Fighting Fracking

In October 2011, Southport FOE joined FOE National Exec Director Andy Atkins to protest at Cuadrilla's site at Banks, near Southport. This event effectively launched FOE's national campaign for a moratorium on Fracking in the UK, until it can be convincing shown to be safe. Andy said, "We need to resist the extension of this operation to extract unconvential gas, which will threaten our local environments and further contribute to dangerous climate change.

Note; "Fracking" is the exploitation of shale gas by hydraulic fracturing of the underground rocks which contain the gas. The practice injects water, sand and chemicals at very high pressure to break up the underground rocks to release the gas. In the USA it has lead to health concerns and contamination of water supplies. In the UK it has caused 2 minor earthquakes near the only site so far in UK. It has already been banned in several of the US states and some European countries.

Check out; http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/fracking_background_information_33157.html