Mark Ruffalo wrote to Leo Varadkar to ask him to 'protect the American people' and block the Shannon LNG terminal
Mark Ruffalo sent a letter to the Taoiseach to tell him fracked gas has caused devastation in the US. Image: PA Mark Ruffalo sent a letter to the Taoiseach to tell him fracked gas has caused devastation in the US. Image: PA HOLLYWOOD ACTOR MARK Ruffalo pleaded to Leo Varadkar in a letter not to allow US fracked gas to be imported into Ireland via the Shannon LNG terminal.
LNG terminals work by importing natural gas in a liquefied state at an extremely low temperature – making it easier to transport – and then turning it back into gas for use in a new market. The process is seen as advantageous because it allows companies to access difficult-to-reach resources which could contribute to future energy needs.
It is a travesty what has happened here and while I know it is not your decision to frack in the US, your decision will matters worse here if you decide to move ahead with this project. I also know, having working in politics long enough, that this is a political decision that you and your party will be making next Wednesday about whether or not to take the Shannon LNG terminal off the European Commission’s PCI list.
The email goes on to state that the Shannon LNG terminal has been on the Project of Common European Interest for six years and aims to provide security of supply, “particularly as our gas from the Corrib s exhausted. The actor is told that the minister is aware of the concerns and recent research papers which suggest that fracked gas can generate additional greenhouse gas in the form of methane and is also told that the government will first carry out an energy security assessment before proceeding with the project.