Just imagine if this sort of policy existed in the early dawn of the Industrial Revolution, which began and had its core in Britain. Cheap and powerful energy from so called fossil fuel (it isn't fossil) coal extraction particularly in this area (Lancashire and surrounds) and the local largely sub-literate population had the vote, the farmers peasantry and landowners would have vociferously objected to the interruptions to their rural lifestyle, and Britain's development as a mighty world power would have been nipped in the bud. Britain would have stalled in the late Middle Ages. They would have lost the Napoleonic wars and would likely be speaking French or German now, or even Spanish, if indeed, they were born at all.
The only way leftover Lancashire and the NW region can crawl out of the marginalised hole it is in and have a new revival of its moribund state is to go hard in in the new energy from gas below them. But like Winnie the Pooh, they are seemingly 'bears of very little brain'. Look at the booms shale gas has created in those areas in the USA. Pay packets like the folk of Lancashire et-al can only dream about. Development. Restoration, crumbling old Georgian buildings etc restored to full functionality. Roads fixed. Housing improved. Jobs good jobs,for the youngsters near home. Industry like this brings money in. For shops, schools, housing, real estate price boosting, it goes on. Lots more union members too. No black lung disease this is much cleaner energy.
Britain is again becoming energy poor. For example: UK retail electricity price 28.6p per kwh. (55c Australian) Russia 4.67 Rubles per kwh. or about 10c Australian or 5p UK. UK petrol, fuel tax 53p/litre A$1.02 /lr plus VAT of 20% on total retail price. Russia A$1.15/l total price,incl 20%VAT. No fuel tax.
Its not much good being little miss precious 'green' when you freeze in the dark and your kids and elderly get pleurisy and die. The gas would attract industry if well priced. Right now (unnecessarily) very high electricity prices are driving most industry out of the UK and Europe in general.
AJL Price at posting:
1.2¢ Sentiment: None Disclosure: Held
Look at the booms shale gas has created in those areas in the USA. Pay packets like the folk of Lancashire et-al can only dream about. Development. Restoration, crumbling old Georgian buildings etc restored to full functionality. Roads fixed. Housing improved. Jobs good jobs,for the youngsters near home. Industry like this brings money in. For shops, schools, housing, real estate price boosting, it goes on. Lots more union members too. No black lung disease this is much cleaner energy.
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