Searching for Unburnable Oil in Lincolnshire.
In 2013 Egdon Resources applied for planning permission to drill an exploratory oil well at Biscathorpe, a particularly pretty spot in the Lincolnshire Wolds. The local community voiced their many and varied objections and my own letter to Egdon's Managing Director, Mark Abbott, can be read here. Once the Highways Department of the County Council objected on the grounds that the access roads were inadequate for the proposed lorry traffic, Egdon withdrew their application.
A new application was submitted this year but the site was moved a few hundred yards distant from the earlier proposal. It remains a mystery as to why Egdon didn't pick this new location in the first place, presumably they just didn't think about it enough, but the new site removes many of the objections. It's on an old quarry site, reclaimed for agriculture. There is little issue relating to archaeology, biodiversity, scenic interruption, noise, lighting, or traffic on a small lane. No newts will be harmed.
Taking the planning guidance at face value it seems likely that planning consent will be granted. But the planning legislation was constructed with particular objectives in mind and that did not include saving the human race from catastrophic climate change. Narrowly defined, our planning rules are no longer fit for purpose.
Here is what I have written to the Lincolnshire County Council's Planning and Regulation Committee:
In the foreword to the World Bank’s November 2014 report, Turn Down the Heat: Confronting the New Climate Normal, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group, wrote:
“Many of the worst projected climate impacts outlined in this latest report could still be avoided by holding warming below 2°C. But, this will require substantial technological, economic, institutional and behavioural change. It will require leadership at every level of society.”
“Every level of society”; Kim is calling for leadership from you, the councillors of Lincolnshire County Council. Similar calls have been made recently by Christiana Figueres, Head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nation.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear that most of the fossil fuel already discovered must be left underground and unburnt if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided. There can be no justification for searching for further sources of oil and gas.
The planning rules, under which you are considering the current application for an exploratory oil well near Biscathorpe, were designed for a purpose other than climate change mitigation. If they are narrowly interpreted you will likely grant planning permission. These rules, however, are not fit for the purpose now called for. You have it within your powers to step up to Jim Yong Kim’s call, to show leadership, and to refuse planning permission for any search for new sources of fossil fuel in Lincolnshire. You owe this to our future generations.
A new application was submitted this year but the site was moved a few hundred yards distant from the earlier proposal. It remains a mystery as to why Egdon didn't pick this new location in the first place, presumably they just didn't think about it enough, but the new site removes many of the objections. It's on an old quarry site, reclaimed for agriculture. There is little issue relating to archaeology, biodiversity, scenic interruption, noise, lighting, or traffic on a small lane. No newts will be harmed.
Taking the planning guidance at face value it seems likely that planning consent will be granted. But the planning legislation was constructed with particular objectives in mind and that did not include saving the human race from catastrophic climate change. Narrowly defined, our planning rules are no longer fit for purpose.
Here is what I have written to the Lincolnshire County Council's Planning and Regulation Committee:
In the foreword to the World Bank’s November 2014 report, Turn Down the Heat: Confronting the New Climate Normal, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, President, World Bank Group, wrote:
“Many of the worst projected climate impacts outlined in this latest report could still be avoided by holding warming below 2°C. But, this will require substantial technological, economic, institutional and behavioural change. It will require leadership at every level of society.”
“Every level of society”; Kim is calling for leadership from you, the councillors of Lincolnshire County Council. Similar calls have been made recently by Christiana Figueres, Head of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and from Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nation.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has made it clear that most of the fossil fuel already discovered must be left underground and unburnt if catastrophic climate change is to be avoided. There can be no justification for searching for further sources of oil and gas.
The planning rules, under which you are considering the current application for an exploratory oil well near Biscathorpe, were designed for a purpose other than climate change mitigation. If they are narrowly interpreted you will likely grant planning permission. These rules, however, are not fit for the purpose now called for. You have it within your powers to step up to Jim Yong Kim’s call, to show leadership, and to refuse planning permission for any search for new sources of fossil fuel in Lincolnshire. You owe this to our future generations.
posted by biffvernon at
1:50 pm
2 Comments:
The Environmental Audit Committee have launched an inquiry - submit your comment before end of December.
http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news/environmental-risks-of-fracking-terms-of-reference/
If you're searching for unburnable oil storage solutions, it's worth considering warehousing options even beyond Lincolnshire. For example, Karachi has some secure, advanced facilities ideal for storing sensitive materials, including oils. Companies like CFI PAK they offer warehouse storage in karachi that’s temperature-controlled and closely monitored. This can be a cost-effective choice, with robust supply chain links to various locations, ensuring your stored goods are well-protected and easily accessible when needed.
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