A majority of the French people are in favor of developing shale hydrocarbons if it helps lower fuel prices, according to a poll released Thursday.
A majority of the French people are in favor of developing shale
hydrocarbons if it helps lower fuel prices, according to a poll released
Thursday.
In total, 62% of the 1,004 people questioned by polling institute CSA, for
consulting agency Publicis Consultants France, said they were in favor of
extracting shale oil in
France
if
this helps in lowering fuel prices, with price being the most important
criteria.
Meanwhile, 33% of respondents said they were against it.
According to a preliminary report published two weeks ago, French shale oil and
gas fields are potentially some of the most promising in
Europe
and
banning exploration before the reserves are assessed could be detrimental to
France
's
economy and labor market.
The report was requested by the government in March, following environmentalist
outcry at the government-granted permits to explore shale oil fields in the
Paris
Basin
and
shale gas fields in the Southeast of France. A final report is expected by
June.
Faced with demonstrations and an intense national debate on potential damage to
the environment and water tables from shale extracting techniques, the government
recently scrapped the permits, and a draft bill to ban all exploration is to be
debated at the French national assembly May 10.
For 62% of those polled by CSA, price is the most important criteria in terms
of favoring one energy source above all others, while the environmental impact
of the energy source came in second. The safe use of an energy came third.
When asked about energy development priorities, 92% of the persons polled said
solar power should be the top priority, followed by wind power, then
hydropower, gas, oil, and coal. Nuclear came last.
France
is
the world's second largest nuclear operator, with 58 nuclear reactors running,
after the
U.S.
and
ahead of
Japan
.
Following the nuclear accident of
Fukushima
, the
government maintained its nuclear stance but has since decided to conduct an
audit of all nuclear reactors of the country.
Διαβάστε ακόμα
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:58
Τρι, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 19:54
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:32
Τετ, 18 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 18:27
Τρι, 17 Σεπτεμβρίου 2024 - 20:01