PAUL LEADS NEW BAND OF CELEBRITY FRACKING CAMPAIGNERS

Paul and Yoko Ono, have both signed on to support a campaign opposing the U.K. government's plan to introduce fracking into the country. They are just two of many celebrities who have signed an open letter published in the London Times on Monday expressing concern for the effects the process will have on the environment.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a method of extracting gas and oil by injecting rocks with millions of gallons of chemically treated water.

 

Paul among those backing new campaign calling for a moratorium on UK fracking while the risks associated with shale gas exploration are re-assessed

The government is already aware that its plans to expand fracking activity in the UK will face opposition from green campaigners and local protesters, but they probably had not banked on Sir Paul McCartney leading the calls for a moratorium on shale gas exploration.

A major new campaign kicked off today under the banner "we need to talk about fracking" with over 150 celebrities, scientists, and campaign groups endorsing calls for a fundamental rethink of the government's shale gas strategy.

The campaign, which will host a series of debates on whether fracking represents "an acceptable and effective way of securing energy for the benefit of Britain", features a petition that argues "the government must suspend fracking immediately while a genuinely independent, balanced and thorough public debate is held into the potential dangers this industry holds for the UK".

A host of high profile names from the worlds of music, film, art, and science were among the first to sign the petition, including Sir Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Helena Bonham-Carter, Alan Carr, Noel Fielding, Lily Cole, George Monbiot, Will Self, Jude Law, Russell Brand, Sir Anthony Gormley, Thom Yorke, Chrissie Hynde and Tracey Emin.

The petition is also backed by a number of green businesses, executives and NGOs, such as Lush Cosmetics, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, Solarcentury founder Jeremy Leggett, Trillion Fund, Triodos Bank, the RSPB, Friends of the Earth and Fuel Poverty Action.

The group is arguing that regulations are being changed to accommodate fracking without sufficient public debate as to the risks associated with the activity.

"Both the Prime Minster David Cameron and energy minister Michael Fallon have told us to get ready for fracking," the petition states. "Already over 60 per cent of the country will be licensed for fracking and planning rules are being changed to allow for central government to override community objections.

"The government is telling us that fracking is safe even though it is banned in several European countries and American states. There is substantial evidence showing that fracking causes water stress and risks water contamination and soil contamination, earth tremors and a threat to human, wildlife, bird, fish and livestock health."

The petition also rejects claims from some ministers that fracking will help bring down energy bills, arguing there is scant evidence that the technology will bring down fuel bills or create a jobs boom, while it is clear it "has the potential to leave a damaging environmental legacy for future generations".

The government has repeatedly rejected calls for a rethink on its fracking policy, arguing that opening up parts of the UK to shale gas exploration could serve to bolster energy security, create jobs, boost tax receipts, and reduce carbon emissions by replacing higher carbon coal and imported liquified natural gas.

Ministers have also insisted that the UK will have one of the most robust regulatory regimes in the world for shale gas developers, which will drastically reduce the risk of the kind of methane leaks and water contamination that has marred parts of the US fracking industry.

However, green groups have consistently argued that the regulations are not tight enough and have warned that fresh investment in shale gas development will lock in fossil fuel infrastructure for several more decades at a time when the UK should be decarbonising its energy mix to help fight climate change.