Uncovering energy hidden in the cracks

The discovery of an alternative source of oil which could potentially be worth billions of pounds to the UK economy, and play a key role in helping the country to meet its spiralling energy needs, could be a good news story. But there are rising calls to switch from dwindling supplies of fossil fuels to more environmentally-friendly options like wind power, to protect the planet and end people's reliance on limited energy sources before they run out. So any further exploration of oil is controversial. Like the Arctic, the wild, rugged beauty of Scotland's Highlands and Islands also holds the promise of new oil. Unlike drilling in the pristine polar sea, however, this new oil source off Shetland has been found in existing fields, so tapping into it does not involve disturbing the environment to the same extent as it would in previously untouched areas.

See the rest of the story by Julia Horton at NERC Planet Earth