Scientists need to better communicate the facts about onshore shale gas extraction, according to a leading professor.
High profile scientist and broadcaster Professor Iain Stewart, who presented the BBC Horizon special on fracking, has hit out at confusion over the facts surrounding shale gas extraction and says the scientific community needs to clarify the facts.
“Shale gas is at the centre of much controversy, however some of this is caused by a lack of clear communication and unfamiliar science,” said Prof Stewart.
“The public get outraged and over-estimate the risks and the scientists don’t always appreciate the depth of public concern, so both sides end up digging their heels in.”
The professor of geoscience communication at Plymouth University is set to speak at the Unconventional Gas Aberdeen conference in Aberdeen next March
He will also host the conference’s first academic reception to showcase the work of university students in the unconventional gas sphere.
Other speakers at the conference include the head of the all-party parliamentary group for unconventional oil and gas, Dan Byles MP, and Ken Cronin from the UK Onshore Operators’ Group.
Centrica’s director of UK and Netherlands exploration and subsurface Mark Lappin will chair the event.
“This is an industry-led event to address the common barriers around energy security and the role that unconventional gas can play in addressing that issue going forward,” he said.
“Our conference will integrate the contribution from academics, industry and the political arena.”
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