Huge thanks and congratulations to Rhian Halford for organising today’s event – including fantastic touches like the pedal-powered PA system (powered for a legthy spell by BGP’s very own dynmao, Rozz Cutler).

A good selection of speakers included: Nigel Baker – Greenpeace Cardiff; Gareth Clubb – Director of Friends of the Earth Cymru; Frances Crack – founder of Frack Free Wales; Max Wallis – FoE Barry; Olwen Leavoid – Welsh National Rights Movement; Pippa Bartolotti – Leader of Wales Green Party; and Keith Ross – Safe Energy Wales. Entertainment came from the Côr Cochion choir.

I had the privilege of following Frances Crack, and although I was asked to keep it non-political, I kinda failed on that score, but it went down well enough I think. Thanks to Esther Nagle – you can judge for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNRZNHdjWFM

Before Frances, a couple of friendly AMs came out and offered their support to the call for a moratorium.; Peter Black (Lib Dem) and Bethan Jenkins (Plaid Cymru). Esther caught Bethan’s speech too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0syGBctII8

I had to leave not long after my speech (work commitments) but I am awaiting word as to whether Suzy Davies (Conservative AM) showed up as promised. It seems not, which is a shame as she has fantastic news to share re the Welsh Conservatives seeing the light!

At the Fracking/UCG debate hosted by Sustainable Wales she quite cartegorically, in front of a large audience, staed that Cameron is being too hasty in his dash for gas; that we need to take time to weigh up all the evidence; that we need to throughly test the technology; that we need to get a proper bespoke regulatory regime in place first. A Tory preaching the precautionary approach! Hallelujah! (Must be a blue moon tonight!). But has she overstepped the mark and been ‘pulled’ from speaking today? Time will tell.

BBC Wales covered the event reasonably well – and you can catch it iPlayer for a week or so (from 11:11)  http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03bhcs6/BBC_Wales_Today_24_09_2013/

CAtch pippa at the end of the piece.

All-in-all another productive day for Welsh fractivists – we shall prevail!