How did you mark International Day of Action for Rivers?
What do you mean you've never heard of it? It's a globally recognised date when we all think about what we should and could do to improve our waterways. Rivers like the Quaggy in south London, with it's banks decorated by plastic bags. Or maybe the River Lee in east London. Both have large sections encased in concrete channels and look more like drains than rivers, but we could re-naturalise them to become more beautiful and functional public spaces; for relaxation and storm water storage.
Water appears to be playing a major part in my life right now. I've started drinking more of it instead of gallons on black coffee. I've been fixing leaky water pipes at home and playing a very small role in the launch of a major new report into fracking in the UK. This controversial practice is being pushed through as the new solution to our energy needs. It involves drilling deep underground and detonating controlled explosions to fracture the underlying rock. The idea is that you then pump water mixed with chemicals or other substances [they've used a variety of undisclosed products in the US, some believed to be industrial waste] into the fractures, forcing out natural gas for collection to fuel our energy needs.
To help encourage UK fracking, the Government has identified suitable areas and invited private companies to bid for "licences" to start drilling. One of those sites identified is the infamous Balcombe site south of London in West Sussex. Work had begun on site but the french licence holders, Cuadrillo, halted work when they discovered the ground rock was naturally fragmented. In simple terms that means any gas present could seep out through natural fissures as would whatever was pumped into the borehole. It wasn't a closed system.
One area identified as suitable for fracking lies in south London, taking in Worcester Park, Croydon, Bromley, Orpington and beyond the M25 past Swanley. A very urban area. When most Londoners turn on their taps, the water that comes out is sourced from aquifers under the London clay beneath our feet. There is a very real danger that those aquifers could be compromised by fracking. The southeast is already short on water in summer months and we simply wouldn't cope if we lost access to those aquifers. Some question if we'd have enough water to supply the fracking industry, which needs thousands of gallons of it to pump into its boreholes.
The RSPB and many other organisations have pooled expertise and resources and created a ten point plan we'd like to see adopted and enforced; if this technology is to go ahead. Our major concerns are that the current situation does not offer sufficient checks and balances and that licence holders will not have to cover the costs of any mishaps. One yawning loophole in the Governments plans is that some 10% of the land they've identified as suitable for fracking lies within protected areas, such as National Parks and other environmentally sensitive areas. These are protected from all other development by UK and EU law, yet they could feasibly be drilled for shale gas. It makes no sense. We want fracking banned in these sensitive areas.
Fracking is a new technology, but it is still a carbon based one, which would undermine the UK Government's legally binding commitments on curbing harmful emissions.The money being invested in fracking would surely be better spent developing sustainable clean energy sources and upgrading homes and systems to reduce our energy needs.
The recent floods proved conclusively that we can't control nature. Fracking is another attempt at human control with far too many unknown outcomes from far too many plausible mishaps. The International Day of Action for Rivers recognises the importance of water to our lives ... to all life. Gambling with the security of our water puts our fagile existence in danger.
We take water for granted. Don't.