Brent
Friends of the
Earth (Brent FoE) says that fracking
is a dirty word that local residents do not want, and
they
will be asking
MPs, London Assembly
members and the local Council to swear that they won’t
allow
it in Brent.
They will spelling out their message outside Willesden Green Station tomorrow at 10.45am tomorrow (Saturday October 19th)
Later this
year the
Government is expected to open vast swathes of the country to
fracking with a new round of licensing. This will bring the threat
of
fracking to thousands more people’s doorsteps. Brent, as the local
planning authority, has the power to prevent this. Brent is one of
many authorities on a list of
potential sites under consideration for this
controversial
technology.
Ian
Saville, Brent FoE
spokesperson and Neasden resident, says, “fracking is a dirty
technology that will damage our health, environment and climate.
The
resulting shale gas is a dirty fossil fuel that will add to the
dangerous levels of greenhouse gases in the environment. It should
be
left in the ground.”
“Brent
residents,
along with other communities up and down the country, don't
want a dash for gas. If fracking is the answer, then the
question
must be wrong! If London Mayor Boris Johnson gets his way, we
could
see fracking across London. We need to send him and Brent a
clear
message that we do not want or need fracking to keep the lights
on,
nor can we count on it to reduce fuel bills. Instead we need to
invest in renewables and energy saving to heat our homes.”
Brent
FoE will also be running a stall outside Willesden Green tube
station
on the day and will be speaking to local residents about the
problems
with fracking.
