This morning nine people, from the national anti- fracking network from Frack Off, have halted work at Cuadrilla Resources drilling site in Hesketh Bank, Lancashire. They ran on to the Fracking site early this morning and scaled the drilling rig using climbing equipment. They aim to sit on top of the drilling rig for as long as possible to stop the drilling.
The action is aimed at highlighting the hypocrisy behind the ‘Shale Gas Environmental Summit’ starting today in London: a conference sponsored by a host of companies involved in the oil and gas industry who are trying to spin the rapid expansion into the untapped fossil fuel as ‘green’ [1].
Campaigners are acting in support of the ‘Frack Mob’ mass action happening outside the summit at 3pm later today [2].
Both actions aim to counter the PR offensive of the shale gas industry and bring public attention to the harm fracking has been linked to.
Hydraulic Fracturing, or ‘fracking’ is a controversial method of natural gas extraction, in which a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected into the ground at high pressure, cracking shale rock and releasing the gas [3]. It has been the subject of much contention due to numerous reports linking the method to water contamination, health problems and earthquakes [4]. The industry is in its infancy in the UK, and there are plans for up to 800 wells in Lancashire alone [5].
Jenny Boykin, a spokesperson for Frack Off, said “Fracking uses huge amounts of water mixed with toxic chemicals, a large fraction of which are never recovered. The fracking fluid also leaches chemicals like arsenic out of the rocks when it is used making it even more toxic and so the fluid that is recovered becomes a big disposal problem. The contamination of irrigation water means that everyone’s food supplies could potentially be affected. Fracking in the United States has already resulted in numerous spills of these fluids.”
Colin Eastman, one of the climbers, said, “Conventional fossil fuels have begun to run out and the system is moving towards more extreme forms of energy like fracking, tar sands, and deep water drilling. The move towards ‘extreme energy’ is literally scrapping the bottom of the barrel, sucking the last most difficult to reach fossil fuels from the planet at a time when we should be rapidly reducing our consumption altogether and looking for sustainable alternatives. In the UK fracking for shale gas is planned alongside, not instead of, extraction of conventional fossil fuels like coal.”
Pictures are being uploaded here:
http://s.coop/7hwi
Look at the website for more info: www.frack-off.org
Follow us on twitter: @frack_off
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/frackoffuk
Or e-mail:
media@frack-off.org
Phone: 07931195505
Notes:
[1] Environmental summit details: http://www.smi-online.co.uk/events/overview.asp?is=0&ref=3742
[2] press release for the frack mob: http://frack-off.org.uk/press-release-anti-fracking-protesters-plan-to-shut-down-an-industry-environmental-summit/
[3] short film explaining what fracking is:
http://frack-off.org.uk/fracking-hell/watch-the-film/
[4] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050025/Earthquakes-Lancashire-coast-WERE-caused-drilling-gas-experts-warn-energy-operation-threatened-closure.html
[5] http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/sep/21/gas-field-blackpool-dallas-sea
Campaigners are acting in support of the ‘Frack Mob’ mass action happening outside the summit at 3pm later today [2].
Both actions aim to counter the PR offensive of the shale gas industry and bring public attention to the harm fracking has been linked to.
Hydraulic Fracturing, or ‘fracking’ is a controversial method of natural gas extraction, in which a mixture of water, sand and chemicals is injected into the ground at high pressure, cracking shale rock and releasing the gas [3]. It has been the subject of much contention due to numerous reports linking the method to water contamination, health problems and earthquakes [4]. The industry is in its infancy in the UK, and there are plans for up to 800 wells in Lancashire alone [5].
Jenny Boykin, a spokesperson for Frack Off, said “Fracking uses huge amounts of water mixed with toxic chemicals, a large fraction of which are never recovered. The fracking fluid also leaches chemicals like arsenic out of the rocks when it is used making it even more toxic and so the fluid that is recovered becomes a big disposal problem. The contamination of irrigation water means that everyone’s food supplies could potentially be affected. Fracking in the United States has already resulted in numerous spills of these fluids.”
Colin Eastman, one of the climbers, said, “Conventional fossil fuels have begun to run out and the system is moving towards more extreme forms of energy like fracking, tar sands, and deep water drilling. The move towards ‘extreme energy’ is literally scrapping the bottom of the barrel, sucking the last most difficult to reach fossil fuels from the planet at a time when we should be rapidly reducing our consumption altogether and looking for sustainable alternatives. In the UK fracking for shale gas is planned alongside, not instead of, extraction of conventional fossil fuels like coal.”
Pictures are being uploaded here:
http://s.coop/7hwi Look at the website for more info: www.frack-off.org
Follow us on twitter: @frack_off
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/frackoffuk
Or e-mail:
media@frack-off.org Phone: 07931195505
Notes:
[1] Environmental summit details:
http://www.smi-online.co.uk/events/overview.asp?is=0&ref=3742 [2] press release for the frack mob:
http://frack-off.org.uk/press-release-anti-fracking-protesters-plan-to-shut-down-an-industry-environmental-summit/ [3] short film explaining what fracking is:
http://frack-off.org.uk/fracking-hell/watch-the-film/ [4]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2050025/Earthquakes-Lancashire-coast-WERE-caused-drilling-gas-experts-warn-energy-operation-threatened-closure.html [5]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/sep/21/gas-field-blackpool-dallas-sea 
e-mail:
Homepage:
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
What is the alternative?
02.11.2011 15:26
Once again activists are guilty of simply shifting problems oversea's and being a bunch of middle class NIMBY's.
If fracking isn't done in Britain it will be done elsewhere in places such as Russia, China, Poland, USA, etc. And the gas will then simply be liquefied and transported here via ships further adding to carbon emissions due to the added transport cost. Activists aren't stopping the problem they're simply trying to shift it oversea's out of sight and out of mind. And the so called alternatives they speak of aren't green either. Solar, wind, and geothermal all create massive problems of their own.
Geothermal power has been linked to earth tremors and disruption of groundwater supplies, solar cells are dependent upon toxic cadmium, and wind turbines are dependent upon neodymium and other rare metals.
Face it, there are no green alternatives. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.
Not a NIMBY
@Not a NIMBY
02.11.2011 18:22
2. Its better to not have these things in the UK, china is much bigger so polution wont be an issue
anon
frackin ell
02.11.2011 22:28
there is a mistaken assumption that quality of life is directly proportional to energy use.
Happy healthy sociable people!
the way to do this is by empowering people to regulate their own energy use.
Good energy (a company that supplies renewable energy) makes it easier for people to see how much energy they are using, and they report that their customers are using less and less as they become more aware of their consumption. They are being less wasteful.
Waste is the main issue. I use very little energy and I am happy, and healthy, and have many friends, hooray!
the points above about how wind and solar are well dodgy i think are fair enough, but what a very negative attitude! why be so negative?
when i look around me in western civilisation i feel that we are pissing away energy, and that by using so much we are not only harming our planet but ourselves too.
chuck
geothermal has no quake potential in iceland from geysers or when done
03.11.2011 10:15
Greensyn@occupy nottingham