Top British Politician Declares for Shale Gas

A top British politician has voiced his support for shale gas extraction.

Boris Johnson, mayor of London and a Conservative politician tipped as a future prime minister, used his column in the Daily Telegraph to challenge those who oppose shale gas extraction by hydraulic fracturing (fracking).

"If it were not so serious there would be something ludicrous about the reaction of the green lobby to the discovery of big shale gas reserves in this country," Johnson begins, before going on to describe Britain's economic and energy difficulties.

He describes the discovery of good supplies of shale gas in Lancashire as a "miracle" and an "answer to the nation's prayers".

Environmentalists have been highly critical of fracking, and are lobbying against the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition approving mass shale gas extraction.

Johnson, a former Eton schoolmate of current Prime Minister David Cameron, is a colourful figure. A former journalist, his bluff open manner has made him immensely popular with the public.

The shale gas debate in Britain is gearing up for an announcement on the development of such an industry from the Department of Energy's chief minister.

See companion story, British Shale Deposit Could Be Larger Than Expected

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