I wouldn't normally give advice to visitors to Britain. Preferring instead to let people find there way around and discover the beauties of our lovely and history-filled island.
However, recent events lead me to warn people of the perils that they may come across.
The thing is, you may see people in certain rural idylls mimicking ostriches. Yes, that's right, you will see the rear ends (most will hopefully be clothed) of country dwellers with their heads buried in the sand.
Many of these people reside in the southern counties of England and enjoy the natural beauty while at the same time commuting into London where they can earn the salaries that afford them and their families, this lifestyle. These people are truly fortunate because they are able to manage this lifestyle and yet not need any hydro-carbon based energy to do so.
How do I know this? Well, it must be so. It must be that these people travel by foot or pedal power and light and heat their houses using personal solar power panels. All that lovely country food must get cooked on solar powered stoves or open wood-burning fires. These fortunate people must also be blessed with an absence of internet and TV interfering with their lives and those pesky mobile phones don't blight their life, either. And of course, they never, ever holiday abroad!
This has to be so because otherwise they wouldn't be opposing onshore drilling. They would understand that the 4x4s that they drive require hydro-carbons, that the electricity that is used comes mostly from gas-fired stations. They would have read, in a carbon-environment newspaper, that the UK is facing a severe energy crisis and within 2 years the country will face power outages. They will have heard and read stories about the high energy taxes that are causing the death of old people who simply cannot afford to heat their homes, in the winter.
Knowing all this though, they oppose exploratory drilling which just might provide solutions to the country's energy needs. To say nothing of the fiscal benefits which might accrue to the country!
Why do they oppose? There is some that twaddle on about the drilling rigs being an eyesore. In this they are supported by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. All though are content to see wind turbines, despoil the countryside. These wind turbines will be around for 25 years, unless they burn-up before (as some have already done so). The drilling rigs will be there for a couple of months, at most, and then they will be removed to be replaced, if the well is successful, with a low profile pumping system - think nodding donkey - that can be hidden by a stand of conifer hedges. Don't believe me? Go look in Lincolnshire around Welton, Nettleham and Keddington and see the extent of despoilation (and when you don't see any, you will know what I mean !).
A further fear relates to 'fracking'. Understand first that the drilling activity that is currently being opposed, includes zero as in no, fracking activity. None, nada, zilch!
If hydro-carbons are found, they are likely to be in gas form and will most likely require fracking to facilitate extraction. So, what about fracking? Based on the mendacious stories from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth and the totally discredited Gasland movie from Josh Fox, you would expect aquifer pollution - the actual fact that these wells drill through and beyond the water-table and then 'case-off' the aquifer zone, isn't allowed to get in the way of the lie that pollution occurs - it doesn't pure and simple. Don't take my word for it. Do your own research on the USA's Environmental Protection Agency website. See how many instances of groundwater pollution they have recorded, during the ongoing shale drilling boom, indeed since 'fracking' first started in the mid 1940s. Oh and don't be concerned at the talk of secret chemical recipes being pumped into the ground. Lots of companies have 'secret recipes'. Ever heard of Coca Cola or KFC's coating mix?
Then, talking of booms we get to seismic activity - that is the accusation that fracking causes earthquakes to occur. This will cause country churches to topple and houses to develop cracks, just prior to falling over and killing all of the inhabitants and, perish the thought, school roofs to fall and smother children. Again, do your own research. Find out how many homes and buildings have been devastated by fracking in America, where thousands of wells have been fracked. Tip - you won't find any data because there isn't any but Greenpeace and FoE don't want facts or the truth to get in the way of driving us all back to a non-carbon environment where we can sit in un-heated homes and work just down the road from our hovel.
So dear traveler, don't be surprised by any sighting of the 'lesser brained nimbyist' These selfish animals, when not burying their head in the sand and chirping their 'not in my back yard' mating call can sometimes be found communing with their local, usually Conservative, MP. This creature comes from the genus money-grubbing hypocratus and when not concerned with feathering its nest has the uncanny ability to talk out of its rear-end while moving its lips. These MPs are characterised by self-interest and such short-termism that would make a City trader blush!
So dear traveler, come visit, close your ears to the whining and eco-lies and instead enjoy this green and pleasant land. Visit those churches that have stood for hundreds of years and marvel at the landscape. Try also to picture that landscape before parts of it were ruined by loony eco-policies that heavily subsidise the installation of wind turbines.
However, recent events lead me to warn people of the perils that they may come across.
The thing is, you may see people in certain rural idylls mimicking ostriches. Yes, that's right, you will see the rear ends (most will hopefully be clothed) of country dwellers with their heads buried in the sand.
Many of these people reside in the southern counties of England and enjoy the natural beauty while at the same time commuting into London where they can earn the salaries that afford them and their families, this lifestyle. These people are truly fortunate because they are able to manage this lifestyle and yet not need any hydro-carbon based energy to do so.
How do I know this? Well, it must be so. It must be that these people travel by foot or pedal power and light and heat their houses using personal solar power panels. All that lovely country food must get cooked on solar powered stoves or open wood-burning fires. These fortunate people must also be blessed with an absence of internet and TV interfering with their lives and those pesky mobile phones don't blight their life, either. And of course, they never, ever holiday abroad!
This has to be so because otherwise they wouldn't be opposing onshore drilling. They would understand that the 4x4s that they drive require hydro-carbons, that the electricity that is used comes mostly from gas-fired stations. They would have read, in a carbon-environment newspaper, that the UK is facing a severe energy crisis and within 2 years the country will face power outages. They will have heard and read stories about the high energy taxes that are causing the death of old people who simply cannot afford to heat their homes, in the winter.
Knowing all this though, they oppose exploratory drilling which just might provide solutions to the country's energy needs. To say nothing of the fiscal benefits which might accrue to the country!
Why do they oppose? There is some that twaddle on about the drilling rigs being an eyesore. In this they are supported by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth. All though are content to see wind turbines, despoil the countryside. These wind turbines will be around for 25 years, unless they burn-up before (as some have already done so). The drilling rigs will be there for a couple of months, at most, and then they will be removed to be replaced, if the well is successful, with a low profile pumping system - think nodding donkey - that can be hidden by a stand of conifer hedges. Don't believe me? Go look in Lincolnshire around Welton, Nettleham and Keddington and see the extent of despoilation (and when you don't see any, you will know what I mean !).
A further fear relates to 'fracking'. Understand first that the drilling activity that is currently being opposed, includes zero as in no, fracking activity. None, nada, zilch!
If hydro-carbons are found, they are likely to be in gas form and will most likely require fracking to facilitate extraction. So, what about fracking? Based on the mendacious stories from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth and the totally discredited Gasland movie from Josh Fox, you would expect aquifer pollution - the actual fact that these wells drill through and beyond the water-table and then 'case-off' the aquifer zone, isn't allowed to get in the way of the lie that pollution occurs - it doesn't pure and simple. Don't take my word for it. Do your own research on the USA's Environmental Protection Agency website. See how many instances of groundwater pollution they have recorded, during the ongoing shale drilling boom, indeed since 'fracking' first started in the mid 1940s. Oh and don't be concerned at the talk of secret chemical recipes being pumped into the ground. Lots of companies have 'secret recipes'. Ever heard of Coca Cola or KFC's coating mix?
Then, talking of booms we get to seismic activity - that is the accusation that fracking causes earthquakes to occur. This will cause country churches to topple and houses to develop cracks, just prior to falling over and killing all of the inhabitants and, perish the thought, school roofs to fall and smother children. Again, do your own research. Find out how many homes and buildings have been devastated by fracking in America, where thousands of wells have been fracked. Tip - you won't find any data because there isn't any but Greenpeace and FoE don't want facts or the truth to get in the way of driving us all back to a non-carbon environment where we can sit in un-heated homes and work just down the road from our hovel.
So dear traveler, don't be surprised by any sighting of the 'lesser brained nimbyist' These selfish animals, when not burying their head in the sand and chirping their 'not in my back yard' mating call can sometimes be found communing with their local, usually Conservative, MP. This creature comes from the genus money-grubbing hypocratus and when not concerned with feathering its nest has the uncanny ability to talk out of its rear-end while moving its lips. These MPs are characterised by self-interest and such short-termism that would make a City trader blush!
So dear traveler, come visit, close your ears to the whining and eco-lies and instead enjoy this green and pleasant land. Visit those churches that have stood for hundreds of years and marvel at the landscape. Try also to picture that landscape before parts of it were ruined by loony eco-policies that heavily subsidise the installation of wind turbines.
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