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Globalfrackdown 2017 (And Beyond)

By Andy Gheorghiu

Since 2012, the Global Frackdown – an international day of action initiated by Food & Water Watch to ban fracking – has helped connect activists across the globe and demonstrated the growing power of the movement to stop fracking, gas infrastructure, sand mining and other related extraction methods. This movement is fueled by increasing scientific evidence of the impact of fracking on water, air, health, seismic stability, communities, and the climate on which we all depend.


This year groups from around the globe – moved by our joint spirit of “Not here or anywhere!” – rallied again in solidarity for a Global Frackdown.

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2nd Gas Conference – Global gas lock-in: Linking North-South Resistance

What happens if a bunch of activists working to halt gas infrastructure and raise awareness about the issues around gas meet in Brussels? A global network of “gastivists” is launched.

The first edition of the Brussels Gas Conference, co-organized by Food & Water Europe, was in September 2016. This year, we decided to repeat the successful conference at the end of September, this time focusing more on global supply chains of fossil gas.

Fighting the notion of gas as a bridge fuel – and fighting impacts of gas extractions

While most of the discussions around gas in Brussels concern its climate impact and security of supply as well as energy prices, the reality for people affected by gas extraction and gas infrastructure projects often looks different. In this year’s conference, representatives from EU-based organizations touched base with activists on the ground within and outside of Europe, broadening the joint narrative around gas. The Global North’s approach is to focus on the gas lobby‘s push to sell gas as green, clean and a necessary bridge-fuel supporting unreliable renewables – backed by hordes of lobbyists and huge payments for lobby material. On the other hand, participants from the Global South in particular made clear that in extracting countries, land grabbing, loss of livelihood, increase of socio-economic inequality, corruption and human rights abuse are the issues they highlight when talking about fossil gas.

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Food and Water Europe Welcomes a New Campaigner!

By Antoine Tifine

Hi! I’m Antoine, the new campaigns intern at Food & Water Europe in Brussels. I started one month ago and the few things I have done so far, working on issues like factory farms and energy, have been very promising. But, first, let me introduce myself.

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Betting on Chaos: Financial Firms Seek to Cash In on Climate Change

By Mitch Jones

Earlier this month the Financial Times reported that a new climate change prediction market [subscription required] is being created in the United Kingdom. The market, similar to a sports betting book, is the “brainchild” of the financial firm Winton Capital. Initially, the market will allow bets on levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and on temperature rises, but Winton Capital hopes to expand it in the future so that sea level rise, extreme weather, and other pollution levels become the topic of bets.

What’s equally strange is that Winton Capital is paying for this market out of its philanthropic budget. There’s nothing philanthropic about betting on climate change.

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The Global Frackdown 2017 – Part of a Worldwide Movement to Reclaim the Power!

This year again, a wave of people power will roll over the globe, showing that a just transition to a clean, democratic energy system is necessary – and possible!

Since 2013, Reclaim Power has united organizations from around the world to demand a profound change in our energy systems, stop harmful energy projects and cut money flows to dirty energy.

During the entire month of October 2017, events will be held and groups will demonstrate how widespread and strong worldwide mobilization against the current energy system is.

During this month of resistance and of united actions, Food & Water Watch and Food & Water Europe, both Reclaim Power partners, will again coordinate a global day of action against fracking – the Global Frackdown. On 14 October, various movements in different countries will state a clear NO to dirty fossil fuels extracted by the dangerous method of fracking.

To learn more about this coordinated day of action, visit globalfrackdown.org.

To learn more about Reclaim Power, go to http://www.reclaimpower2017.net/.

Join the Global Frackdown 2017 – Together We Make a Difference

The Movement to Ban Fracking Is Growing

UPDATE: See photos from the 2017 Global Frackdown

The oil and gas industry is spending millions of dollars on slick public relations campaigns and high-profile lobbying efforts to buy the ability to extract fossil fuels from our communities with as little government oversight as possible. Yet public opinion continues to grow in opposition to fracking.

While the industry is working hard to protect its profits and drown out the worldwide demand for clean, renewable fuels, there is a tremendous movement afoot around the world to protect the climate and the environment.

Since 2012, the Global Frackdown – an international day of action initiated by Food & Water Watch to ban fracking – has helped connect activists across the globe and demonstrated the growing power of the movement to stop fracking, gas infrastructure, sand mining and other related extraction methods. This movement is fueled by increasing scientific evidence of the impact of fracking on water, air, health, seismic stability, communities, and the climate on which we all depend.

Our Demands

The Global Frackdown went to Paris in 2015
The Global Frackdown began as a single international day to fight fracking. In 2015, it took over all of November with The “Global Frackdown to Paris” highlighting our growing movement and building pressure on national leaders to oppose fracking during the United Nations Conference on Climate Change.

We fight to:

  • Stop fracking,
  • Keep fossil fuels in the ground
  • Put a halt on the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade
  • Prevent a further fossil lock-in through bad investments in oil and gas infrastructure.
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