Anti-fracking campaigners sent out a clear message to shale gas companies at the launch of their campaign in Huddersfield.
Members of Huddersfield Greenpeace gathered in King Street to tell energy companies that they would work hard to ensure that land in the area would not be put up ‘for shale’ for the controversial method of gas extraction in the future.
Although there are no current plans to extract gas by hydraulic fracturing in Kirklees or Calderdale, the group believes that building a strong front in opposition to the practice is important to deter companies.
The government recently announced that all councils will be able to keep 100% of the business rates of any fracking operations in their area, a plan that Green Party councillor Andrew Cooper has condemned as a ‘bribe.’
He has previously highlighted the potential for Yorkshire to be in the fracking ‘firing line’ due to its history of coal mining.
Group organiser Jeff Rice hopes their campaign will help add to the 28,000 signatures Greenpeace’s nationwide ‘Wrongmove’ campaign has already attracted.
He said: “At the moment fracking in the area is only theoretical but is certainly possible.
“Our campaign is a pre-emptive strike to raise awareness and get people on board with the anti-fracking message and deter companies from attempting to drill in the area.
“Fracking is a desperate ploy by this government to keep the UK hooked on fossil fuels, when we should be moving towards cleaner, safer energy sources.
“We believe that fracking is risky for local environments, risky for our water supplies and risky for the global climate.”
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of drilling into the earth before directing a high-pressure water mixture at the rock to release the gas inside and allow the gas to flow out to the head of the well.
Concerns have been raised over the environmental impact of the practice, which is widely used in USA, due to the large amounts of water used, chemical contamination and belief that it is distracting governments from encouraging the development of renewable energy resources.
For more campaign details, visit www.wrongmove.org or contact Jeff Rice on 07814 532463 or on twitter: @HuddsGreenpeace.
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