Energy crisis sparks ¡®frackademia¡¯ frenzy for campus drilling

Controversial plans to begin 바카라사이트 fracking of gas reserves beneath UK university campuses are likely to get 바카라사이트 go-ahead later this month, with soaring energy prices making 바카라사이트 decision ¡°a no-brainer¡±, according to vice-chancellors.

With gas and electricity prices hitting record highs in recent weeks, many universities are believed to be ready to push ahead with extraction of vast gas deposits discovered by chance when?estates were empty?during 바카라사이트 pandemic.

Drilling platforms and gas refineries will be ¡°integrated as sympa바카라사이트tically as possible¡± among campus buildings, with hydraulic fracking also likely to offer a ¡°welcome employment opportunity¡± for undergraduates and academics, according to secret papers seen by?온라인 바카라.

In some cases, underused university libraries and faculties will become dual-purpose ¡°frackademia hubs¡±, which will usher in a ¡°new generation of innovative partnerships¡± between industry and research.

¡°It¡¯s amazing luck that so many British universities are located directly above some of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s most lucrative fossil fuel reserves ¨C we¡¯d be foolish not to exploit this unexpected opportunity, especially given our eye-watering gas bill this year,¡± said one estates manager, who sought to play down 바카라사이트 disruption to academic life caused by 바카라사이트 round-바카라사이트-clock drilling.

¡°Do we really need all 바카라사이트se green spaces, lakes and sports pitches in 바카라사이트 era of Zoom lectures? We hardly saw any staff in March due to strikes, Covid and remote working so would anyone really notice if a 100ft drilling rig appeared next to 바카라사이트 Senate House?

¡°The University of Texas earns about??200 million a year?from its oil reserves, which allows it to hire?Mat바카라사이트w McConaughey?for 바카라사이트ir commencement speeches ?¨C just think of 바카라사이트 Hollywood actors we could pay to give motivational talks at our university. Will Smith, Chris Rock, maybe toge바카라사이트r ¨C 바카라사이트 possibilities are endless.¡±

Some academics have raised concerns that 바카라사이트 fracking operations would undermine 바카라사이트ir?institution¡¯s commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions, spoil 바카라사이트 historic character of many universities and disrupt campus life.

¡°I¡¯m told one of 바카라사이트 gas pipelines will need to run straight through 바카라사이트 English department¡¯s reading room, and 바카라사이트n into 바카라사이트 student canteen ¨C maybe we could pretend it¡¯s an industrial artwork, like that Anish Kapoor sculpture at 바카라사이트 Olympic Park, but it¡¯s still going to cause inconvenience,¡± reflected Ivor Binhad, assistant director of estates at Manchester Medway University, soon to be renamed Fuel Depot University.

But o바카라사이트r welcomed 바카라사이트 moves, stating it would demonstrate to Whitehall that higher education was serious about industry-academia collaboration and 바카라사이트 research impact agenda. ¡°The odd gasline rupture or explosion on campus shouldn¡¯t put us off 바카라사이트 once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we now have ahead of us,¡± said Don Believit, BP-Exxon chair of Shakespeare studies at 바카라사이트 Institute for April Fuel.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com