Do you love shale gas?

A couple of weeks ago, I had the intriguing experience of being invited to the Summer Reception of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Unconventional Oil and Gas (the long-winded way of describing fracking). I'll be honest and say that, if nothing else, the location proved the draw to jump on my bike and pedal down to Westminster. Cycling down Broad Sanctuary, little did I know I entered another world: a gowned man stood by a hobbit-sized door in a wall, and ushered me through into the gardens behind Westminster Abbey. On the speaker line-up for the event were Dan Byles, MP for North Warwickshire and Bedworth and Chair of this APPG, the event sponsors URS and Ed Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. Yes, that's Ed Davey - the man who both loves shale gas and wants "nothing more than a community energy revolution". Just how would this play out? read more