France is looking into alternative energy<\/strong> and there has been much controversy over licences that were granted to large corporations to explore for shale gas<\/strong>.\u00a0 One of the largest areas is near where I live.<\/p>\n Happily, the new French President, Fran\u00e7ois Hollande, has said that he will not allow this exploration to continue.<\/p>\n Below is the latest turn in the controversy :<\/p>\n On Monday, Louis Gallois delivered his report on competitiveness, which proposes the exploitation of shale gas.\u00a0 At the same time, Arnaud Montebourg, who is the Minister of Industrial Renewal, has declared himself in favour of the proposal.<\/strong><\/p>\n The government, however, has announced that it would not take up the proposals made in the report regarding the shale gas exploitation.<\/p>\n So for a time at least, Matignon has halted the resumption of the gaz de schiste<\/em> controversy.<\/p>\n According to the Prime Minister the proposal has not been accepted and the line taken by the President of the Republic during the Environmental Conference remains unchanged.<\/p>\n Louis Gallois<\/strong>, who was head of EADS<\/strong> \u2013 European Aeronautic Defence & Space Company<\/strong> \u2013 until May 2012, presented his report to Jean-Marc Ayrault yesterday morning.<\/p>\n The principle measures featured in the report were : lower labour costs, a boost to innovation, end of 35-hour working week \u2026 and the exploitation of shale gas.\u00a0 More details of the Gallois Report will be revealed later, but Gallois said that he has presented \u201c22 measures to increase competitiveness and lead industrial recovery\u201d.<\/p>\n According to Paris Match, the Gallois Report contains a chapter on the need to exploit the shale gas that France holds, but it did not say whether or not it mentioned the Brignoles licence specifically.\u00a0 According to the magazine, Louis Gallois continued\u00a0 \u201cFrance has two main wealth streams \u2013 nuclear power and shale gas.\u00a0 It is out of the question to ignore this fact\u201d.\u00a0 It suggests conducting research on extraction techniques to access the gas.<\/p>\n At the same time, Arnaud Montebourg reiterated that France should consider the advantages of shale gas.<\/strong><\/p>\n This position highlights the differences within the government on the country\u2019s energy strategy, with Fran\u00e7ois Hollande commitment to ban the process of hydraulic fracturing<\/strong> or fracking<\/strong>, for the extraction of shale gas<\/strong> because of the environmental risks.<\/p>\n In September, the President had even ruled against shale gas.\u00a0 Fran\u00e7ois Hollande announced the rejection of the exploration permit for Brignoles.<\/strong><\/p>\n The \u2018Permis de Brignoles<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 has very strong opposition in the Var, with many villages displaying signs at their entrance saying \u201cNon au Gaz de Schiste<\/em><\/strong>\u201d.\u00a0 The area covered is 6 758 km2, stretching from Aubagne to Grasse and from Cuers to Verdon \u2013 almost three quarters of the Var department. See the original post here<\/p>\n
\nA report, earlier in the year, in Australia concluded that it faces many hurdles before it can be commercially viable.\u00a0 Whilst in the US, unconventional gas has become the dominant supply, with shale gas providing 40 per cent of total demand.<\/p>\n