Opinion: Public ownership needed to protect the environment and power the UK

Fracking is the process by which liquid is injected at high pressure into rocks below the surface, to extract shale gas.

The method uses an excess of water in its approach and results in a contribution of millions of tons of methane emissions – methane is more than 25 times as detrimental as carbon dioxide.

I have been researching the environmental impact of fracking, as outlined by the experts – and I feel it is important to oppose anything that promotes and furthers the climate crisis.

A crisis that will undoubtedly impact our poorer, working-class, and marginalised communities.

We may only look at the floods in Pakistan, or remember the devastating wildfires that wreaked havoc across Europe, Australia, and the US in recent years.

To those we can add the more recent issues facing the UK as large parts of our country have been in drought status this year.

In 2019, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake was registered in Fylde, Lancashire, and a further 3.5 magnitude earthquake, reported in Coniston, Cumbria.

Fracking was then halted by the government – only for the ban to be lifted by new Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg in recent days.

This is despite leading experts saying fracking will not alleviate the UK's energy crisis or bring down heating costs.

And experts said it will pose a grave threat to our countryside and wildlife, while undoubtedly contributing to the acceleration of the climate crisis.

While the soaring price of gas may make fracking seem tempting in these challenging times, it remains unlikely that a return to fracking will be remotely profitable.

Scientists and experts have been saying for years that the UK is not a suitable or effective site for fracking, as there are studies and reports to show the unpredictability of seismic activity across the country.

I feel that the only way forward, to gain ‘energy independence’ as senior politicians are calling it, is for investment in clean energy.

This would create jobs for workers and bring industry to the country; actively protecting the environment and keeping our communities safe.

One solution is for our energy industry to come under democratic, public ownership, thus serving the needs of the people, protecting the environment, and powering the UK.