04 September 2018 - Fracking Controversy in the UK
Fracking investments by council pension funds 'unlawful'
Steffan Messenger (BBC News, 03/09/2018)
Welsh councils could be acting unlawfully by continuing to invest in companies involved in fracking, a report has claimed.
More than £600m was provided by council pension funds to firms with fracking operations overseas in 2016-17.
Campaigners argued the situation appeared "to fly in the face of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act".
Fracking is back in England – and only the Tories want it
John Ashton (The Guardian, 03/09/2018)
One day soon, in a field by the A583 in sight of Blackpool Tower, fracking for shale gas will resume in the UK. The first attempt to kickstart this dangerous and disruptive industry had to be abruptly halted, after fracking at a nearby site in 2011 by the same company, Cuadrilla, set off earth tremors. For nearly two years, local people have maintained a round-the-clock vigil on the roadside. Their presence reflects the overwhelming opposition of residents to the forced intrusion of fracking into this green and tranquil corner of Lancashire. Passing motorists toot support.
The people of Lancashire could have been forgiven for thinking that they had seen off the threat of being turned into the UK’s shale gas guinea pigs. In 2015, responding to their well-evidenced concerns, the county council refused permission for Cuadrilla to frack in the very same field, and in the nearby secluded village of Roseacre. But, taking advantage of planning rules the coalition government had put in place to favour fracking, Cuadrilla appealed. In 2016, Sajid Javid, then communities secretary, duly overturned Lancashire council’s decision. This July, the government gave final consent for Cuadrilla to begin.
Kent County Council under fire over £165.5 million fracking investment
Jenna Dobbs (Kent Online, 03/09/2018)
Kent County Council is under fire after it was revealed its pension fund has invested £165.5 million into companies associated with fracking.
The figures, obtained by campaign group Platform London, come as fracking is set to resume in the UK for the first time in seven years.
Councillors at the authority have been advised against sharing their position on the issue in an internal email seen by KentOnline.
The Government Can't Hide From Public Opinion On Fracking
Baroness Jenny Jones (The Huffington Post UK, 28/08/2018)
The Government doesn’t care what any of us think about fracking. It’s been obvious that it doesn’t for a long time now, but it confirmed it beyond all doubt by quietly dropping the question on fracking from the public attitude tracker. Every three months, the Government has asked the public whether we support fracking. And every three months, we say we hate the idea. Since 2015, support for this dirty, dangerous and expensive industry has been in freefall, with outright opposition growing as the impacts on climate and communities become clear. To the Government, none of this matters.
Despite this overwhelming lack of public consent, the Government is determined to force fracking on a country which doesn’t want it. This new attempt to render public opposition invisible is just the latest in a long run of outrageous tactics the Tories have deployed to silence and suppress the public protest in reaction to their environmental vandalism. They’re absolutely desperate to drill.