Due to the current conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the resulting increased gas prices could lift fracking to be a new topic for the German politics again
Fracking aka Hydraulic Fracturing is used to gather fluids from unconventional deposits. Unconventional gas is the collective term used for shale gas, tight gas and coal bed methane (CBM). The only thing unconventional is the rock. Common procedure for fracking is to make several vertical and horizontal drillings reaching down thousands of meters to exploit the fluid deposits. Therefore, so called fracfluids are used which are pressed down the drilling hole with pressures up to 1000 bar to create rifts within the rock layers. For each drilling, there are more than 5000 m³ of fracfluid needed. The fracfluid is supposed to be used to stabilize the rifts to let the fluid flow freely towards the drilling whole for final exploitation. But honestly, who can believe that such a procedure is working 100% fail proof? Like it was also supposed for deep sea drillings and we all know what this went to in the Golf of Mexico.
Especially, if there are ingredients used like hydrochloric acid, bor acid, corrosives, bream, mercury, radioactive stuff and cancer causing benzene, which react toxic and will potentially devastate regions for years, decades, or even longer terms.
If those chemicals infiltrate our groundwater, they will spread through the underground river system. This would poison any fresh water source and kill any possibility to produce healthy food upon a biological basis. This is not only a threat to our health and agricultural support but even more to any being alive.
Since Friday, the 09th of May 2014, Fracking is prohibited for most areas in Germany. At the meeting of the ministry of environment, all the 16 federal ministers of environment agreed with a strict prohibition of any worrying procedure using toxic chemicals. All of Germany's drinking water sources, reservoirs, will be protected with passing the resolution. This includes barrages, mineral wells, and any other sources of drinking water; Declared by Barbara Hendricks(SPD, Bund) and Franz Untersteller (Grüne, BW)
Using toxic substances as well as the Fracking-Method itself will be banned for areas with drinking water sources and reservoirs. There is no general ban of Fracking planned yet but protecting most areas of Germany will last enough to defuse the Fracking bomb.
Besides: Agreement with upgrading the grid infrastructure. And still disagreements about the funding of flood control: Mrs.Hendricks promised additional funds of 100 Mio. € / year for the term of 2015 to 2025 provided by the Bund. Yet, it has to be discussed how much each federal government has to pay itself.
BP CEO(Europe) Michael Schmidt predicts about the future of fracking in Europe merely positive. Fracking ist in Europa kein Thema(in Europe Fracking is out of the question), he stated. There are to many problems in connection with the ownership and the drilling rights. Mr.Schmidt: In den USA gehören die Rohstoffe dem, dem das Land gehört. In Deutschland und Europa sind sie Eigentum des Staates. Warum sollte also ein Grundstückseigentümer sagen: Ihr dürft in meinem Garten bohren? (In the USA the resources are belonging to the landowners. In Germany and Europe those belong to the nation. Why should any landowner say: You are permitted to make drillings in my garden?). Nevertheless Mr.Schmidt predicts unconventional energy sources like tight gas to be more and more common worldwide. According to their own statement BP uses Fracking to gather gas in the USA, Algeria, Oman and Indonesia.
Some European governments may think it would be a good idea to use fracking to be more independent off gas imports. Anyways they seem to accept their peoples' and environment's health as price to gain this independence. According to Die Welt The UK and Poland are willing to use fracking as alternative energy source. Even some German politicians think it would be a good idea to allow drillings beyond 3000 meters.
What about the energy efficiency of the fracking method?
Will the enthalpy for burning those gathered gases be worth the energy costs invested for those drillings? (the production, the transport and the maintenance of the machines used, and the production of frackfluid, including the time and the health of any being involved)
In addition, there will be a fundamental destruction of the environment, which will result in bad health conditions for affected lifeforms in second stage.
Is it really worth it?
Why do we invest so many resources and energy for gathering those gases, if there is already one that has an even higher energy efficiency and can be used in various applications : as powerful energy store, basic fuel for plasma reactors, metal cutters or automobiles and generators. Hydrogen.
It is simple to gather hydrogen! You need water some electrolyte(base or acid) and a current (base >=0,46V, neutral >=0,85V, acid >=1,23V). According to Wikipedia, you need 1 Ampere for producing 11,2 liter of H₂ within 26 hours and 48 minutes
If a power plant produces too much energy, the most common way till today is to store it in position energy if possible. Galvanic batteries have a high risk in malfunctioning (melting or exploding).
Hydrogen is a very safe gas to store electric energy by electrolysis, as it will flow upwards very fast since it is much lighter than the gases in our lower atmosphere. Any overproduction of electric energy could be used to produce large amounts of hydrogen instead of taking the plants off the net(like it is done in Germany for instance for the large windmill parks, if there is an over-production).
The hydrogen which could be gathered would be a more failsafe scalable energy store which can be used on long term and as a more efficient substitute for natural gas or gas. It also can be converted to electric energy again by generators or reversible cells. Besides, it is sufficient to run your automobile, to heat your home, for plasma reactions(metalworking/cutting) or producing more energy by nuclear fusion, etc.
There are plenty of people around the world which already have proven that you can be energy independent with just one 1KJ - 3KJ Photovoltaic panel(s) which will produce electric energy for producing H₂ by electrolysis . This will be enough to heat and power your home and maybe a hydrogen driven automobile. Burning HH0 is not harming the environment because burning HHO will result in water steam and a small amount of hydrogen peroxide which can be used for other applications like disinfection,etc.
If we got already better alternatives... Is Fracking really worth it? Think about it!
Did you ever reconsider Fracking to be a Trojan Horse according to the Investment Protection Paragraphs coming with TTIP and CETA?
If you are a citizen of Germany, please write a letter to your local council representative : https://www.umweltinstitut.org/mitmach-aktionen/wahlkreisaktion-fracking.html
Please sign those 5 petitions to wreck fracking!!!
https://www.umweltinstitut.org/mitmach-aktionen/wahlkreisaktion-fracking.html
https://www.campact.de/fracking/
Sources(German):
http://mare.essenberger.de/de/nutzungen-kies-und-sandgewinnung.php
http://www.shz.de/lokales/nordfriesland-tageblatt/die-mikro-organismen-sind-hinueber-id845221.html
http://www.bund-konstanz.de/themen/fracking-am-bodensee/
http://www.boell.de/de/2013/10/09/ressourcenschwindel-schiefergas
https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/wasser/themen/grundwasser/fracking.htm
http://pfullendorf.bund.net/themen_und_projekte/fracking/
http://pfullendorf.bund.net/uploads/media/Flyer-NO-Fracking.pdf
http://www.gegen-gasbohren.de/
http://umweltinstitut.org/fracking-luegen
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elektrolyse
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knallgas
http://www.uni-magdeburg.de/isut/TV/Download/Kapitel_3_Verbrennung_WS0910.pdf
Sources(English):
Fracking in Germany:
Schleswig-Holstein:
The environment ministry of Schleswig-Holstein did finally wreck fracking in Schleswig-Holstein with the resolution of 26.02.2014.
Diese Landesregierung will kein Fracking in Schleswig-Holstein. Wir wollen dauerhaft sicherstellen, dass keiner den Boden unter unseren Füßen mit giftigen Chemikalien vollpumpt, (This federal government does not want any fracking in Schleswig-Holstein. We will procure that anybody cannot poison the ground beneath our feet )Ministerpräsident Albig at 25. of February at Kiel. Fracking has to be rejected because it holds unpredictable dangers.
There will nationwide ban for fracking done by reforming the laws for mining until 2016/2017.
Sources:
http://www.schleswig-holstein.de/STK/DE/Startseite/Artikel/140225_Fracking.html
Baden-Württemberg:
Fracking is not yet banned in Baden-Württemberg - those areas are planned to be fracked : http://www1.lgrb.uni-freiburg.de/comviewer/application/index.phtml?action=GoToStartMap&mapstatestatic=BERGBAU_BRS
this happened in the past:
- Since 2012 BUND Konstanz and BUND Pfullendorf created service sites against fracking.
- Since May 2012 : Requesting any affected community to join the resolution.
- April 2013 : Meeting of the ministry of environment(EM) and the federal government(LGRB).
- May 2013 : Korbacher Resolution
- July 2013 : Complaint by letter sent to the EM representatives because of a fraud competitive tendering procedure(CTP). Success, the CTP gets investigated. The licenses are not extended yet.
- August 2013: A letter is sent to all communities afflicted by the exploration requesting them to claim for support at the public agency.
- August 2013: Counselling of Administration and community councils to reject the CTP
- October 2013: A letter is sent to LGRB and EM to request information about the reasons of extending the CTP. No reaction yet. Even after several request - no answer. LGRB points out by letter, EM is responsible.
- October 2013 : Meeting of representatives of EM
- November 2013 : Press note of BUND LV about CTP, LGRB and EM
- November 2013 : Letter to any federal minister of Baden-Württemberg to take action against fracking(5 answers)
- November 2013 : BUND LV:a evaluation is published and sent to the EM.
- 20.12.2013 : Licenses were extended.
- 20.12.2013 : BUND Konstanz : Protests against this procedure.
- 21.1.2014 : Parkyn Energy is sold for 400 000 € to Rose Petroleum. The advanced contract was already signed in 5.August of 2013 and a payment of 300 000 € in advance was made.
- 4.2.2014 BUND KONSTANZ: a complaint is sent by letter to LGRB and EM: complaint reason: fraud license transfer and not licensed sale.
- 5.2.2014 CDU representative Reuter and Jung support this complaint.
- 6.2.2014 Fedearl mining director Axel Brasse of LGRB acknowledges by letter that there is no request for extending the license and that the mining office did not authorize the deal.
- 25.2.2014 : Voralbberger Nachrichten: The publicist of LGRB acknowledges, selling Parkyn Energy needs authorization and there was no request for transferring the licenses yet.
- 27.2.2014 : BUND : Again requesting the environment minister and the mining office, to reject the CTP.
- 26.3.2014 The publicist of the mining office : The agency in Freiburg has no reason to intercept this deal and to reject those licenses. They tell transferring business shares is not enough evidence to stop this procedure legally.
- Since Friday, the 09th of May 2014, Fracking is prohibited for most areas in Germany. At the meeting of the ministry of environment, all 16 federal ministers of environment agreed with a strict prohibition of any worrying procedure using toxic chemicals. With passing the resolutions, all of Germany's drinking water sources, reservoirs will be protected. This includes barrages, mineral wells, and any other source of drinking water, declared Barbara Hendricks(SPD, Bund) and Franz Untersteller (Grüne, BW)
Using toxic substances as well as the Fracking-Method itself will be banned for areas with drinking water sources and reservoirs. There is no general ban of Fracking planned yet, but protecting most areas of Germany will last enough to defuse the Fracking bomb.
Please sign those 4 petitions to wreck fracking!!!
https://www.campact.de/fracking/
Posted at 2014-04-27 15:17:53( updated at 2022-03-22 03:45:04 )
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