The main outcome was that we have established what is to be known as the Anti Fracking Network.

The idea I that small local groups like The Vale Says NO! can claim affiliation to this national network as a way of boosting credibility and gaining weight to their activities. It is hoped that this will be particularly useful in our efforts to push for a national moratorium/ban that we all recognise as the main goal.
It is also hoped that the AFN will be a way of connecting groups and sharing experience and resources.
We hope to run regular conference calls for delegates of each group; develop online tools and resources; and issue press releases.

There was a lot of awareness and interest in our experiences here in South Wales, such that the workshops I hosted were very well attended. I co-hosted these sessions with Laura Gyte, who is Friends of the Earth’s in-house solicitor. At about 4’10” we made quite a double act, and she is very keen to help and advise on the Public Inquiry. Tony Bosworth, who is FoE’s chief energy and climate change campaigner, is also following the case with interest and is encouraging Laura’s involvement. It was very encouraging to talk with them. Laura seems to think we still have plenty of scope to develop the case and prevail at the Public Inquiry.

Watch this space!
Andy

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes and matters arising
4. Officers’ reports
5. Campaigns update
6. Elections – BCBC 2012
7. Green Wales
8. AOB
9. DoNM

NOTE – Venue is 2 minutes walk from both the Bus and Train stations in Bridgend.
See map: https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/2011/07/16/next-meeting

PS – Responses to the survey sent out to members a couple of weeks ago would be very welcome, especially from those of you that do not come to meetings.

We have just days to save the NHS. Opposition from doctors, nurses and patients has rocked the government. Our massive outcry now can persuade undecided members of the House of Lords to say no to the bill on Monday and get the government to publish its report on the risks of these changes. Sign here to save the NHS:

On Tuesday, I was happy to share the platform with a guy called Ed from FRACK OFF (who had come all the way from Brighton with a few colleagues) at a well attended public meeting (70+) held at the Environment Centre in Swansea, sponsored by Swansea FoE and Swansea Green Party.

Between us we ran through the key implications of the mad rush to exploit extreme fuels. Ed focussed on UCG (Underground Coal Gasification) – planned for Swansea Bay – while I focussed on tight gas (such as Shale Gas) – sites to the north of Swansea – which can both involve fracking and whole range of serious consequences.

This was followed by a lively Q&A session which covered issues ranging from CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage) to planning issues.

The whole tone of the meeting was about informing people and making clear what we DO know and what we DO NOT know. Both Ed and I tried to keep things factually grounded and rational. It has long been clear to me that there is no need to exaggerate or misrepresent things with these issues. We can leave these tactics to the the ‘other side’ as they get increasingly desperate to secure their crocks of gold at the expense of all of us and future generations.

There was a clear sense that the attendees see the need to oppose all such developments and I challenged them to follow the Lllandow model of grass roots opposition and offered them my support in doing so. I hope someone over there will now pick up and run with it!

On Thursday, Neil, John and I went down to the Windsor Arms in Penarth for a Green Question Time sponsored by Gwyrddio Penarth Greening. This was again a packed room (60+) showing yet again that there is a growing appetite to engage with these issues.

There was a high quality panel (https://bridgendgreens.wordpress.com/2012/02/16/green-question-time-penarth/) that grappled with issues such as renewable energy, fracking, incineration, nuclear power and food. Our very own Pippa Bartolotti was outstanding, showing a passion and knowledge that the other panelists had to acknowledge. Eluned Parrott (Lib Dem AM) and Leanne Wood (Plaid Cymru AM) both exhibited a clear commitment to the Green agenda on these issues. David Melding (Con AM) waffled on and sat on the fence most of the time.

Vaughan Gething (Labour AM) was the biggest shock, to me at least, as with only the evidence of their utterances at this event, you would have sworn that he was the Tory!!! At national level this not even remotely surprising any more, but I constantly hear from Labour activists that here in South Wales they still cling to their socialist heritage. Well not in Mr Gething’s case he doesn’t, despite his Union and Co-operative connections. He kept banging on about being ‘honest’ about the shortcomings of renewables and the need for nuclear and the probable need for incineration and the slow gestation of new technologies etc. It would have been nice if he had had the decency to ‘honestly’ say that the reason he thinks all this is because he knows there is no intention of the Labour Party (or any shade of Government likely to gain power) making the commitment and putting in the investment to create the renewable energy infrastructure, that we all know we will have to rely on sooner or later, while we still have the relatively cheap quick fix of fossil fuels to exploit. Shameless and shameful. That he sits on the Environment and Sustainability Committee worries me after this evening. Maybe, as a GMB member, he is hoping to see a big comeback for Boilermakers!!

P.S. One unexpected fun twist was the revelation that Pippa has been starring in Come Dine With Me on Ch4 this week!
Here is the episode where “Pippa Bartolotti hopes to work her magic with an ‘Up-cycling’ dinner party, including locally-sourced vegetarian food, charity shop dress, and fortune-telling with witch doctor’s bones!”
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/come-dine-with-me/4od#3296343

Re the 17th, can we arrange in advance to do an on-camera interview and can you think of any questions that need to be asked but generally don’t get asked about the UK situation?

Paul Littler (Freeworld-Films)

REPLY:

Hi Paul,

Sorry for the delay in responding.

No problem doing and interview. The aspect of all this that I think is being neglected is the issue of democracy and accountability in the planning process. It is the central theme of my submission to the planning inquiry, which I have attached for you.

All the other issues are pretty obvious but the subject of largely polarised opinions.

That there are inherent risks to water supply, health issues, enhanced seismic activity and consequences for global warming (and all that implies) is established.

The extent of these risks is subject to intense debate and largely impossible to assess with any degree of accuracy or certainty due to a whole range of technical issues.

Similarly, the arguments over the economics of the industry are riddled with uncertainty and contorted by vested interests.

It therefore boils down to whether the risks are worth taking or not.

My own position is simple enough on all these matters:

• The risk of groundwater contamination is small in probability terms for each individual borehole, but given the number of boreholes we would be faced with, it is close to an absolute certainty that even with the strictest of regulation, there will be multiple instances of contamination.
• Contamination incidents will probably not show up for a long time and quite possibly not until people start reporting the health consequences. The contamination will be nigh on impossible to predict, control or remedy.
• I have little faith in the industry declaring all chemicals used on every frack, or the regulators being able to monitor this and enforce regulations. The cocktail needs to change on virtually every frack job and most chemicals can only be tested for If declared. It has only been developments in the use of these chemicals to assist the processes involved , alongside directional drilling technology that has enbled to frackers to even comtemplate commercial exploitation of these resources.
• The use of explosives to shatter rock and extend faults, the massive pressures used, and the use of any fluid at all in these cracks and fault lines is all bound to create more seismic activity. I do not think this would ever be serious enough in itself to be a direct threat, but the consequences for borehole and aquifer integrity are a threat – yet again difficult to predict, control or remedy.
• In terms of future needs and energy security, there is no long term future for fossil fuels. They will all run out. The consequences of using them to date have created the global warming consequences that are going to bad enough as it is. Squeezing the last remnants of them out of the earth’s crust only puts off the inevitable day that we have to switch to more sustainable energy sources and exacerbates the adverse consequences of global warming.
• The argument that gas is a cleaner fuel than coal is specious and facile. It ignores the total carbon footprint of exploitatation (this is subject to considerable debate), but also assumes we use gas INSTEAD of coal instead of in addition to coal.

Add this little lot up together and my answer to the big question is NO, the risks simply are not worth taking!!

      

This is the month we act together to make banking better.

If you’ve been thinking about moving your money, now’s the time to get it off the ‘to do’ list and into the diary. Check out some of the inspiring stories from other pledgers on the homepage.

To build support for the campaign and better banking, during Move Your Money month we’ll be:

• Launching a new guide to ethical ISAs to help you find an ISA that works for you and wider society
• Supporting open day events at Credit Unions
• Teaming up with NUS to launch their switching toolkit for Students Unions
• Linking up with interested groups around the country and encouraging local action
• Collecting your best ‘I’m cutting up my card now’ photos
• Collecting signatures for an EDM

In the US it is estimated that 650,000 Americans moved their money in the 4 weeks leading up to ‘Bank Transfer Day’ on Nov 5th 2011. It’s now time for consumers in the UK to act together to create a better banking system!

What you can do

Pledging to move your money is the first step towards building a better, fairer and safer banking sector. The more of us that move our money, the greater the positive impact we can have.

Let your friends, family and colleagues know its time to take action – check out our template emails, flyers and posters.

Email Template:

Dear [insert name – personal emails work best] ,

I just pledged to Move My Money!

In doing so, I chose to make my money work for a banking sector that values ordinary people, small businesses and ethical and social responsibilities – not bulging bonuses, risky speculation, tax avoidance and unethical investments.

I’ll be moving my money on [insert date] . I think you should too!

Find out what all the fuss is about at http://www.moveyourmoney.org.uk

[your name]

In 24 hours, Europe could introduce pollution controls that could stop the flow of Canada’s deadly tar sands oil into the EU. But the UK is moving to block the rules. Only a huge public outcry can save it now. Click below to send an urgent message to the Transport Minister Norman Baker:

See the report in the paper here: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2012/02/17/fracking-company-claim-absolute-proof-the-technique-is-safe-91466-30346586/ (My words near the end have been subject to some pretty dreadful editing, but the drift is clear enough)

As you will see from this URL, our old friend Gerwyn Williams, of Bridgend-based two-bit company Coastal Oil & Gas, is keen to twist it for his own ends. Only a complete idiot would suggest that there is any absolute proof that any industrial process, let alone one that involves explosives, nasty chemicals and very high pressure hydraulics, is totally safe. But the report from the UTEI doesn’t say this at all.

The key passage is quoting Lead Scientist Dr Groat:
The immediate concern with shale development and hydraulic fracturing is that fracturing at several thousand feet below the surface would put chemicals in the groundwater that people drank that would be very bad for your health.”

An important part of our study was to determine whether or not there was any direct verified evidence that fracturing itself was producing contaminated waters that ended up in that process in the groundwater.”

Our preliminary finding is we have found no demonstration that that has happened.

Hardly conclusive proof of anything, but clearly leaning towards wanting to exonerate the frackers. The fact that Dr Charles Chip Groat is such an eminent and well respected geologist (http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_G._Groat), in the twilight of his career (72 next month), lends it some credibility …… Or does it?

The self same Dr Charles “Chip” Groat (there can only be one of them, surely!) just so happens to have fallen on his feet late in life, with a Directorship of a Houston based company called Plains Exploration & Production Company (PXP). His total ‘compensation’ package was worth $308,300.00 in 2009, and $493,598.00in 2008. He only took up the position in November 2007. http://people.forbes.com/profile/charles-g-groat/64104

And just what does this company do? Its website does not say a lot (http://www.pxp.com/) but it does say this:

“PXP is an independent oil & gas company primarily engaged in the activities of acquiring, developing, exploring and producing oil and gas in its core areas of operation: California, Texas and Louisiana.”

So maybe just the faintest hint of a vested interest, Dr Charlie “Poker Chip” mega-Groats!

But maybe I am being a bit harsh on the old man. His report goes on to say that there is a need to carry out more sampling and analysis of groundwater, to get to the bottom of where contamination was coming from. He also recognises that more baseline studies are also required to show what conditions are like before the start of drilling operations. This would make it easier to establish what effects should or should not be attributed to fracking. Which pretty much sounds like a case for at least a moratorium while all this work is done, wouldn’t you agree, Gerwyn?

And incidentally, Peter Law, for the sake of balance, it would have been worth including these aspects of the UTEI report in what you printed. However, your story does include other bits that support our case rather than Gerwyn William’s:

• “The scientists found many problems attributed to fracking are common to all oil and gas drilling systems. Many reports of contamination could be traced to above-ground spills or mishandling of wastewater rather than the fracking technique itself, they said.”

How reassuring is this?

As for Gerwyn trotting out the the old chestnut of frack fluid being 96% water and 4% food additives, I look forward to him taking a few sips of a sample in front of us all at the Inquiry in May! Now that would be re-assuring and closer to absolute proof! I will get the recipe from Dr Theo Colborn for him, although even she has not worked out some of the secret ingredients yet!

I have a growing feeling that the Public Inquiry in May is going to be a lot of fun!

Lift share any body?