Theresa May’s former fracking tsar claims ministers were more worried about Greta Thunberg than industry development
THERESA MAY’s fracking tsar yesterday said Ministers were more worried about climate protester Greta Thunberg than keeping the lights on as she quit.
Natascha Engel resigned with a furious attack against Business Secretary Greg Clark for listening more to eco-protestors like the Swedish schoolgirl than industry giants desperately trying to find new shale gas reserves.
And she told The Sun that without a change, the Government could kill off fracking entirely – risking tens of thousands of jobs and leaving Britain at the mercy of gas imports from nations such as Russia and Qatar.
Ms Engel – hired by Mr Clark just six months ago – said she decided it was time to resign after seeing Environment Secretary Michael Gove roll out the red carpet for 16 year-old Ms Thunberg and the Extinction Rebellion last week.
She recently handed in a 20-page report to Mr Clark warning the Government was allowing fracking to “wither in the face of highly organised and well-funded campaigns against it”.
She told The Sun: “It’s fine listening to people like Greta and the Extinction Rebellion but they don’t have any answers.
“The Government are paying more attention to them than the very people wanting to invest and develop new energy reserves or even local communities.
It’s fine listening to people like Greta and the Extinction Rebellion but they don’t have any answers
Natascha Engel
“As the man in charge of business and energy in the UK, Greg Clark should really start to listen to those people who care about our energy security and prosperity rather than groups who want to jeopardise our future.”
Experts believe Britain will have to import 90 per cent of it gas by 2035 to keep up with demand and avoid crippling blackouts.
A staggering 41 super tankers shipped liquefied natural gas to the UK between from around the world between January and March – compared with just eight in the first three months of 2018 – causing more carbon emissions.
FRACKING CONTROVERSY
Fracking – a technique used to extract gas from rock just below the earth’s surface – has been dogged by controversy ever since ex-PM David Cameron backed it.
Companies believe the East Midlands alone is sitting on 30-years’ worth of gas but eco protestors have forced councils to reject planning permissions.
And the Government has forced the few companies drilling for gas to suspend operations even if they trigger earth tremors of just 0.5 on the richter scale.
This is equivalent to a football being bounced on the ground.
Ms Engel said: “There’s no joined up thinking.
‘THOUSANDS OF JOBS LOST’
“There’s no talk about nuclear power plants, when we are going to need clean energy like that.
“And where do people think we’ll get the electricity from for all these charging points for electric cars?
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Investors will soon begin to walk away and gone with them will be any hope for thousands of jobs.”
The Department for Business last night insisted Ministers “support the development of the shale industry in the UK”.
It said rules governing the nascent industry were developed with scientists to “strike a balance” between developing the industry and protecting the environment.
PUTIN GAS IMPORTS
VLADIMIR Putin’s Russia provided 20 per cent of all the liquefied natural gas shipped into Britain in 2018.
And the UK is even buying in the gas from as far way as Peru – as North Sea reserves run dry. Fracking chiefs said it made a mockery of campaigners demanding that fracking is killed off to tackle carbon emissions.
Cuadrilla chief Francis Egan said: “These ships create a far higher carbon footprint than if shale gas were to be extracted here in the UK and piped into the local grid.
“If the politicians really want to ban something they should start with LNG imports not domestic shale gas.”
Official figures show Russia delivered 1.8 billion cubic metres of LNG – gas which is supercooled for transport – in 2018, 21 per cent of the total amount of a up a fifth on 2017.
In all some 41 shipments of LNG came into the UK between January and March this year – compared with 8 over the same period last year.
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