MOSCOW, September 3 (RIA Novosti) - Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the United Kingdom would destroy more jobs than it is creating according to the analysis of a UK government report, environment charity Friends of the Earth Cymru said.
"We've been told that fracking could be a massive boost to employment and bring much-needed jobs. But beneath the hype, the hard truth is that even a full expansion of the fracking industry would mean an employment peak of just four years, and only around 200 low-paying jobs for the people of Wales,” the charity’s director Gareth Clubb said.
The 2013 report, “Strategic Environmental Assessment for Further Onshore Oil and Gas Licensing” commissioned by the British government, revealed under recent analysis that the promise of some 16,000 to 32,000 jobs across the country did not take into consideration the impact of fracking in other employment sectors.
As a result of fracking, jobs currently employing some 100,000 people in renewable energy, agriculture and tourism will greatly decline. In Wales, attractive high-paying jobs resulting from fracking will likely be given to specialized individuals from outside the country leaving at best 240 low-paying four-year temporary jobs to locals, WalesOnline reported.
"Fracking is terrible news for climate change and the environment, and it's not welcomed by communities. And even fracking companies admit it won't lower fuel bills. We're asking the First Minister to call a moratorium on fracking. The Welsh Government has full control over planning, so they could put a stop to it in an instant,” Clubb was quoted saying by Friends of the Earth Cymru.
Responding to the charity’s request for research into the impact the shale gas industry would have on other industries, the British and Welsh governments both admitted a lack of research in that area.
An expansion of fracking in the United Kingdom was approved in July while provisional oil and gas drilling licenses have already been granted for Wales’ South and East regions, expected to cover half of Wales’ population, WalesOnline reported.
