In a report released May 8, the House of Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee (EAC) urged the UK government to instate legislation that would expedite shale gas industry development. The EAC called for law changes that would allow shale operators to drill under privately owned land even if the owners object, saying that expanding the shale gas and oil industry should be a “national priority.” The report also urged ministers to increase efforts to sell the benefits of shale gas to the British public—a challenge in a nation where, according to a recent poll, 74% of the population opposes drilling under people’s homes without their permission. While the EAC claims to have carefully considered the concerns of landowners and environmentalists, Greenpeace feels the Lords are “cherry-picking the wafer-thin evidence” to justify their support for shale gas. According to Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK, moving forward with renewable technology would be a much quicker way to address energy security issues and should be the actual national priority. For the full story, see http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/may/08/energy-industry-shale-gas.