Focusing on the issues
Welcome to the Refracktion website
This site has been set up to provide clear, focused and useful information on the subject of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for gas on the Fylde Coast.
This web site will support individuals and groups who want to make a real impact on decision makers in political and regulatory positions.
As well as providing thought-provoking material of our own, we will aggregate whatever information is made available by local groups.
(If you would like us to include material from your group, please contact us using the link on the left.)
We will also provide information and links to enable you to take action easily. Whether it is writing to your MP or signing a petition.
Whether you are coming to this issue for the first time, or you are already well informed but are keeping up with the developing story of fracking on the Fylde you will find stimulating and challenging material on this site.
What is the current position of www.refracktion.com on the issue of fracking? Well, we are not convinced by the benefits case being peddled by Cuadrilla and we are very seriously concerned that the regulatory framework is currently inadequate.
We believe that:
- fracking would have inevitable negative impacts on our local environment and its amenity value
- under no circumstances should fracking be allowed to go ahead without proper regulation
- proper regulation cannot be framed before rigourous science-based studies of environmental, human health and economic impacts have been completed.
- these studies have not been completed in any meaningful way
- as a result fracking must not be allowed to go ahead in the current circumstances.
Our most recent articles:
So what could we do instead of Shale gas dad?
My son asked me this the other day – he’s a teenager and into asking awkward questions He’s not alone though – The question which is regularly flung at us is “well if you don’t want shale gas what would you do instead to keep the lights on,...Read More »
Why Cuadrilla really stopped work in Lancashire 2 months ago
Two months ago we posed the question of why Cuadrilla were claiming to be voluntarily delaying their drilling at Anna’s Road
Now, they had been waiting rather impatiently for nearly 2 years for the unofficial ban on fracking to be lifted. They messed up their drilling...Read More »
Do we really look THAT stupid?
“BPC (Balcombe Parish Council) criticised Cuadrilla for using a Market Research Company that had conducted a survey in the village and had been disingenuous with parishioners about who had commissioned them and the purpose of the survey. Cuadrilla said if this happened this was against the instructions given to...Read More »
Oh Canada!
What, you may ask has what happens in Canada got to do with fracking on the Fylde?
Well the EU is considering a draft Canada-EU Trade Agreement treaty which would “establish a fair and equitable treatment” obligation that outlaws any “breach of legitimate expectations of investors”.
In practice this means that any...Read More »
Bribery - a bad misjudgement by the government
It’s fairly obvious that the proposed offer of community bribes wouldn’t be necessary if what was being proposed with fracking wasn’t a bad thing for the area. However, we think that the government may have miscalculated very badly in making it clear that they think they can buy off any...Read More »
Ignorance is bliss - at least where our potential councillors are concerned
Yesterday we attended the event hosted by Frack Free Fylde at which prospective Lancashire County Councillors from Lytham were quizzed about fracking and their views on it by local people.
Well we say their “views”, but what was depressing and revealing was the lack of interest...Read More »
Community benefit? They're having a laugh!
This week the press seem to have decided that fracking is all about “community benefits”. Scratch just a little at this nasty little scab and you will see that it covers the festering reality that fracking is going to be so unacceptable that they have to bribe us – and...Read More »
The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets - Energy and Climate Change
Friday saw the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Climate Change release its report entitled
The Impact of Shale Gas on Energy Markets – Energy and Climate Change
Over at Fracking Digest they have done a great job at summarising the meat of the report for easier...Read More »
An Unwelcome Gift
I was reading Tina Rothery’s blog and came across her notes for last night’s presentation in Lancaster. It struck a real chord, as somebody who has been labelled as an “activist” over the last few days because of my complaint to the ASA about Cuadrilla’s newsletter. I am not an...Read More »
Cuadrilla's Reaction to the ASA ruling on their newsletter
We thought the reaction from Cuadrilla was worthy of a post all on it’s own. Let’s take a look at how they reacted (and also how they didn’t)
Here is what their CEO Francis Egan had to say, as reported in the Blackpool Gazette.
We would love to be able to...Read More »
If you only read one book on fracking this year make it this one!
Refracktion
Defend Lytham
Ribble Estuary Against Fracking
Frack Free Fylde
Fracking Free Ireland
Fracking Digest - a summary of the week's news
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