Gasland - UK dream or nightmare?

Is Britain on the brink of another gas bonanza, this time delivered through shale gas rather than conventional gas? Is shale gas a great opportunity for the UK or a significant threat?

Shale gas is gas trapped in rocks that can be released through new horizontal drilling techniques and by breaking open the rocks by pumping in water and mix of chemicals (hydraulic fracturing). According to a comprehensive report by Chatham House the potential reserves of shale gas globally is much greater than reserves of conventional gas, and this may also be true for the UK.

The UK Government is undoubtedly hoping that shale gas can bring in much needed tax receipts. The tax receipts from the oil and gas industry were a significant help to the British economy during the 1980s as it struggled through recession (and before Gordon Brown brought an end to 'boom and bust'). However, it is far from clear how much shale gas there is in the UK nor how much can be extracted in practice. What is clear is that a full steam ahead approach to its extraction has serious implications for climate change, our energy mix and the wider environment.

A new film, Gasland, is currently showing around the country. It's based on the experiences faced by communities in the US. It shows there has been a dramatic increase in shale gas extraction over recent years. The industry was kick-started when it was exempted from groundwater protection laws, with pretty dire consequences for some communities. It was also helped by US land laws which grant landowners under whose land the gas is extracted a share of the proceeds, encouraging many of them to ignore wider environmental concerns.

The Tyndall Centre at Manchester University and the Cooperative Bank also released a report on the wider environmental impact of shale gas this week.

In the UK prospecting for shale gas has started in the North West near Blackpool.

Although shale gas is a much cleaner fuel in terms of carbon pollution than coal (and we want the UK's coal plants closed down as soon as possible) this doesn't mean we should career headlong towards embracing shale gas, not least because of potential impacts on groundwater.

Our report Reckless Gamblers demonstrates that the UK has to make very significant cuts in carbon emissions very quickly. This requires a very rapid growth in renewable power with gas acting as an important but temporary bridging fuel. Even though we need some gas whilst we make the transition to a renewable-powered future, it is likely that there is enough conventional gas available to do this. So for the moment we are calling for a moratorium on shale gas extraction, at least until the UK has a much clearer energy strategy to 2050 and the environmental impacts of shale gas are sorted.