But why is fracking banned?

Yes, we know the politics of this:

Fracking has been in effect banned in England since 2019, with the last remaining well in Lancashire sealed this year, and the Labour government said it had no plans to reinstate the practice.

The politics of this being that some do not want fracking to take place. Others would rather like to be able to do it. In a free and liberal society there has to be some give and take on such matters. Like, say, those who own the land get to decide.

So why isn’t this happening?

Well, one argument oft put forward is that British shale is different, d’ye see? There’s no actual gas in it. Or not lots. Or it wouldn’t be profitable anyway. So there.

To which the correct answer is “Well, why is it banned then?” Because if it doesn’t work then the correct policy is to leave be, allow people to prove it doesn’t work and there, we’re done. The only possible reason for banning is the worry that it might work. And, of course, that if it does work then people might go do it.

To our mind the ban itself is proof that people do worry that it will work. Which is, to us, proof that the ban shouldn’t exist - for what’s wrong with bounteous and cheap energy anyway?

Tim Worstall