After over six years of campaigning against fracking by Friends of the Earth Scotland and local communities, the Scottish government announced on 3 October to effectively ban unconventional oil and gas extraction - in short: fracking – in the whole country.
On 24 October, the Scottish Parliament voted in support of the government’s proposal.
#ProtectOurFutures!
This was the slogan for the Days of Action of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The network was quite busy last weekend: about local 130 groups took action and rumour has it that it was great! Here are a couple of stories from a very inspiring day.
To mark Friends of the Earth International Days of Action to mobilise against dirty energy and for climate justice last weekend, Young Friends of the Earth Ireland hosted a screening of multi-award winning film Gasland on Friday 13th October. Gasland explores the impacts of natural gas drilling, or fracking, on the environment and communities in North America, highlighting the link between fossil fuel exploration and climate justice.
October 14 was a creative day for Amigos de la Tierra/Friends of the Earth Spain. For the Days of Action, the local groups decided to paint murals collectively. And because it is nicer to paint to music, many of these actions were accompanied by live concerts and other activities to denounce the lack of climate action coming from the government as well as their connivance with the fossil fuel industry.
On October 13, the first Day of Action of our International Federation, Friends of the Earth Scotland inflated a huge globe depicting the dangerously warming world outside Scottish Government building at St Andrew's House in Edinburgh. We wanted to raise the alarm on the climate emergency and urge greater action from the Scottish Government.
From the 21st to the 25th of June a climate camp took pace in the coal-mining town of Horní Jiřetín, located in north-western Czech Republic. It was organized by Limity Jsme My “we are the limits” — a local Czech movement and Greenpeace. It was also supported by Hnuti DUHA / Friends of the Earth Czech Republic. The goal of the climate camp was to enforce ecological mining limits and demand climate justice.
Today, Environmental Rights Action, Amnesty International, and Friends of the Earth Europe called for the immediate clean-up of oil pollution in Ogoniland in Nigeria's Niger Delta, in line with recommendations made by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its landmark 2011 study of the region.
Campaigners from over 20 countries across Europe visited the controversial fracking site at Preston New Road, Lancashire, today, to offer support to local communities as they mark six years of successfully keeping fracking at bay.
This month marks six years since Cuadrilla fracked the first and only well in the UK, resulting in earth tremors and a temporary moratorium. Because of community opposition wherever fracking has since been proposed, people have successfully kept the industry at bay throughout the UK.
The depth of gas industry infiltration into European decision-making on energy policy was revealed today, following the launch of the report 'Hiding in plain sight' by Friends of the Earth Europe.
The Ikebiri community, from Bayelsa state, Nigeria, have launched an unprecedented legal case against the Italian oil giant Eni today seeking clean-up of, and compensation for damages from, an oil spill which has affected their community in the Niger Delta [1].