Every day since last November a strange procession takes place<br />near the village of Barton Moss in central England. <br /><br />A gathering of resolute eco-activists and local residents march in step ahead of trucks coming in and out of a drilling site run by Britain’s Igas. <br /><br />Their action is directed against exploration work that could uncover shale gas reserves in this rural area. If they cannot prevent the ‘fracking’:, they aim to at least slow it down. <br /><br />Local man Geoffrey Baxter expresses the concerns of many in the community: <br /><br />“This is the biggest threat we’ve ever had to the land; when they’re actually finished doing what they’re doing, the whole land’s going to be contaminated.”<br /><br />Such are the fears over a controversial technique already being used in some countries where this relatively new energy resource has been discovered. <br /><br />Yet the British government is one of a number across Europe who have given the green light to the search for shale gas on its territory. <br /><br />Shale gas advocates claim it provides a readily available solution to Europe’s looming energy supply problems. <br /><br />In this edition of Reporter Valerie Gauriat examines the worries of a local community and considers the potential benefits of this contentious new energy source.
