The debate around fracking in the UK has entered theological realms after a church questioned whether the controversial process risks damaging God’s creation for future generations.
Natural gas extraction “is increasingly presenting people with a choice between economic gain and a healthy environment”, the Anglican diocese of Blackburn said.
The church’s stepping into the fracking row comes just weeks after the Church of Scotland hit out at tax breaks for fracking, calling for better support of renewable energy sources.
Headlined “Fracking – opportunity or challenge?”, the document released on its website sets out for parishioners the arguments over the controversial practice in an area that has already been the site of test drilling.
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It claims that talk of the money to be made “has lured landowners to sign or contemplate signing leases to drill on their land”.
“A relatively new technique to extract natural gas from previously unreachable depths is prompting a rush to drill, despite virtually no history as to its environmental impact,” the document says.
“Any consideration of the pros & cons of an issue like ’fracking’ has to be viewed in the context of global climate change, which itself cannot be ignored by Christians, as it raises questions of justice, fairness, provision, stewardship and love for God, His Creation and His Creatures, including our global human neighbours.”
It adds: “The time we spend thinking, praying and acting now to protect our drinking water,and the rest of God’s glorious Creation cannot compare with the time succeeding generations could potentially spend trying to make good what will likely happen if we in the church remain uninformed and silent.”
A spokesperson for the Church of Scotland told Energy Voice that the organisation backed renewable energy as the best way forward for Scotland.
“We strongly support the Scottish government target of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 80% by 2050,” he said.
Last month the convener of the Church of Scotland’s church and society council said that fracking was an undesirable diversion from moving towards green energy solutions after the UK Government announced tax breaks for the controversial gas extraction method.
“In a country rich in potential renewable energy and with great opportunities to reduce our energy wastage by better home insulation there are many alternatives to fracking,” said the Rev Sally Foster-Fulton in July.
“The Church of Scotland receives pleas for help from church leaders in countries affected by climate change. Our friends and our neighbours in Tuvalu or Bangladesh or Malawi are asking us for help in the face of rising sea levels and growing climate chaos but the UK government seems to be deaf to their cries. It is a sad day for climate justice.”
Lancashire has been identified as one of the areas of Britain with most potential for hydraulic fracturing, which involves using water and chemicals to break up rocks deep underground.
A recent report suggested there may be 1,300 trillion cubic feet of shale gas present.
The UK’s first fracking was undertaken by Cuadrilla in west Lancashire but was suspended after two minor tremors in the Blackpool area, which is part of the diocese.