Assemble at Maple Farm Community Hub at 10.30, for a march starting at 11am.
Frack Free Lancashire are hosting lots of speakers from all over the country, 12-2pm.
https://www.facebook.com/events/290251588248035/
The UK faces its first frack in 7 years and now is the time to remind the frackers that this is a zombie industry and that we will resist it at every turn. Now is the time for all of us to show them that we will step up our fight and ensure that every community under threat is ready to stand up and fight. We won't be bullied and this event is to show the whole country that we will resist the fracking companies wherever they go.
Date, time, price and venue TBC, but will hopefully be happening in the next couple of weeks (possibly Tuesday 16th October at 6.30pm).
Come and eat a lovely vegan meal and spend the evening writing letters of solidarity to the guys who have been wrongly imprisoned for protecting our planet and our future.
More details here: <https://www.facebook.com/events/2272731542797640/>
https://www.facebook.com/events/2272731542797640/
Hundreds of people turned out on Saturday 6th October for a demo in support of the PNR 3 truck surfers who were sentenced last week. After being handed 12-16 month sentences for causing a public nuisance, the three are said to be in good spirits and doing fine, but letters, messages of support and donations towards their legal costs and family visits are welcome. They have lodged an appeal with the High Court.
What you can do:
Credit/Debit Card Payments Online @ https://chuffed.org/project/free-the-three
Cheques made payable to Preston & South Ribble TUC/FreeThe3 Please send to Dianne Guzic, 134 Brackenbury Road, Fulwood, Preston PR2 3BS
Green Mondays are continuing at Preston New Road, with speakers lined up for at least the next 3 Monday lunchtimes, including:
* Clara Paillard on 8th October - President of the Public and Commercial Services Union's (PCS) Culture Sector Campaigns Group, and Green
Officer for Merseyside TUC. She has written several articles about the Climate Crisis and the need for climate jobs.
* Tim Dawes on 15th October - a seasoned Green Party activist from the south of England, who was involved in campaigning against fracking at
Balcombe.
* Friends of the Earth on 22nd October.
At the latest meeting of the full County Council, Green County Councillor Gina Dowding successfully proposed that Lancashire should write to the
government to say that fracking decisions should be made at a local level as a matter of principle.
Fracking will also be debated at the next meeting of Lancaster City Council, due to a motion proposed by Green Cllr Caroline Jackson. The meeting is this
Wednesday, 26 September 6.00 p.m. at Morecambe Town Hall. Members of the public are welcome to attend and observe. The agenda, including Caroline's
motion can be found here: https://committeeadmin.lancaster.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=305&MId=704
5&Ver=4
On the last Friday of every month (including 31 August), people of all faiths and spiritualities gather outside Cuadrilla’s fracking site on
Preston New Road at 1pm to express their shared resistance to fracking and their care for Earth. Everyone is welcome to join these silent vigils and
walking meditations. Bring a stool, a brolly and a snack to keep you going.
For more information, see <http://www.nofaithinfracking.org> www.nofaithinfracking.org
At Green Monday on 3 September, Liz Hutchins will be speaking at the PNR gates at around 12.30pm. Liz is Campaigns Director at Friends of the Earth,
and Chair of the Board of the New Economy Organisers’ Network (NEON) which campaigns to replace neoliberalism with an economy based on social and
environmental justice.
On Saturday 30th June there will be a big anti-fracking and pro-democracy demo in Blackpool, starting at south pier around 12 noon and walking along
the prom to north pier. 100 women will be dressed as suffragettes, thanks to local Green Party member Cait’s sewing skills! A national 'Demand Democracy
Day' has been called that day by Make Votes Matter, to raise awareness of the campaign for proportional representation ahead of the Governments
ironically named ‘National Democracy Week’ in early July.
More info here: https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/news/demand-democracy-day>
https://www.makevotesmatter.org.uk/news/demand-democracy-day.
A great opportunity to do a stall in Lancaster or other localities too … any
volunteers?
Thank you to everyone who helped make last week (Green Party Week) at PNR a great success. Members from all over the country came to support the protest
at the Cuadrilla site gates, including leading figures in the party such as Jonathan Bartley, Amelia Womack, Jenny Jones, Andrew Cooper and Natalie
Bennett. Lots of great music, speeches and home-cooked food were enjoyed by all.
Here is a link to a video featuring Green Party Leader Jonathan Bartley reporting back on his meeting with Cuadrilla on Friday:
<https://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyAgainstFracking/videos/213880375891276/>
https://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyAgainstFracking/videos/213880375891276/
Forthcoming events:
* Green Monday 18 June – with Jamie Peters (Communities Campaigner) and Helen Rimmer (NW Regional Campaigner) - both of Friends of the Earth.
* Green Monday 25 June – with George Monbiot! As well as speaking, he will be signing copies of his book, Out of the Wreckage.
* 18-22 June is Water Awareness Week – see
<https://www.facebook.com/events/1818901968405095/>
https://www.facebook.com/events/1818901968405095/
The following week will see the welcome return of Reclaim The Power, with a ‘Block Around The Clock’ event starting on 27 June, in which it is hoped
that large numbers of people will join in the fun – just being there will make a difference. <https://reclaimthepower.org.uk/block-around-the-clock/>
https://reclaimthepower.org.uk/block-around-the-clock/ .
Transport will be organized from the Lancaster area - there should be more details on Facebook soon (https://www.facebook.com/groups/624416087591312/>
https://www.facebook.com/groups/624416087591312/) or email: <mailto:lancasterfightsfracking@outlook.com>
lancasterfightsfracking@outlook.com
https://www.facebook.com/GreenPartyAgainstFracking/
MONDAY 4 JUNE
Green Monday with speakers Kate Raworth (Doughnut Economics) & John Ashton (founding director of environmental think tank E3G)
11-15 June is Green Party week at PNR – everyone welcome, whether supporters of the Green Party or not!
MONDAY 11 JUNE
Amelia Womack (Deputy Leader of the Green Party)
Nick Dearden (Director of Global Justice Now!)
Musical Mayhem: Improvised music lead by Lancaster’s Iain Lawrence
TUESDAY 12 JUNE
Amelia Womack
Jamie Bartlett (Radicals, & Demos' Director of Social Media)
Music from ‘Burst Horns’
WEDNESDAY 13 JUNE
10.30-11.30 Women’s call for calm
Natalie Bennett (Former Leader of the Green Party)
THURSDAY 14 JUNE
Jonathan Bartley (Co-Leader of the Green Party)
FRIDAY 15 JUNE
Jonathan Bartley & Baroness Jenny Jones
MONDAY 25 JUNE
Green Monday with speaker George Monbiot
Continuing to the end of June, a variety of groups/organisations have been 'adopting' a week and organising peaceful protests and actions at Preston
New Road, to coincide with the period when Cuadrilla think they'll begin fracking.
Check out the details at https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/.
Provisional themes for each week are:
* Week 8: 21-25 May - 'Camps United'
* Week 9: 28 May - 1 June - International Week
* Week 10: 4-8 June - Trade Unions Week
* Week 11: 11-15 June - Green Party Week
* Week 12: 18-22 June - PNR Week
* Week 13: 25-29 June - 'Reclaim The Power'
Could you help to organise an event to fit in with one or more of these themes, or bring along a bunch of people? The aim is to get big numbers at the gates every day. Please get some dates for visiting PNR in your diary now if you can. If you need a lift or can offer lifts to others, please contact mailto:emilyheath@phonecoop.coop.
If you’ve thought about doing direct action but haven’t felt confident or clued up enough, this training sounds perfect for you. It’s happening at Preston New Road next Saturday & Sunday, 11am - 5pm, but you don’t have to stay for all of it. Vegan lunch provided.
The programme is:
* Intro to direct action (Saturday 11.00 - 12.30)
* Lock-ons, blockades and occupations (Saturday 1.30 - 3.00)
* Assertiveness training (Saturday 3.30 - 5.00)
* Know your rights (Sunday 11.00 - 12.30)
* What happens if I get arrested? (Sunday 1.30 - 3.00)
* How to plan a kick-ass action (Sunday 3.30 - 5)
More info and sign up at:
<https://www.facebook.com/events/223220958449291/>
https://www.facebook.com/events/223220958449291/
Continuing to the end of June, a variety of groups/organisations have been 'adopting' a week and organising peaceful protests and creative actions at
Preston New Road, while Cuadrilla drill their second well. They intend to start fracking the first well this summer.
Check out the details at <https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/>
https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/
Themes for the next few weeks are:
* Week 6: 7-11 May - 'Save Our Land', with Friends of the Earth.
* Week 7: 14-18 May - 'Uniting the Roses', with groups from Lancashire and Yorkshire.
* Week 8: 21-25 May - 'Camps United'
* Week 9: 28 May - 1 June - International Week
* Week 10: 4-8 June - Trade Unions Week
* Week 11: 11-15 June - Green Party Week
* Week 12: 18-22 June - PNR Week
* Week 13: 25 June-1 July - 'Reclaim The Power', culminating in 5 days of ‘Block Around the Clock’
Could you help to organise an event to fit in with one or more of these themes, or bring along a bunch of people? The aim is to get big numbers at
the gates every day. Please get some dates for visiting PNR in your diary now if you can. If you need a lift or can offer lifts to others, please
contact <mailto:emilyheath@phonecoop.coop> emilyheath@phonecoop.coop.
Continuing to the end of June, a variety of groups/organisations have been 'adopting' a week and organising peaceful protests and actions at Preston New Road, to coincide with the period when Cuadrilla think they'll begin fracking.
Check out the details at https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/.
Provisional themes for each week are:
* Week 5: 30 April - 4 May - 'Arts and Music against fracking'
* Week 6: 7-11 May - 'Save Our Land', with Friends of the Earth.
* Week 7: 14-18 May - 'Uniting the Roses', with groups from Lancashire and Yorkshire.
* Week 8: 21-25 May - 'Camps United'
* Week 9: 28 May - 1 June - International Week
* Week 10: 4-8 June - Trade Unions Week
* Week 11: 11-15 June - Green Party Week
* Week 12: 18-22 June - PNR Week
* Week 13: 25-29 June - 'Reclaim The Power'
Could you help to organise an event to fit in with one or more of these themes, or bring along a bunch of people? The aim is to get big numbers at
the gates every day. Please get some dates for visiting PNR in your diary now if you can. If you need a lift or can offer lifts to others, please contact mailto:emilyheath@phonecoop.coop.
Please support these anti-fracking events over the next fortnight which NLGP members and supporters have been involved in organising. We need big numbers there every day so please bring along some friends to the Cuadrilla site at Preston New Road, PR4 3PH.
TUESDAY 17th APRIL – MUSIC AND MAYHEM (Bring something to bash!)
* In the morning, there will be live music from singer and guitarist Maggie McCreath.
* Around midday, bring your most tuneful pots, pans or other percussion instruments and join Iain Hunter for some ‘Pandemonium’ - improvised rhythmic fun.
* At 1 pm(ish) lunch will be provided at the gates by wonderful volunteers from the Maple Farm Community Kitchen.
* In the afternoon, there will be folk music and dancing led by Celia Briar, Andy Hornby and friends.
WEDNESDAY 18th APRIL – ‘APRIL SHOWERS’ DAY (Bring an umbrella and something to make music with!)
* From 9.30-10.30 am, start the day with some lively parping and honking from ‘Burst Horns’ – a funky 4-piece brass band.
* Around 11 am there will be the regular Wednesday ‘women’s call for calm’, in which women wearing white hold a short silent vigil at the gates. (Men are welcome too).
* Around 11.30 am Pete Moser will lead some spontaneous music-making with whatever we have to hand (voices, kazoos, bells, drums or other noisy things!)
* At 1 pm(ish) lunch will be provided at the gates by wonderful volunteers from the Maple Farm Community Kitchen.
* From 2 pm, come rain or shine, we’ll line up with umbrellas and dance to some weather-themed tunes. Tape the word ‘NO’ to your umbrella (spare umbrellas and coloured tape provided on the day if you haven’t got any!)
APRIL 23RD – 28TH - ‘NO FAITH IN FRACKING’ WEEK
A packed programme has been organised for this week involving a wide variety of different faith groups. The events include vigils, readings, talks, guided walks, prayers, songs and dances, rituals, meditation, and more. See https://nofaithinfracking.org/events/ for the full programme.
Info about how to get to Preston New Road by public transport or by car, and facilities nearby (parking, café, toilets, etc), can be found here: https://reclaimthepower.org.uk/fracking/preston-new-road/
If you would like to share a car or travel with others by train/bus from the Lancaster/Morecambe area, or for more information, please contact lancasterfightsfracking@outlook.com or 07835 794 229.
United Resistance: https://en-gb.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/
Lancaster Fight Fracking: https://www.facebook.com/groups/624416087591312/
Residents in the Fylde who are trying to protect their communities and environment against fracking are calling on people across Lancashire to join them at the gates of the site for 3-months of concerted action from 2 April. See the face-book page United Resistance https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/ find out more
North Lancashire Green Party members will be attending on various weeks and dates throughout this period. See our events page.
Greens also regularly attend on Green Mondays - see facebook or contact us.
Three members of North Lancashire Green Party - Caroline Jackson, Emily Heath and Mollie Foxall - stood trial at Lancaster Magistrates’ Court on 14th December, charged with obstruction of the highway during an anti-fracking protest on 29th August. The trial lasted all day, with the three women representing themselves and pleading not guilty. Unfortunately, the verdict was not in their favour, and they were ordered to pay fines and court costs totaling £1,153.
Caroline Jackson is a Lancaster City Councillor and retired headteacher. She said: “We locked ourselves together with bicycle D-locks and sat down opposite Cuadrilla’s gate in the hatched area in the middle of the road for about an hour. We felt it was right and reasonable to use the road for peaceful protest to express our opposition to fracking. We have a responsibility to the natural world and to future generations.”
University lecturer and former Green City Councillor Emily Heath, said: “Getting arrested, having to stand trial and be cross examined by a barrister, and ending up with a fine and a criminal record was not a pleasant experience, but we are very grateful for the support we received from friends in the anti-fracking movement. A large group of people (and even a polar bear!) gathered with banners outside the magistrates court before our trial in solidarity.”
Mollie Foxall, a retired NHS manager, said: “We are disappointed with the outcome of the trial, but we achieved our aim of drawing attention to the fracking industry and the potential harm it will cause locally and globally. We brought a boat named ‘Fracky McFrackface’ to the Cuadrilla site on the day of our protest, to symbolize the impact of fracking on climate change and flooding. The short video that we made with the boat, explaining the reasons for our protest, has been viewed by 11,000 people, and we got lots of media coverage in local papers and online.”
Earlier in the year County Cllr Gina Dowding took part in a peaceful protest at the Preston New Road fracking site in July and ‘locked-on’ with other local people to demonstrate the strength of feeling of opposition to the shale gas industry setting up in Lancashire. Along with 12 others. Gina was arrested after lying for 15 hours on the ground. Gina said: “I have never broken the law before but I am outraged that the Government is intent on turning Lancashire into a gas field when the County Council and local people said no. What is happening a few miles down the road today will soon happen in north Lancashire too. Much of this area has been licensed for fracking and the industry will need to drill hundreds of gas wells to be financially viable.” Gina and all the other protestors were found guilty of obstruction of the highway in Blackpool magistrates court in November 2017. THey were each given a 12 month conditional discharge and fined court costs and a victim surcharge amounting to 270 pounds each .
Green Party Councillors from Lancaster continue to support efforts of local people to fight the fracking industry and prevent it from taking hold in Lancashire.
In February, Greens joined hundreds of people at the national anti-fracking rally at Maple Farm which is just down the road fron the Preston New Road which is currently being preapred for shale gas driling by fracking firm Cuadrilla. There is a daily rolling road protest outside the site entrance. Green party membes regularly attend to support the campaigners, protectors and the Lancashire Nanas. for more information see facebook or website of Frack Free Lancashire.
In November 2016 the Government announced it was overruling Lancashire County Council's decision NOT to give Cuadrilla permission to frack at two sites in Lancashire: Preston New Road ( Little Plumpton), and Roseacre. Campaigners are currently seeking options for a judicial review of this decision.
Friends of the Earth have produced a map of where the licenses for future fracking have been issued, which covers areas of south Lancaster and Heysham. See this link - https://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/uk_fracking_map_41274 Hone in on the Lancaster District licenses.
It appears from this press release quite a while ago that the license for this area was awarded to a company called Warwick.
http://www.warwickenergy.com/index.php/ct-menu-item-45/press-releases?id=115
In October 2014 Green Party member and local architect Maureen Kelly wrote to the Energy and Climate Change Minister Edward Davey to raise concerns regarding the proximity of fracking sites to nuclear establishments and requesting that certain criteria should be applied accordingly when considering any proposal to authorise fracking.
Maureen asked specifically that no fracking sites be located within 50 miles of any nuclear establishment which would impact directly on proposals to frack in Little Plumpton - an area just 5.33 miles from Springfields/Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Plant which is responsible for the production of nuclear weapons, nuclear power and a significant amount of nuclear waste.
The Green Party is the only party that does not want to see the UK fracked. We believe that the UK must switch to a low carbon economy now
In November 2014 Lancashire County Council published a Health Impact Assessment on Lancashire’s two fracking sites applications at Preston New Road and Roseacre Wood, which was prepared by the Director of Public Health.
In response, Green County Councillor Gina Dowding summarised her view of the key health risks. Read this below or in the published article at Environmental Health News online here
1. Climate Change
The single greatest threat to future well being. It is now recognised that 70% of known fossil fuels need to stay in the ground if we are to avoid more than 2 degrees of global warming. It is imperative that the UK takes the lead on this and concentrates on investment in renewable energy development instead of new fossil fuel exploration and extraction. The IPCC has recently issued again stark warnings that urgent action is required now.
2. Air quality
Venting and incomplete flaring of shale gas will lead to the release of benzenes and other known carcinogens. In USA fugitive gas levels around sites have been found to be up to 100 times more than predicted.
3. Water pollution
The risk of well leaks is a chronic problem that the oil and gas industry do not know how to fix. Studies (such as by Schlumberger published in Oilfield Review) admit that 6% of wells leak immediately with 50 % leaking in 15 years- leaving a potential toxic legacy that may irreversibly damage underground water supplies.
4. Flowback Fluid
The flowback fluid produced by the process contains toxic chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive materials. There are concerns about sufficient capacity to treat hazardous: In Lancashire and at peak times one of the proposed sites alone will utilise a major proportion of the available treatment capacity within 100 miles of the site (based on radiation levels and physical treatment capacity).
5. Chemicals
The chemicals used in the fracking process in the USA have been linked to cancers and low birth weight in infants. Breast Cancer UK have called for a moratorium on all exploration and licensing due to their concerns about the potentially adverse health effects.
6. Transport related accidents
Site visits undertaken in Lancashire show that HGVs with large loads e.g. 40ft trailers for office space and work space would have difficulty safely negotiating the narrow rural roads in proximity to the project sites. But there are long term traffic implications once drilling is underway. The Lancashire Roseacre Awareness group are highlighting the risk of accidents and the impact of traffic on their rural villages. See https://vimeo.com/109676988 .
7. Noise
Health effects that may result from community noise are well documented and include interference with communication; effects on sleep, and on the cardiovascular and psycho-physiological systems and noise-induced hearing impairment. Drilling is planned 24 hours a day, including night time; it is expected that the noise levels will be continuous for at least 14 months.
8 Occupational Health risks
There is limited evidence on occupational health risks due to cumulative exposure to silica dust, noise and air pollution during shale gas exploration in the UK context. The concern is that there are no specific occupational health standards for onshore oil and gas extraction.
9. Emergencies
Local residents have anxiety over emergency scenarios. Although emergency planning is a requirement for this type of development, this process has not been ‘visible’ to residents. Anxiety fuelled by uncertainty over this issue could potentially have wider health impacts than the risks themselves
10. Inadequate regulation
Perhaps most significantly Lancashire’s Health Impact Assessment report acknowledges that the current regulations in place in the UK which are there to protect the public’s health are inadequate to properly regulate the fracking industry. The report notes that the lack of public trust and confidence is causing stress and anxiety from uncertainty that could lead to poor mental wellbeing. At the very least the Government should heed calls from public health bodies, campaigners and the public alike that industry specific regulation must be introduced before fracking takes hold in the UK.
ANTI FRACKING EVENTS – THE UNITED RESISTANCE!
Continuing to the end of June, a variety of groups/organisations have been
'adopting' a week and organising peaceful protests and actions at Preston
New Road, to coincide with the period when Cuadrilla think they'll begin
fracking.
Check out the details at https://www.facebook.com/UnitedResistanceUK/.
Provisional themes for each week are:
* Week 5: 30 April - 4 May - 'Arts and Music against fracking'
* Week 6: 7-11 May - 'Save Our Land', with Friends of the Earth.
* Week 7: 14-18 May - 'Uniting the Roses', with groups from Lancashire and
Yorkshire.
* Week 8: 21-25 May - 'Camps United'
* Week 9: 28 May - 1 June - International Week
* Week 10: 4-8 June - Trade Unions Week
* Week 11: 11-15 June - Green Party Week
* Week 12: 18-22 June - PNR Week
* Week 13: 25-29 June - 'Reclaim The Power'
Could you help to organise an event to fit in with one or more of these
themes, or bring along a bunch of people? The aim is to get big numbers at
the gates every day. Please get some dates for visiting PNR in your diary
now if you can. If you need a lift or can offer lifts to others, please
contact mailto:emilyheath@phonecoop.coop.
Lancaster and Wyre Constituency 60 Second Survey
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