MOSCOW, January 28 (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – UK Prime Minister David Cameron's ignoring of calls for a fracking ban in the country proves that a shameful bias exists in the government, willing to exploit communities for financial gain, a founding member of the alliance Frack Free Lancashire told Sputnik Wednesday.
On Monday, UK Prime Minister David Cameron rejected calls for a moratorium on fracking from senior parliamentarians, saying that fracking would provide the country with greater energy security.
The same day, a leaked letter revealed that UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne last year instructed cabinet ministers to make it a personal priority to help boost the shale industry.
Ebony Ava Johnson, founder of the alliance opposing shale gas fracking across Lancashire County in Britain, recalled when Greenpeace exposed the vested interests many government ministers held in the fossil fuel industry.
The UK government continues to pledge its support for fracking despite a growing resistance from the public and members of parliament, Johnson added, citing as an example the company Cuadrilla, whose two planning applications in Lancashire have received an unprecedented 33, 000 objections.
Earlier this week, the UK parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee recommended that a moratorium be put on fracking, arguing that the technique used in the fracking process is not compatible with the government's commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Fracking was suspended in the United Kingdom between June 2011 and April 2012 on account of several minor quakes caused by the drilling. However, further research concluded that fracking could be resumed as the risk of earthquakes was deemed to be minimal.
