Ukraine War Reignites Fracking Discussion in the U.K.

  In the midst of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, it has been hard to focus on anything but the devastating stories and breaking news that bombards all social spaces. As a result, effects such as the re-emergence of fracking in the U.K. have gone relatively overlooked by the public. In an effort to end the U.K.’s dependency on Russian energy sources, Boris Johnson is looking into ideas such as lifting its fracking ban, to allow the U.K. to tap into its supposedly abundant shale gas under the land’s surface.

According to the Independent Petroleum Association of America, “hydraulic fracturing is the process of injecting liquid and materials at high pressure to create small fractures within tight shale formations to stimulate the production and safely extract energy from an underground well…” The process has become highly controversial because of its negative effects on the environment. According to an interview that Kerry McCarthy, the Labour Member of Parliament for Bristol East, did with Huffington Post, “fracking would completely undermine [the U.K. 's] climate commitments and there is also a significant risk of air and water pollution.”

In the recent past, the negative effects of fracking have been pushed, but there are also valid reasons for it being reconsidered in the face of the Ukraine crisis. Fracking is an industry with a lot of potential to boost employment and support the economy as well as give the U.K. a safety blanket in the face of “geopolitical shocks like the one we are currently experiencing” (Rogers, Huffington Post). Though still, the looming rise of U.K. citizens’ energy bills and usage of over a thousand trillion cubic feet of land pose more barriers to moving forward in lifting the ban on fracking.

As the Ukraine War persists, it will be interesting to see how increasing pressures continue to pull the U.K. fracking discussion to the forefront of environmental, and now geopolitical controversy. 

How the Ukraine War Gave Fracking in the UK a Second Chance - The New York Times

What Is Fracking And Why Has The Ukraine War Put It Back On The Agenda? | HuffPost UK Politics

​​Fracking Has Its Costs And Benefits -- The Trick Is Balancing Them

Questions:

1. Is there a "happy medium" to be reached between the negative environmental effects of fracking and the positive redirection of geopolitical power?

2. How does the U.K.'s fracking debate mirror/contrast that of the United States?

3. If the ban is lifted, do you think there will be proper regulation? Meaning, will lifting the ban open the door to a consuming environmental threat, or will it be used as a strategic tool in the Ukraine War?