Fracking back in the news

Ministers signalled a go-ahead for shale gas drilling around the country, plans met by 'overwhelming opposition',

Full article here - 
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/28/fracking-expansion-shale-gas-opposition-britain

Friends of the Earth Fracking pages - http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/climate/issues/fracking_background_information_33157

Fracking in the news...

In the Guardian Saturday magazine this weekend -
'Fracking hell: what it's really like to live next to a shale gas well'
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/14/fracking-hell-live-next-shale-gas-well-texas-us

and on twitter -

Blocking a fracking site!

https://twitter.com/nodashforgas/status/412494524418519040/photo/1

Massive thanks!

Thank you to those who joined us for last night's screening! It was a fantastic turnout with lots of new faces in the wonderful Bakehouse Theatre. What an important, eye-opening film and many thanks to our knowledgeable FOE speaker. Birgitte's lovely strudel hit the spot as an after-film treat so big thanks to her for baking and bringing that. Photos from the evening to come!

Botswana faces questions over licences for fracking companies in Kalahari

Guardian article about fracking in Botswana - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/18/botswana-accusations-fracking-kalahari

and don't forget to join us tonight for our screening of Gasland!
- 7pm, £2, all welcome.
- The Bakehouse Theatre, Blackheath, SE3 9LA

Gasland screening on Popup Cinema!

http://popupcinema.net/screenings/events/gasland-the-bakehouse-theatre-blackheath

Screening of Gasland!

To extract gas, water and toxic chemicals are pumped underground under high pressure through a
risky technique called fracking. Gasland tells the story of Josh Fox who finds out that fracking is happening on a huge scale across the US and that in many cases, is having a disastrous effect on groundwater and on the communities that depend on that water.

We hope you'll join us for this screening which will be followed by a talk from FOE. All are welcome.

Where: The Bakehouse Theatre, Blackheath, SE3 9LA
Part of the Age Exchange
Opposite Blackheath BR station
Entrance in Bennett Park
Bus stop outside 108, 202, 54, 89.

When: 7pm, Monday 18 November
Cost £2 per person (£1 concessions)

Contact: Brigitte Hurrell – brigittehurrell@gmail.com

Wilderness Festival

A fantastic photo of El (center), member of Lewisham FOE, at the Wilderness Festival last weekend. El dressed as a Bee and carried stickers to publicise the cause, and was told by someone from East London FoE that our bee meadow work is seen as an example for all the other FoEs in London. Hoorah!

Fracking in the news...

After Boris Johnson said this - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/02/shale-gas-energy

about fracking in London, today Lord Howell suggests that "fracking should be carried out in the 'desolate' north-east of England." Read the article in today's Guardian - http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/30/fracking-north-east-england-tory-peer

Meanwhile, "excessive force" has been used against protesters in West Sussex - http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-accused-of-using-excessive-force-during-balcombe-fracking-protest-8738629.html. People are protesting over plans by Cuadrilla, a fracking company chaired by former BP chief executive Lord Browne, to explore for oil and 
gas in Balcombe, West Sussex.

What is fracking?
Fracking is a process used to extract shale gas from rock formations thousands of metres below the Earth's surface. A well is drilled and millions of litres of water containing a cocktail of often-toxic chemicals are forced into the rock at high pressures to fracture it and release the gas.

What are the human and environmental costs of fracking?
- Our drinking water could be poisoned

• - Our air could be polluted
• - Test fracking in Lancashire has already caused two earthquakes
• - Fracking keeps us hooked on fossil fuels and flies in the face of our country's legally binding commitments to cut CO2 emissions
• - Fracking could also threaten farming, local tourism, house prices and jobs

Click on the link below for a map that shows the areas of the UK currently licensed and under consideration for licensing. Enter your postcode and see if your neighbourhood is at risk from fracking.

https://www.foe.co.uk/help_us_pull_plug_fracking_40282.html

Bee decline: Government to introduce "national pollinator strategy"

Thanks to everyone who signed the petition at Hilly Fields last Saturday!

A message from FOE...

Environment Minister Lord de Mauley made the announcement at a Friends of the Earth Bee Summit on Friday 28th June.

It follows an intense campaign by the environment charity for a Bee Action Plan - backed by big business, over 200 MPs and massive public outcry. Shadow bees minister Huw Irranca-Davies gave Labour's solid support for a bee action plan. 

We need a plan - and fast

• An action timetable commencing spring 2014 when bees wake up from hibernation.

• Measurable targets for reversing the loss of bees and other pollinators.

• The plan must involve other Government Departments, not just DEFRA

Swarms of support - but we can't rest up

Wild honey bees are nearly extinct. Some species of bumblebee have been lost altogether.

Friends of the Earth's Bee Summit is bringing together the likes of MPs, scientists and farmers to agree how to reverse the serious decline in Britain's bees.

Executive director Andy Atkins welcomed Lord de Mauley's announcement. But the environment charity wants specific commitment from the Government - in particular:

We're delighted that enormous pressure for a Bee Action Plan from scientists, businesses and the public has stung the Government into action.

The Minister's plan of action must be in place when bees emerge from hibernation next spring - we can't afford to gamble any longer with our food, countryside and economy.

 In just one week over 20,000 of you backed our Bee Cause action asking Lord de Mauley for a strong Bee Action Plan. It was a fantastic effort.

But public concern is understandable. The University of Reading recently revealed that a third of all honeybee colonies in England died over the winter.

Please help us keep up the pressure on the Government.

Bee Summit

This Friday, 28 June, Friends of the Earth is co-hosting the Bee Summit, along with Waitrose, the Co-op and the Women’s Institute. The Summit will be a gathering of key players with a role in tackling bee decline including farmers, retailers, scientists and academics, landowners and government officials. It's likely that the Government will make an announcement about their plans to protect bees at the Summit, and so with the right pressure from us now, we think they could be persuaded to announce meaningful action on bees this Friday.

We want to make sure David Cameron knows just how much buzz there’s been across the country recently about the need to save our bees, so please sign the online petition if you've not done so already - https://www.foe.co.uk/what_we_do/bee_cause_david_cameron_petition_39395.html