The UK government has recently launched new licenses for energy companies allowing them start work wherever they think resources can be found. In this way, some of Britain’s most beautiful landscapes could be fracked for oil and gas, rising concerns about the possible consequences on the environmental safety. Despite the huge protests that fracking often provokes, the UK government has affirmed that fracking will represent one of the major contribution to the country’s future energy requirements. In order to address the critiques, authorities have outlined specific guidelines that energy companies need to follow if they want to frack in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, World Heritage sites, National Parks, or on the Norfolk Broads. Moreover, the Communities Secretary will examine each application for a license to operate in these areas. In this way, applications should be refused in case of exceptional circumstances and in the public interest. The Government’s guidance represents an important instrument in the aim to safeguard outstanding landscapes from industrial damage, the Business and Energy Secretary says. Furthermore, paving the way to fracking will be an important breakthrough in order to provide greater energy security, jobs and growth. In relation to that, the government need to reinforce actions to reduce the risks caused by fracking, driving the UK toward a new home-grown source of energy. Additionally, experts have shown that shale gas is one of the cleanest fossil fuels: it can represent a crucial factor to face the impact of climate change, leading the UK to a greener future. In this context, ministers have argued that the environmental and heritage qualities need to take on a central role, balanced against the possible benefits of oil and gas from unconventional hydrocarbons. The gLAWcal Team EPSEI project Monday, 04 August 2014 (source: The Independent)