Protesters blockade ‘fracking’ conference


10:05 am - March 16th 2012

by Newswire    


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Anti-fracking campaigners yesterday evening blockaded the entrance to a controversial fracking conference where industry representatives, including Shell and BP are meeting.

The conference is a meeting of companies interested in fracking, to discuss how to best exploit shale gas reserves around the world.

The activists marched from Swiss Cottage tube station to the Marriot Hotel Regents Park where the conference is being held.

They blocked the entrance to the hotel with a giant banner chanting slogans such as “flaming water from our tap, we won’t stand this fracking crap” and “BP, frack off!”.

The aim of the action was to draw attention to companies who are trying to bring fracking to the UK, and the effects such as poisoned water and earthquakes.

Fracking is a new method in the UK for extracting natural gas from shale rock deep underground. A hole is drilled into the bedrock then water, sand and chemicals are blasted into it to cause fractures which release the gas.

Because the rock is very dense, it requires multiple ‘fracks’ to maintain gas output. This is a much more intensive process than normal gas extraction.

The march was a collective action by activists from Frack Off (London), London Rising Tide and other interested groups.

Carl from Frack Off said,

Fracking has been shown to cause water contamination and earthquakes in the US, so it ought to be stopped here until we are certain it is safe. We also need to reduce our carbon emissions and fracking will cause a disastrous cut to investment in low-carbon power sources. The only sensible course is to say ‘no thank you’ to fracking

Yesterday’s action follows a ‘frack mob’ at another industry conference in Kensington last October.

—
Editor’s note: Typical trollish comments moaning about activism will be deleted without warning

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Reader comments


1. damon

Fracking does sound very dodgy. Particularly pumping a noxious cocktail of chemicals into the ground. But I have no faith in the groups that lead the opposition to it because of the form the eco-activists have in exaggeration and overhyping of every other issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNpeAMl5Ktw

2. Wyatt

Don’t see how debating the article is ‘trollish’ – you seem to have an odd definition of ‘troll’ that seems to fit ‘has opinions I dislike’.

Regardless, this:
“The aim of the action was to draw attention to companies who are trying to bring fracking to the UK, and the effects such as poisoned water and earthquakes.”

Is completely unsubstantiated. There’s no evidence directly linking those effects to Fracking. That’s not to say they aren’t linked, just that no one’s been able to prove it one way or the other.

3. JC

Nothing like a bit of free speech is there? I’d rather listen to the scientific and engineering viewpoints than a bunch of anti-scientists who refuse to allow dissent. Sounds a bit like a number of issues.

4. damon

The editor’s note in the OP makes this sound like Pravda.

Or maybe ”Fight Club” (the film).
Remember the first rule of Fight Club?

This thread is about a demonstration. It was brought to our attention here and is inviting people to leave comments about it.
Fathers for Justice also do stunts like climbing up onto buildings and cranes and stuff.
But they would certainly be open for criticism I’m sure.
Activism in itself isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, but it’s tactics, motives and politics must be open to general scrutiny.

5. Robin Levett

@Wyatt #2:

There’s no evidence directly linking those effects [poisoned water and earthquakes] to Fracking. That’s not to say they aren’t linked, just that no one’s been able to prove it one way or the other.

As I recall, there is actually quite clear evidence from Pennsylvania that both contaminated groundwater and increases in seismic activity are associated with fracking; there’s a previous thread on this topic.

6. Northern Worker

The UK, and its northern regions in particular, is sitting on huge quantities of gas accessible using fracking. A new source of cheap, relatively low CO2 energy that will transform the finance of this country and find well paid employment in areas now suffering. What’s not to like? But oh no, a bunch of protesters with rich mummys and daddys don’t care about the little people. Why should they? They’re okay.


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