(Image: Protestors in Grangemouth, Scotland. Dec. 7, 2014 - Photo by Ric Lander)
From thinkprogress.org:
The Scottish government has announced that it will place a temporary ban on the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking, the Guardian reported Wednesday.
Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing reportedly told the country’s parliament that the ban would allow for time for the government to conduct a public health assessment on the process. The decision and rationale closely resembles that of former New York Governor David Paterson, who in 2008 imposed a moratorium on fracking in the state pending a full-scale public health study. That moratorium lasted six years, and ended with current Gov. Andrew Cuomo banning the practice.
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Scotland describes its approach to energy policy as one that encourages economic growth while aiming to gradually reduce its carbon emissions. “Energy use is one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions, emissions which threaten the sustainability of our planet,” a government document describing Scotland’s energy policy states. “Energy policy can contribute to economic growth while at the same time helping ensure that growth is sustainable.”
The country has worked toward achieving that policy by investing heavily in renewable energy, most notably the wind and wave industries...
http://thinkprogress.org/...
Making the move sweeter still, Scotland is no shrinking violet when it comes to fossil fuel extraction - they are the largest petroleum producer in the European Union, according to the article. But they are trying to be responsible stewards of the planet - they have cut their carbon emissions by more than 25% since 1990.