Keep up to date with the anti-fracking campaign across Wales.

Several Bridgend Green Party members have been very active in supporting Frack-Free Wales and have visited both Balcombe and Barton Moss.

Andy is representing Frack-Free Wales on a panel debate on fracking at Plaid Cymru’s Spring Conference in March.

Please consider supporting the events listed below, and have a look at the ‘Situations Vacant’ re details of Web Designer and Newsletter Editor opportunities.

NEWSLETTER
3rd February 2014

Diary Dates

*Saturday 15th February – ‘Frack-tion Training Day’. Sign up now!
10:00am to 6:00pm; Dyfatty Community Centre, Chapel Street, Swansea SA1 1NB
A day of skill sharing, networking and information gathering to help us prepare for the year ahead.
Free training delivered by ‘Seeds for Change’ (www.seedsforchange.org.uk)
open to all (not just fracktivists)lunch provided by Swansea Food Not Bombs (for a donation).
More details on facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/events/387328598078347/
If you want to confirm a place please email:
safeenergywales

*Thursday 20th February Demonstration at the Bridgend HQ of UK Methane/Coastal Oil & Gas.
Joint action with Frack Free Wales and Frack Free Somerset as part of
‘Frack Free February’.
More details will be published nearer the date.

*Saturday 22nd February – ‘The Vale Is Not For Shale’ – Concert at the Town Hall, High St, Cowbridge CF71 7DD
Four local campaign groups are teaming up to put on a big music event in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan.
This is one of a series of events to raise public awareness, build support for the protests when the drillers do come, and infuse the campaign with
some positive, creative energy.
Lineup to be confirmed, but will include some notable names from the Welsh
music scene.
More details on facebook at :https://www.facebook.com/events/487758954677875/
or contact Donal Whelan; donal.

*N.E Wales Anti-Fracking Action Network: A current proposal for Dart Energy to drill an exploration well at Common Wood near Wrexham will be due to go before the planning committee this month. Details of the application can be found on the Wrexham Council website, case number P/2013/0660, or by going to the Facebook anti fracking page https://www.facebook.com/NEWAFAN
Please view all the documents, especially the ones added last week and then send in your objections as well as signing this petition.http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-fracking-wrexham-county-borough-council
Dart Energy is hoping to start work on the site on or soon after the 14th of February. The next planning meetings are the 6th and 17th of February so the application will be discussed at one of those dates. But it is understood from the documents that the proposed site will need to be prepared for the catchment of Great Crested Newts (protected), and would require a one month period to pass before work can start on the site. Therefore it is hopeful that Dart Energy will not be able to start for a while yet. Any questions please email Luke Ashley: lashley40

*Throughout February – Frack Free Somerset have organised a second Frack Free February – it’s a big month of action, with loads of local events which creates a lot of momentum for the year & helps new groups to start.
For more details on all the events go to facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/events/630662896982665/

*LOCAL MEETINGS – Safe Energy Wales: Thursday 6th February; Thursday 20th February; at 6:30pm in The Bay View, Oystermouth Road, Swansea SA1 3UL.
Everyone welcome.
For more details e-mail: safeenergywales

Other News

The Barton Moss Community Protection Camp needs our help. The conditions there are dire, and some are getting sick due to the cold wet weather.
Here’s a list of what they are in need of on camp: warm clothing, waterproofs, socks, boots, layering clothing, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, tents, roll mats, plus funding to help them purchase a yurt so that they have somewhere warm and dry to prepare food, etc.
These items can be passed on to Melanie Dawn (Frack Off Llanelli), if you would like to donate please contact her on 07592755218.

SOLIDARITY SUNDAY AT BARTON MOSS (26th January)
20 people from South Wales travelled on the bus, plus a few others who made their way independently. In a good show of solidarity from across the UK, around 500 people gathered for a march from the Salford City Stadium to Barton Moss, where we were greeted by the Community Protectors. The weather was very kind to us, with the rain holding off for the afternoon. It was a fairly low key event with hardly any police presence. We were made very welcome by the people at the camp who somehow managed to feed everyone a healthy lunch to keep out the cold.

What’s that? You want to read more about Frack Free Wales’ solidarity to Barton Moss?
Check out these write ups on the FFW website:http://www.frackfreewales.org/?p=328&preview=true

Manchester Evening News report with pictures:http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/hundreds-salford-fracking-protesters-march-6595251

Short film and more pictures from ITV:http://www.itv.com/news/granada/story/2014-01-26/fracking-protest-in-barton/

And definitely not to be missed, a live interview at the Barton Moss camp with Vanessa Vine (from Balcombe) on Channel 4:http://www.channel4.com/news/fracking-barton-moss-peter-lilley-vanessa-vine-manchester

THINGS TO DO:

• Visit or write to your MP and object to government plans to exempt frackers from taking out public liability insurance to deal with any future pollution, as reported in ‘The Guardian’ (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/dec/11/taxpayers-fracking-pollution-companies).

Ask your MP to put pressure on the government to accept a motion to amend the proposed legislation to make it compulsory for fracking companies to take out insurance.
You might also ask if it is right that this legislation is being produced by The Treasury when Baroness Hogg, Senior Independent Director to HM Treasury is also a director of BG Group, a company involved in gas extraction across the globe!

• Visit or write to your Assembly Member and draw their attention to Petition “P-04-422: Fracking” (http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=4537)

This petition was submitted by FoE Cymru and appears to have been “under consideration” since October 2012 (although the year may be a mistake on the Assembly website).
Given that the UK Government is unwilling to protect Welsh communities by insisting that the frackers have the necessary insurance (see above), we need the Welsh Government to step up to the plate.
The Welsh Government does not have the power to stop fracking in Wales, but it does have the power to draw up planning guidance based on ‘The Precautionary Principle’, as outlined in the petition.

• Talk to your Local Councilors to see if they would be willing to put a motion before your local council asking the Welsh Government to draw up planning guidance as outlined in the FoE Petition (see above).

(Editor’s Note: If you need help with any of the above suggestions then please contact Keith Ross of Safe Energy: safeenergywales)

Don’t forget!

• Keep an eye on local council planning applications in your area. Check with your local council regularly to see if anyone has applied for permission to test drill or extract gas or oil. If you do come across an application, please don’t assume that someone else is dealing with it. Unless you’re certain that we know about it please contact either Frack Free Wales or your local campaign group to make sure we are aware of it.
• Finally, if you’re too busy to do any of the above, particularly if you’re employed and have disposable income, then “give us yer money”!

As with most campaigning organisations, Frack Free Wales is always short of money to do what needs to be done. If you have anything to spare please consider donating it to the campaign.
Andy can give you the relevant bank details for direct donations
If you have Internet Banking you can transfer money online, otherwise you can pay in at any branch of the Cooperative Bank. We appreciate that spare cash is hard to come by in these troubled times, but any amount will be gratefully accepted.

Situations Vacant:
There are never enough people around to do all the work that needs to be done, and we are always grateful for offers to help with admin and organisation at whatever level.
Web Designer: It’s time to refresh our website and to build in new features to help the campaign and support local groups across Wales. If you have the skills, inclination and time to help with this, please get in touch.
Newsletter Editor: This is the second newsletter to keep everyone informed of what’s happening in Wales. We’d love to develop it into a proper newsletter with an attractive layout and interactive features. Again, if you have the skills, inclination and time to help with this, please get in touch.

Contact details for local groups:

Safe Energy (Swansea) – email safeenergywales
or call Keith Ross on 079 1467 7150
Frack Off Llanelli – email Paul Jennings <pdjennings or Melanie Dawn <welshdreamtime
Vale Says No! – email Louise Evans <web or Andy Chyba<fracking
Villagers Against Drilling (Llantrithyd) – email<villagersagainstdrilling
Na Pantybrad/Pantybrad No – email Jenny Rolfe <jennyrolfe or Wendy Carruthers <wendycarruthers
Frack Free Newport – email Dave Yates <dave.yates
N.E Wales Anti-Fracking Action Network (Wrexham) – email Luke Ashley<lashley40

• See you all soon at the next Frack Free Wales coalition meeting date and venue tbc.

If you are on the list you may have subscribed via our website or via an event about unconventional gas in Wales.

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This meeting notification is a bit more in advance of my usual ones as it is for our AGM.

In its current incarnation, Bridgend Green Party is now over 3 years old. It has established itself as arguably the strongest local Green Party in Wales in this time.
However, it now finds itself at a vital point in its development. The founding members have done a great job in building a viable and effective local party – but unless other members get more involved and become prepared to take over the reigns, Bridgend Green Party may fade away.This would be an awful shame. So please come along to the AGM and see what you may be able to offer, and get out of it, if not immediately, perhaps over the next 12 months. Otherwise, next year’s AGM may prove to be the last.

Andy Chyba
(Current Chair)

7.00pm Thursday 27th February 2014 at theThe Railway PH at the bottom of Station Hill
ALL WELCOME (Especially new members!)

AGM Agenda:

• (1) Welcome, Election of chair,
• (2) Minutes,
• (3) Reports from officers and councillor,
• (4) Election of officers,
• (5) Review of year (including campaigning activity and Conference feedback),
• (6) Report on Election campaigns and situation re target wards,
• (7) Motions and BGP constitutional amendments (if any),
• (8) Dates and venues for next 12 months
• (9) A.O.B.

Notes:
OFFICERS
We run on a skeleton executive of three officers at present in order to satisfy National Party and legal requirements. We are reaching a point where we need to see different people taking on these positions if at all possible.
These consist of:

1. Chairman – acting also as Local Party Contact (and PPERA Second Officer)
2. Elections Officer – acting as Election Agent and Nominating Officer
3. Treasurer

On top of this, there is a need for a Minuting Secretary (currently being done by the Elections Officer) and Blog/Website Officer (currently being done by the Chair). In an ideal world, we also need a Membership Secretary (sort of done by the Chair currently); and a Fundraising Co-ordinator.

MOTIONS and/or BGP Constitutional Amendments
If any body wants to propose any, then please do so by email or post by 20th February, so that they can can be distributed for consideration before the AGM itself. They will need proposing and seconding by full members (either at the AGM or via email/post in advance) before they can be put to a vote at the AGM.

https://econsultation.decc.gov.uk/decc-policy/consultation-env-report-further-oil-gas-licensing/consultation/intro/view

Below are my rather hurried of the cuff remarks – I simply haven’t time to do a thorough job on it at the moment – but feel free to plunder my fuller report that I prepared for Welsh Government some time ago on behalf of Frack-Free Wales:
https://greenleftie.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-scientific-and-technical-evidence-against-hydraulic-fracturing.pdf
A shorter synopsis of this report is found here:
https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/2013/08/06/submission-to-current-wales-affairs-committee-shale-gas-inquiry/

1   Do you think that the Environmental Report has identified the significant environmental effects of the activities that follow the licensing round? If not, what other significant effects do you think we have missed, and why?
Fundamental underestimation of potential scale of the industry for starters, given experiences in other production areas.
Lack of consideration of impacts of VOCs from various sources in the processes.
Lack off any significant consideration of the impact of chemicals known to be used in fracking on human health and biodiversity
No consideration of the silicosis danger for workers (in particular) from the type of sand preferred by the industry as a prop pant.
Astonishing misrepresentation of the threat of well-integrity being lost and the implications this has for fugitive methane emissions and groundwater contamination.
Failure to comprehend that the seismicity issue is not confined to surface impacts – but far more certainly on said well-integrity, which can be compromised by seismicity well under the 3.0 threshold
There is also no consideration of the full range of significant negative population impacts in terms of jobs lost (especially in leisure/tourism and agriculture; impacts on property values; the transient nature of the jobs associated with the fracking process etc.

2    Do you agree with the conclusions of the report and the recommendations for avoiding, reducing or off-setting significant effects of the activities that follow the licensing round? If not, what do you think should be the key recommendations and why?

There is no acknowledgement that this activity id fundamentally different to all previous onshore oil & gas exploitation and that it needs a bespoke set of strict regulations and the resources to impose them. The whole issue of accountability needs addressing – as currently companies can split themselves up into smaller units and get operators off the hook by simply going bankrupt and disappearing of the face of the earth. Directors need to accept criminal liability and personal sanctions in return for the massive incomes they take.

 
3   Do you agree with the proposed arrangements for monitoring significant of the activities that follow the licensing round, detailed in the Environmental Report? If not, what measures do you propose?

These are, quite frankly, pathetic – relying far too often on the operators to self-monitor and self regulate.For example, frack fluids can aviary at every site and each consecutive farce you at each site. Some will be mild, some will be highly toxic cocktails. Operator disclosure is not enough. Every single frack job at every single site needs sampling and analysing. This would be a massive undertaking – but anything less is inadequate and will be subject to abuse.

Denis Campbell continues to follow us and shine his spotlight on the work and travails of South Wales fractivists. Much appreciated Denis – keep up the good work!

Frances Jenkins – founder of Frack Free Wales – on the Balcombe 16 trial experience:

[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs9jQ9KN-w4&list=UUIaAkrszD7vt2uht8glGR_A&feature=c4-overview]

Plus, Andy Chyba talking about his withdrawal from the MEP elections, governments fracking big lies, and the likely impact of the balcombe 16 trial verdict:

7.00pm Thursday 23rd January 2014 at theThe Railway PH at the bottom of Station Hill
ALL WELCOME (Especially new members!)

AGENDA:

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes and matters arising
4. Officers’ reports (Andy/John/Neil)
5. Councillor feedback (Kathy)
6. Elections – Target ward /Euro campaign/BGP AGM (Feb)
7. Campaigns update – Fracking (Andy/Rozz); PAAA (Andy/John); Bridgend Against the Bedroom Tax (John/Trish/Andy/Gareth); free solar energy (Andy).
8. AOB
9. DoNM

REMINDER – If anyone needs a lift to any of our meetings, let Andy know (greens) and we will organise it for you.

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 22,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Dear Bridgend Members,

Please see details of Spring Conference below. This will be the first time for quite a few years that I will not be attending. I would recommend it to committed members as it is your most direct means of influencing Party policy and there is plenty of interest to most of you going on, I am sure.

Belated best wishes for the New Year.

Andy Chyba
Chair Bridgend Green Party

PS The first meeting of the New Year will be on Thursday 23rd January, usual time and place.

Dear Local Party contact,

Green Party Spring Conference this year will be held at the beautiful St George’s Hall in Liverpool from Friday 28 February to Monday 3 March.

We would be very grateful if you could pass this information on to your local members via newsletters, websites, emails, meetings, etc.

Please find attached an outline timetable. A more detailed timetable will be available from the beginning of February on the conference website:www.greenparty.org.uk/conference
And will include panel debates on Saving the NHS, Austerity in Europe, and the Struggle for Education.

The agenda of motions for discussion can be found on the members’ website. https://my.greenparty.org.uk/news/first-agenda-spring-conference-2014

· Bookings can be made online via the website. Early bird booking deadline is 14 February, but you can book up to the conference and even on the day itself.
· Hardship Fund that can be accessed by those who could not otherwise afford to attend.
· Free Creche
· 50% off national express coach travel for GP members
· Crash space available at £5 per night, as well as £10 B&B with local members (limited places)

Details of all this and more on the conference website:www.greenparty.org.uk/conference

Thanks and best wishes,

Louisa Greenbaum
Conferences Co-ordinator
The Green Party

Spring Conference 2014
28 Feb – 3 Mar, St George’s Hall, Liverpool
www.greenparty.org.uk/conference

Spring_2014_timetable_outline_V0.pdf

Fracking has inspired opposition across the socio-economic spectrum and amongst musicians in particular.

Here is my current Top 20 of inspired and inspirational music:

1. “No Fracking Way” Leo Sayer with Aussies Against Fracking
A very recent rocking effort by a seasoned pro!

2. Fracking is Coming to Town by John Harrison
Slaughters the Springsteen classic, but gets a high position in this chart as it is only a week ’til Christmas!

3. “My Water’s On Fire Tonight” is a product of Studio 20 NYU
Fracking hip-hop style! An established classic , being two and a half years old now

4.Fracking Song – Emily Blyth
Emily is well know to us in the Green Party, and soon to become Mrs Derek Wall! Fracking folk-style!

5. Don’t Frack My Mother – Artists Against Fracking
Sean Lennon, Yoko Ono et al with a song in the style of the protest song maestro, BVob Dylan

6. Cuadrilla Killer – HUTC
From the Balcombe protection camp – inspired by a Talking Heads classic

7. Frack Off! by GRASS
Folk rock from the Fylde Coast

8. Raise A Ruckus In Aromas
Classic country-style song from the Southern States

9. The Fracking Song – Little war Twins
Reminiscent of Joni Mitchell (perhaps)

10. This Land Is All – Canton Community Choir and Cor Cochion Caerdydd
The Welsh choral tradition being upheld (just about!)

11. This Fracking Song – ‘Deadly’ Dave Welsh
Quality Aussie singer-songwriter, recorded in a beer garden

12. CFFT Fracking Song – Susan Shann
Military style ‘call and response’ from Tennessee

13. Frackin Devil – Frank Molloy
Great song, great video, with lyrics, from the Irish fractivist

14. Hydro Fracking Song – LRevolution
Linkin Park style anthem from June 2010

15. Pete Seeger Sings Out Against Fracking
The old-stager can still churn it out!

16. Freakin Frackin by Op-Critical
Heavier sound, conveys the sinister vibe very well

17. Lock the Gate – Laura Doe & The Chaps
Great track from a Aussie campaign album called “Whole Lotta Frackin’ Going On”

18. Fracking Gasholes – Stele Ely
Dodgy title, but a great song and a excellent video (with lyrics)

19. Don’t Frack Me Around – Oxygen Brothers Band
Canadian folksters getting straight to the point

20. Fracking Anthem (after Blake’s Jerusalem) – words by Simon Welsh
I had to end with one in which I make a contribution – the mass choirs of Balcombe!

And there is a hell of a lot more out there, I promise you!

From Bridgend Green Party

We hope to see you all sometime in the New Year.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 23rd January 2014,
7.00pm in the Railway P.H.

(Please note that the previously advertised meeting this week, on Thursday 19th, has been cancelled)

A few months ago, I was asked what I knew about the Free Solar Panels scheme from a company called a A Shade Greener.

As a result of my enquiries, I decided to pursue it myself and I am very pleased with the outcomes to date.

The scheme is explained well on their website
http://ashadegreener.co.uk

and this video:

I am pleased to report that they have been as good as their word at every stage and it has all been remarkably hassle free. The only inconvenience has been having to have someone at home on the installation date.

The only small gripe I have is that they do not provide a metering system that allows you to readily check what is being generated and what the house is using. You can log-in to their website and get access to their data on what the panels have generated, but if you want to be able to optimise your own use of the free electricity you really do need a suitable meter. There are quite a few of these available on the market and I ended up buying this one:

http://www.eco-eye.com/products-smartPV.html

It is pretty easy to instal and set up (get it in advance of installation date and the electrician will fit it in about 2 mins if you ask them nicely!).
It has a very easy to understand ‘traffic light’ system that tells you when you are generating a surplus (green), when you are using more than you generating (red) and when the two are in rough parity (amber). Amber can be regarded as the optimum in terms of getting best value out of the system.

The meter also logs data on a memory card that can be downloaded to a computer, and with the supplied software it is a doddle to produce useful analysis figures and graphs. These are from my first download:

Date	Used Kw	Gen Kw	gen/used %
27/11/2013	15.445	0.704	4.6
28/11/2013	17.784	1.191	6.7
29/11/2013	9.605	1.253	13.0
30/11/2013	13.348	10.579	79.3
01/12/2013	19.072	0.829	4.3
02/12/2013	16.216	1.755	10.8
03/12/2013	13.571	0.901	6.6
04/12/2013	14.889	3.544	23.8
05/12/2013	13.913	1.598	11.5
06/12/2013	12.316	3.8	30.9
07/12/2013	12.056	4.329	35.9
Total	158.215	30.483	19.3

PastedGraphic-1.pdf

It is, of course, the worst possible time of year for solar generation, given the short daylight hours and often heavy cloud cover. But even so, as you can see from the table, over this 11 day period, we have averaged generation of 19.3% of the energy we used. The range is quite dramatic. We didn’t quite mange 5% on a couple of days (although one of these was the heaviest use day), but we also managed approximately 80% on 30th November – when my wife and I were away and our sons had the house to themselves!

Given these figures, it is easy to see how we can achieve consistently high savings much of the year and can clearly look forward to annual savings of at least the average of 37% A Shade Greener quote. Given the cost of electricity at the moment, that is a lot of money saved, alongside a big reduction in our carbon footprint.

We are learning as go along, and the smart meter functionality of out PV meter is teaching all of us a lot about where we are using (and wasting) the most electricity. The electric shower is horrendous! I also get a buzz every time the meter lights are flashing orange and I realise that, at that moment at least, we are not paying anything for our electricity. I am also enjoying the challenge of whittling down the base consumption of our house , by tracking down devices left on standby etc. I had it down to just 62 watts/hr at one point.

Potential savings are clearly a function of how savvy you get in optimising your patterns of use. I have things on timers, phased throughout the middle of the day, to take advantage. But potential savings also depend on certain fixed factors, such as the size and pitch of your roof, and of course, its aspect. The closer to due south facing you are, and the closer you are to having room for a full 4Kw/h system (the maximum allowed for domestic systems), the better the generation figures you will see.

I have a 4Kw/h system, but face 16 degrees off due south – still pretty good though as they will fit systems up to 55 degrees off due south.

All-in-all, given that I was unlikely to spend the £6k to £8k on a system myself, and that if I did, the payback time would be many years, this seems a no-brainer to me. Ok, some private company is taking the FIT (Feed In Tariff), which I would get if I paid for the installation, but 30-40% off my electric bills for the next 20 or so years, for absolutely no investment from my pocket – alongside the immediate reductions in our family carbon footprint – mean that I can see no significant reason why the vast majority of peolpe with suitable roofs should not do it.

Just remember to say to were referred by a friend and give them my details (contact me if you don’t already know them) and we will also BOTH be £50 richer too – if it is result of this blog article, mine will be going into Bridgend Green Party funds.

Thank you in advance!!

http://ashadegreener.co.uk/refer-a-friend/