Published: November 1st 2011 - at 10:50 amEnvironmentalists to disrupt £1,500 event
Protesters plan to blockade a road and disrupt a conference tomorrow, to highlight the environmental impact of ‘fracking’, and hold a people’s assembly to discuss the issue.
They plan to meet outside the Copthorne Tara Hotel with gas masks, “fracked water” and noise makers tomorrow, Wednesday 2nd November at 3pm.
The £1,500-a-ticket summit is sponsored by a host of companies involved in the oil and gas industry and is described as an opportunity to examine the commercial and environmental issues surrounding Shale Gas extraction.
Protesters argue that the event is ‘Greenwash’, designed purely to attract investors.
National anti-fracking network ‘Frack Off’ have called for the UK’s first mass action against fracking at a Shale Gas Environmental Summit.
James Barnes, one of the co-organisers, said
Fracking is one of many desperate attempts to feed our society’s unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels. We need investors to focus on real alternatives.
We hear a lot about energy shortages, and we really need to be investing in researching sustainable energy sources, rather than finding tiny pockets of non-renewable gas and destroying our planet in order to get to them.
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.
It has been the subject of much contention due to numerous reports linking the method to water contamination, health problems and earthquakes. The industry is in its infancy in the UK, and there are plans for up to 800 wells in Lancashire alone.
Frack Off is a national grassroots anti-fracking network who launched their website by unfurling a banner 500 feet up Blackpool tower earlier this year.
See www.frack-off.org for more information.
---------------------------
| Tweet |
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Reader comments
It has been the subject of much contention due to numerous reports linking the method to water contamination, health problems and earthquakes.
OK, but is there any basis to the reports – i.e. scientific evidence – or are people just making it up and the credulous going along with it?
See their website for the evidence
There appears to be one link to scientific research on the website.
What road are they going to block? Kensington High Street or just a side street?
Their website seems very partisan, so I don’t know what to think about it.
It’s all rather scientific and technical.
See their website for the evidence
From their own link, scientists found higher levels of methane gas in water in drilling areas than in non drilling areas, alarming until you consider that this is perhaps to be expected? That the extractors would choose to drill in high methane areas?
We found no evidence for contamination of drinking-water samples with deep saline brines or fracturing fluids.
Still, it all sounds like trendy new age leftie bollocks, evil capitalists causing earthquakes and turning drinking water into methylated spirit, so WTF, I’m up for it.
Let’s blockade their conference………
@pagar #5:
From their own link, scientists found higher levels of methane gas in water in drilling areas than in non drilling areas, alarming until you consider that this is perhaps to be expected? That the extractors would choose to drill in high methane areas?
*All* the samples were taken from high-methane areas; but some were taken closer to gas wells than others.The closer to the well, the higher the methane concentration in the ground water.
Okay, so no fracking? Great, nuclear power or frozen cold people then. Pick.
Here are some links for other perspectives on shale gas. They cover mostly the economic potential and not so much the technical concerns about possible negative impacts.
http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/unconventional-gas-exploration-in-scotland-3199
This green perspective from the WWF Policy Director is interesting in how much they recognise shale gas potential as a huge game changer.
“Gas is still a carbon polluter – much lower than coal and oil, I agree – but still would not comply with our goals of going for 100% renewables,” he said. “And given its cheap price, its cost decline in exploitation it may also compete quite substantively with renewables expansion. We have evidence of that in the US and in China and it may come to Europe very likely as well. That’s our concern, in principal.”
http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/entering-a-new-dimension-stephan-singer
Given that we will be using natural gas from some source for some time. His position appears to be that it is the competition for renewables that he fears rather than the pollution.
As they describe what they’ll be doing today as making a ”frack mob” – I wouldn’t want to have anything to do with it. How do you discuss things with a mob who are just shouting and making a noise? I see that some people have climbed up a drilling rig in Lancashire. How predictable and dull. This is a new technology but these guys just want to close it down before it’s even past it’s infancy.
Fracking is not very well know about, but I don’t think these people have much to offer because of the way they carry on.
These other people at Spiked are equally as partisan the other way. Who’s right?
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/10156/
It might be a start to sit down and talk about it and not just protest and shout.
Reactions: Twitter, blogs
- Liberal Conspiracy
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/XVQVwyc4
- Jordan Millward
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/XVQVwyc4
- Richard Hebditch
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/XVQVwyc4
- Philippa
RT @libcon: Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/uh84Er5k
- M D
#frackoff RT @libcon: Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/ODyM7aRi
- cheezetheday
#frackoff RT @libcon: Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event http://t.co/ODyM7aRi
- sunny hundal
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- sunny hundal
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- sunny hundal
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Paul Evans
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Paul Evans
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Paul Evans
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Lena K Andersson
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Lena K Andersson
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Lena K Andersson
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Mark Charan Newton
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Mark Charan Newton
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Mark Charan Newton
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Shakti Kaa
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Tina Louise ?
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Halo Efekti
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- tibettruth
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- CJ NABI
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Spir.Sotiropoulou
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/AbOzbNWD via @libcon (thanks to @MediocreDave )
- M D
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/AbOzbNWD via @libcon (thanks to @MediocreDave )
- P A N D E M I C
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/AbOzbNWD via @libcon (thanks to @MediocreDave )
- Tisha Brown
Environmentalists to disrupt £1,500 ticket event | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/FZedvrmd #frackoff
- Jeff Tamsin
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
- Fracktivist
Environmentalists in London plan to disrupt a £1,500 ticket 'fracking' event tomorrow http://t.co/ioe9SMJH (cc @NaomiAKlein)
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or RSS feed. You can also get them by email and through our Facebook group.
» Criticism of Obama for its own sake: a reply to Mehdi Hasan
» Do older people really need more NHS healthcare?
» There are alternatives to the reckless ‘Plan A’
» On Beecroft: it is already quite easy to sack people
» Why Cameron’s claim of 600,000 jobs created is plainly wrong
» By using age to allocate NHS funding, Lansley rewards Tory voters
» The rise in domestic violence deaths is not an “isolated” problem
» Adrian Beecroft highlights mindset of Tory right
» The US is now a model for the Eurozone to save itself
» The IMF plan to revive the economy doesn’t go far enough
» The Boris brand is weaker than his friends think
|
49 Comments 94 Comments 24 Comments 59 Comments 10 Comments 26 Comments 24 Comments 69 Comments 44 Comments 25 Comments |
 |
LATEST COMMENTS » pagar posted on '43% of young women sexually harassed' » Chaise Guevara posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Nathan Hulse posted on How Newsnight demonised a single mother » re posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Trooper Thompson posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Barrie J posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Chaise Guevara posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Chaise Guevara posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Chris Smith posted on BBC misrepresents gas story to help 'deniers' » Just Visiting posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Trooper Thompson posted on UKIP higher than Libdems over May » Trooper Thompson posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll » Cylux posted on Red Tory Blond: gay marriage "homophobic" » Tim Worstallt posted on Robin Hood tax: backed by the rich AND the rest, says new poll |
