…Owen Patterson, the new Environment Minister, spoke at a fringe event last night [Sunday]where he showed himself more than capable of rhetoric.
He is apparently "delighted" that he may have shale gas in his constituency, as he told the audience. It had a "spectacular" effect on the American economy, where the locals only noticed it because of the improvements to their infrastructure, he said. It would help us reduce emissions as well, he believed. A role for gas beyond 2030? "Why limit anything?" he said.
When asked whether this view was in line with the legal requirements set out in the Climate Change Act, he said that the Act may have targets, but whether we can meet them is a different question.
Read more at http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/opinion/2215401/conference-diary-making-the-papers-and-breaking-the-climate-change-act