General Election

First thing I always think of!

 

My job requires me to attend most of the major geoscience and petroleum industry conferences both in the UK and internationally, in which fracking has become an increasingly covered topic.

The underlying theme from the majority of talks on the subject (both pro and anti) is that we need more research into the entire process.

At one stage we couldn't drill for oil in frontier regions, the knowledge and technology didn't exist, now we can do it easily and relatively safely all due to investment in science and technology.

We need to now identify that fracking is a viable and valuable option for the country and begin to invest in research on all fronts, science, engineering and economics to ensure when we get the green light to frack we can do it as safely and efficiently as possible.

The size of the UK is completely irrelevant and 'significant' is completely subjective, but currently those that oppose fracking actually know very little about it apart from a few well publicised negative impacts.

 

I agree, I didn't need an extra 5% of Scottish people to vote Yes in order for me to get my ****ty paid job*, I got it as a native because I'm prepared to work hard.

*Partly for effect, partly I actually earn a lot less than people expect when I'm talking to them about how much I clear from the mortgage/add to savings each year.

 

I think you misunderstand me a bit there. My local car wash has seen Romanians, Hungsrians, Poles and others working there. The Romanians tended to be a bit surly and didn't do as good a job (something commented on by a few) but the others were excellent. I was complimenting one Hungarian girl on her Englishnand got chatting to her. Turns out she was a physiotherapist but couldn't get a job in Hungary after leaving university and "I didn't want to be sat about in Hungary when I can come here and make some money and hopefully get a job using my qualifications eventually". Turns out most of the ones with her had qualifications as well. The fact they had all learnt a foreign language puts them one up on the great majority of our kids who think they an leave school.with O levels in things like Media Studies and then have their pick of interesting, well paid jobs.
Have been treated by a Polish physiotherapist who made me wish I was 40 years younger, though some lucky lad from Scarborough was engaged to her. (She told me a story of how her grandparents had come to see her and said to her "What a country. And yet people are always moaning. They should have tried living like we did under the communists" and then told her of the shortages and crop conditions they lived under. Something she was too young to remember). The staff at the local Boots pharmacy section had to up their game when a Polish husband and wife in their twenties were working there. It soon became noticeable how people were hanging back to deal with the as they were so much more pleasant. I have often remarked on the difference in attitudes compared to so many of our surly kids, expecting things on a platter with little effort on their part. How many of ours can speak a foreign language enabling them to work abroad?
However, having said that there are some from countries who make no effort to integrate and who bring strange religions and customs here who are making no contribution whatsoever.

 

There were reports there is a fault line under London. How tragic if fracking were to see it cause an abyss to open up and swallow it.

 

We could do with more research into how we can acheive that!

 

Sorry dude, I misinterpreted your post.

Yeah, a lot of foreign people do bring a lot to our society, it's a shame they are lambasted so much.

I think your point about religion is a bit different though, I think things like Islam are alright, provided they work within the confines of the laws of the United Kingdom. If they didn't then they should be arrested. I don't want to get into religious politics (the forum would go into meltdown) so I'll leave it there.

 

I wonder what Bono's and Stings contributions are? They lecture enough on what governments should do with their money. Or those Sirs, Jagger and the great Scottish patriot Connery who haven't paid any tax here since the 1960s. I have never noticed Labour doing anything about them whilst they were in power at various times.

 

Good post - unfortunately those that vote Labour, SNP, Plaid want more of the same - they want the services but they don't want to pay for them

 

Would you object if there was a well site within half a mile of your house then mate?

The very well publicised negative impacts of sites across the globe are factual, I'm still waiting to read about the sites that provided no negative impacts whasoever and everyone in the locale was non plussed about their presence.

 

Without stirring up the religious hornet's nest, the problem is the vast majority of Muslims is they are Muslims first, second and last and always consider things from an Islamic viewpoint before the country they are living in.
This doesn't tend to be the case with other religions. Muslims demand concessions but don't budge an inch in return. We are supposed to respect and tolerate their viewpoints but not expect the same in return in countries where Islam holds sway.

 

My prediction:
1) May 8th. Tories form a coalition with UKIP
2) May 15th. Deputy PM Farage announces all tax abolished on ***s and booze
3) May 18th. Immigration banned and forced repatriation begins
4) May 22nd. All benefits reduced by 75% immediately
5) May 28th. Demonstrations start across the country.
6) May 30th. Scots announce Unilateral Declaration of Independence
7) June 2nd. Rioting widespread all over UK
8) June 6th. Scots President Salmond orders England to accept direct rule from Edinburgh
7) June 8th. Rioters storm Parliament and occupy both houses
8) June 12th. Downing Street falls to the rioters
9) June 15th. Visit from UN Secretary General trying to resolve crisis
10) June 18th. Talks break down
11) June 22nd. UN Security Council hold emergency meeting
12) June 25th. UN peacekeeping troops led by Russia occupy the UK
13) June 28th Russia withdraws from the peacekeeping mission
14) July 4th. USA celebrates Independence Day by occupying the UK
15) July 10th. USA annexes UK as 51st State
16) I wake up and realise it was all a nightmare

 

Yes indeed.
A succession of dodging the issue by various parties

 

I'd be more worried why they decided to start fracking in Leeds city centre to be honest, but I get your point.

There will never be that study because there are always going to be negative impacts, do they heavily publicise the negative environmental impacts of wind farms? Of course they don't but trust me there are plenty.

Everything has negative impacts, building a railway, extending an airport, mass farming, urbanisation, but we are comfortable with these or choose to ignore them, the problem with fracking is that it's new and sounds scary plus it's not helped by the environmental propaganda.

Its worth billions to the economy, it would create jobs in practically every sector and would reduce our reliance on imported fuel, we can't ignore it because it will happen, thats why we need the investment in research to minimise the impacts when it does happen.

 

Back in Hull and voting but in the boundaries of Hull it's pretty much guaranteed Labour will win the seat but nonetheless I'll still be voting even though it will be fairly pointless

 

With fracking the problem for me isn't the risk of earthquakes, even if the actual extraction method itself involves fracturing the rock which by logic creates tiny earthquakes.

My issue is the chemicals pumped in under high pressure & the risk of contamination of the water table.

There are well documented cases of drinking water being contaminated with methane gas by fracking in the USA & of flammable water as a result

I'm also shocked by the fact that we are talking about a fossil fuel here when we have over 200-300 years supply of another fossil fuel under our feet which could easily meet the majority of or energy needs for that period & which has much less impact at the point of extraction than shale gas....and that is coal.....yet we keep importing millions of tons of low grade coal from abroad to feed power stations....simply because the government worry about being held to ransom by the miners in the future.

 

You sound like a social worker. During my career involved in childcare I have met many social workers, a very small minority, and I mean really small, were very good at their jobs, the ones that were good were absolutely excellent, the vast majority however were clearly solely interested in ticking boxes, covering their usually rather large backsides, with the child actually coming way down the list.