The UK’s reliance on gas for heating makes fracking a serious option for governments at both Holyrood and Westminster, according to a Church of Scotland report.
In a detailed consideration of the contentious technology, the Kirk’s church and society council said it was inevitable that the country would soon be left with a choice of the development of fuel sources at home, such as shale gas, or a reliance on expensive imports.
The report concluded: “If demand for gas continues then fracking for shale gas may have to be considered as an option, either in Scotland, or more likely in England, provided that the local environmental issues, particularly ground water contamination, can be addressed and that a proper regulatory regime is in force.”
While the church believes it is essential to develop green energy, it accepts the conventional scientific view that, gas is far preferable to coal-fired power.