose it.
There’s nothing fair or just about
this underhand ploy to strip people
of their legal right to say no to
fracking under their homes.”
Overheard
“Lords #fracking committee
includes 2 with shares in
gas/mining firms,1 shale
gas asset fund director,1
fracking champion... and
Lord Lawson”
Twitter reaction to House of Lords
fracking report
“If this country could
be powered by hype
alone, then shale
gas might have a
role to play”
Friends of the Earth Climate
and Energy Campaigner
Tony Bosworth