The Big Rig Revolt kicked off at 8am Saturday with Frack Off London paying a surprise visit to the Chelsea Mansion owned by Lord Browne of Riverstone and Cuadrilla. The Fracking Lord’s malign influence has spread throughout the government since he was appointed to the role of recuiting business leaders to advise government departments. A variety of other actions are planned across the country throughout the day.
Unconventional gas, including Shale Gas, Coal Bed Methane (CBM) and Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), are threatening to spread thousands of wells across the British Isles. The first application for an unconventional gas development in Britain, 14 sites with 22 wells and over 20km of pipelines, was submitted to Falkirk Council by Dart Energy. Most areas off the country face some sort of threat and the climate implications of these processes are frightening.
Dressed in orange boiler suits and wearing gas masks 6 campaigners from Frack Off London erected a 20ft drilling rig outside the home of Lord Browne to highlight the peer’s involvement in UK unconventional gas development. The government has just announced that they are ending their gentleman’s agreement with Cuadrilla to suspend fracking operations in Lancashire and it could start again in Lancashire within months.
The government has plans to sell off large parts of the country next year for unconventional gas exploitation. The Chancellor, George Osborne, is also expected to announce the setting up of an Office of Shale Gas to expidite the process of fracking the country. The government is also plotting to short circuit local planning proceedures and green-light applications directly from central government, ensuring local communities have no chance to object.