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COMMUNITIES FROM SIX CONTINENTS TAKE ACTION AGAINST GAS AND FRACKING

GASTIVISTS AND FOOD & WATER EUROPE – @Gastivists, @FoodWaterEurope

Email: [email protected]

Comunicado de Prensa en Español

COMMUNITIES FROM SIX CONTINENTS TAKE ACTION AGAINST GAS AND FRACKING

On and around October 13th, over 80 groups from six continents will stand together in a united fight against the gas, fracking and plastics/petrochemicals industry for the Global Gasdown-Frackdown Day of Action.

Dozens of actions are planned across North and South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

Different groups and organisations show the many ways in which gas and fracking harm the environment, air and water quality, communities’ health and the climate, with a multitude of activities; Anti-fracking debates in Peru, a protest against a planned LNG terminal in Germany and a stunt against plastic pollution caused by hydrocarbons in the UK, actions in Indonesia against gas drilling, a health impact webinar series,  an anti-fracking carnival in the UK and rally against fracking in Western Australia, are just some of the events of this year’s Global Gasdown-Frackdown. It connects the international fights against gas and fracking, demanding real climate solutions – our communities and our climate cannot afford another generation of fossil fuels.

One of the actions taking place is an event informing about socio-environmental impacts of fracking in Monterrey, Mexico. Teresa Garza, from Movimiento en Defensa de la Madre Tierra y de la Vida says: “I’ve seen the reaction of those who find out what fracking is and what it means. It is impossible to be indifferent. I think information is a good first step to fight against this horrid activity. I am happy to be near a serious and responsible organization that works with networks with in countries supporting citizens participation in forums such as this.”

“Having a global Gasdown-Frackdown shows we’re not alone. That other people as well are putting up a fight for what they love- be it their land, water, health or the climate. And that’s always encouraging” says a spokesperson from NoTAP Belgium, protesting against TAP a planned mega pipeline carrying gas from Azerbaijan to the EU.

In Brussels, several environmental NGOs will meet to show unity against gas. “The recently published IPCC report shows the urgency of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and the need to phase out all fossil fuels, coal, oil and gas. We can’t afford to keep burning gas if we want to preserve a planet liveable for future generations. This action day, uniting different struggles across the world is a strong sign of resistance and hope”, says Frida Kieninger from Food & Water Europe.

Communities across the world are suffering from aggressively imposed gas infrastructure. Local democracy is often overruled, land rights dismissed, water sources poisoned and the environment polluted. This is under the false pretence that gas is a climate solution, a ‘bridge fuel’. However, when the entire supply chain is taken into account, it is no cleaner a fuel than oil and coal.

On and around October 13th, communities across the world are taking action, demanding a fossil-free future and real solutions.

GASTIVISTS AND FOOD & WATER EUROPE

Frida Kieninger

Food & Water Europe

+32 487 24 99 05

 Kjell Kühne

Gastivists

+52-1-9671053425

Notes:

Website for Gastivists:https://gasdown-frackdown.org/

Website for Food & Water Europe: https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/

 

COMUNIDADES DE SEIS CONTINENTES SE MOVILIZAN CONTRA EL GAS Y EL FRACKING

Categories

Food

Alrededor del 13 octubre, más de 70 grupos de seis continentes participarán en el Día Global de Acción Gasdown-Frackdown, mostrando una lucha unitaria contra la industria del gas, del fracking y petroquímica.

Se están organizando acciones en Norteamérica, América del Sur, África, Europa, Asia y Oceanía.

El Gasdown-Frackdown conecta luchas internacionales contra el gas y el fracking, incluyendo una acción de victimas de lodos tóxicos originados por extracción de gas en Indonesia, una manifestación en Australia Occidental, teatro callejero en Ámsterdam, una manifestación en Nigeria, un webinario sobre los impactos sobre la salud de la producción de gas y un carnaval anti-fracking en Reino Unido. Incluye también la lucha contra la contaminación por plástico conectada a los combustibles fósiles y el fracking. Exigimos reales soluciones para nuestro clima – las personas y el clima no aguantan una generación mas de combustibles fósiles.

Miles de personas por todo del mundo sufren los impactos de infraestructuras gasísticas impuestas agresivamente sobre las comunidades locales. Con frecuencia no se respeta la democracia local, se anulan derechos sobre las tierras, se envenenan fuentes de agua y se contamina el medio ambiente. Todo esto con el falso pretexto que el gas es una solución para nuestro clima, un combustible necesario a medio plazo. Sin embargo, considerando la cadena completa de suministro, el gas no es un combustible más limpio que el petróleo o el carbón.

Además, la industria del gas/de la petroquímica aumenta el uso del gas obtenido vía fracking para la producción de plástico, creando un ciclo de contaminación devastador para el medio ambiente, nuestros océanos y el clima. Se están destinando enormes cantidades de dinero público, inversiones privadas y apoyo político hacia la industria del gas, empeorando el cambio climático y elevando el riesgo de sobrepasar importantes puntos de inflexión climáticos. También contribuye a agravar la asfixiante contaminación por plástico a escala global, limitando la apuesta por la eficiencia energética y las energías renovables.

En torno al 13 octubre, comunidades en todo el mundo organizarán acciones descentralizadas, exigiendo un futuro sin combustibles fósiles y soluciones reales.

Read in English

Contactos:

Frida Kieninger, Food & Water Europe, [email protected], Tel.: +32 487 2499 05

Kjell Kühne, Gastivists, [email protected], Tel.: +52-1-9671053425

Notas:

Página Web de Gastivists:https://gasdown-frackdown.org/

Página Web de Food & Water Europe: https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/

COMMUNITIES FROM SIX CONTINENTS TAKE ACTION AGAINST GAS AND FRACKING

Categories

Food

On and around October 13th, over 70 groups from six continents will stand together in a united fight against the gas, fracking and plastics/petrochemicals industry for the Global Gasdown-Frackdown Day of Action.

Actions are planned across North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania.

From an action in solidarity with victims of a mud volcano caused by gas drilling in Indonesia to a rally in West Australia, street theatre in Amsterdam to a public demo in Nigeria, from a health impact webinar series to an anti-fracking carnival in the UK, the Global Gasdown-Frackdown connects the international fights against gas and fracking; including the fight against plastic pollution which is closely linked to fossil fuels and fracking. We are demanding real climate solutions – our communities and our climate cannot afford another generation of fossil fuels.

Communities across the world are suffering from aggressively imposed gas infrastructure. Local democracy is often overruled, land rights dismissed, water sources poisoned and the environment polluted. This is under the false pretence that gas is a climate solution, a ‘bridge fuel’. However, when the entire supply chain is taken into account, it is no cleaner a fuel than oil and coal.

On top of that the gas/petrochemical industry increases the use of fracked gas for the production of plastics, creating a devastating pollution cycle for our environment, our oceans and our climate. The huge amount of public funding, private investment and political support pumped into the gas industry pushes global warming and puts the world at risk of passing dangerous climate tipping points. It also contributes directly to the suffocating amount of plastic pollution around the world and restricts the rise of energy efficiency and renewables.

On and around October 13th, communities across the world are taking action, demanding a fossil-free future and real solutions.

Leer en Español

Contact: 

Frida Kieninger, Food & Water Europe, [email protected], Tel.: +32 487 2499 05

Kjell Kühne, Gastivists, [email protected], Tel.: +52-1-9671053425

Notes:

Website for Gastivists:https://gasdown-frackdown.org/

Website for Food & Water Europe: https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/

Groups Across Europe Call for Alternative Gas Conference to Address Participation Obstacles

Together with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Food & Water Europe, CounterBalance, PowerShift, Corporate Europe Observatory and Friends of the Earth Europe organized two conferences in Brussels dealing with the issues around gas in 2016 and 2017.

In both years, participants from the Global South faced serious obstacles which finally led to a number of persons not able to attend the conference. The organizers of the conference drafted an open letter to the Belgian authorities to protest against the unfair practices the conference participants from the Global South had to face and which shaped the form and outcome of the conference.

On September 24, one year after the 2017 conference, the open letter, signed by over thirty organizations, was sent to the Belgian authorities.

We hope that at the next Brussels gas conference in spring 2019, all those invited will be able to join no matter what their country of origin is.

 

Open Letter to the Belgian Authorities

Lifting obstacles to international solidarity and successful international conferences

For the third time in a row, an international alternative gas conference will be organized in Brussels. This conference aims at connecting grassroots groups, academics and organizations across the globe to better work together towards a world without fossil fuels.

Sadly, both during the preparation of the first and the second conference, participants from the Global South, particularly from Africa, faced inappropriate, incomprehensible barriers connected to their visas. As a result, many of them could not attend.

We see it as a serious issue that increasingly strict European migration policies prevent a balanced participation in international conferences. These international meetings play an important role in shaping the pathway Europe needs to take, within a global context, to lead us into a carbon-free future.

It is clear that an inclusive, broad dialogue between representatives of the Global North and Global South is absolutely central in taking meaningful steps towards sustainability and climate justice. Preventing, in an unforeseeable and unfair way, the access to these debating spaces directly undermines the global work that is being done to create a clean, fair and just future.

Our series of alternative gas conferences aims at tackling a global problem – the role that fossil gas plays in creating climate change. The Global North contributes to a disproportionately large extent to a changing global climate, while on the other hand communities in the Global South suffer most from its effects. It is therefore imperative to involve particularly those most affected by decisions taken in Europe in a process to find solutions to the issues around gas, respecting human rights, the Paris Climate Agreement and strengthening democracies.

Already the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU states that the contribution of “promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems, and in particular combating climate change” shall be objective of Union policy.

Creating, and not blocking spaces like international alternative gas conferences to work towards this aim has to be a priority for EU Member States.

We cannot work on global issues unilaterally; these discussions have to happen with representatives from non-EU countries and we therefore urgently ask you to take measures to avoid unfair practices leading to de facto travel bans from certain countries.

Blatant inequalities concerning freedom of movement and a resulting privilege to travel for citizens of certain countries block attempts to work together in a balanced way and contributes to silencing the voices of those most affected by climate change.

The travel/visa issues that participants of our conferences faced are clearly not an isolated issue, and action needs to be taken on a broad level to end this injustice.

Sincerely,

Africa Institute for Energy Governance (Uganda) Dickens Kamugisha

Agro-Ecologie et Environnement Vert (Tunisia), Mohsen Kalboussi

Amigos de la Tierra (Spain), Héctor de Prado

Attac France, Maxime Combes

Attac Maroc (Morocco), Lucile Daumas

BankTrack (Netherlands), Claire Hamlett

Biofuelwatch (UK), Frances Howe

Citizens’ Concern Africa (Uganda) Sam Mucunguzi

Corporate Europe Observatory (Belgium), Pascoe Sabido

Counter Balance (Czech Republic), Xavier Sol

Ecologistas en Acción (Spain), Samuel Martín-Sosa

En Commun (France), Philippe Assens

Food and Water Europe (Belgium), Frida Kieninger

Frack Free United (UK), Leigh Coghill

Friends of the Earth Europe (International), Antoine Simon

Gastivists Berlin (Berlin), Lea Dehning

Gastivists Collective (International), Noelie Audi-Dor

Integrating capacity and community advancement organisation (Tanzania), Zahra Salehe

Justiça Ambiental (Friends of the Earth Mozambique), Anabela Lemos

KlimaKollektivet (Denmark), Tannie Nyboe

Les Amis de la Terre France, Lorette Philippot

Les Amis de la Terre Togo, ASSEM Ekue

Love Leitrim (Ireland)

Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Nederland)

NOAH Friends of the Earth Denmark, Nanna Clifforth

Observatori del Deute en la Globalització (Spain), Josep Nualart Corpas

Oil Change International (United States), Collin Rees

Platform (UK), Anna Markova

PowerShift e.V. (Germany), Michael Reckordt

Re:Common (Italy), Elena Gerebizza

Social Action (Nigeria), Vivian Bellonwu

UK Youth Climate Coalition (UK), Mark Robinson

Young Friends of the Earth Europe, (Belgium), Živilė Mantrimaitė

Shannon Estuary Import Terminal for US Fracked Gas Would Lock Ireland and EU into Fossil Fuels for Decades

Brussels – A huge gas import terminal proposed for the Shannon Estuary would lock Ireland and the EU into using dirty fracked gas from the US for decades to come, pushing the planet closer to runaway climate change.

An international coalition of campaign groups is opposing Shannon LNG on the grounds that it not only threatens people’s health, the local environment and tourism, but would also drag Ireland and Europe away from renewable energy and leave Ireland facing ever bigger EU fines for missing our climate change commitments.

Anne Marie Harrington of environmental group Futureproof Clare, said: “The monstrosity planned for Ballylongford not only poses major health and environmental risks locally, it also makes a mockery of Ireland’s commitment as an EU member to reduce climate-polluting emissions by 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. According to figures release by the EPA last May, the best-case scenario for 2030 is that our emissions will still be 10% above 1990 levels [1]. That will cost Irish taxpayers billions of euro in fines.

“Minister for Climate Action and Environment Denis Naughten admitted to The Irish Times last week that the Government’s plan to tackle climate change by reducing emissions and adopting renewable energy was not working [2]. But just five days earlier, both Mr Naughten and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave their public backing to the Shannon LNG project [3]. This is a stunning contradiction,” Ms Harrington said.

The Shannon LNG project, abandoned by the Hess Corporation in 2015, was given a new lease of life in June of this year, when An Bord Pleanála extended its planning permission by five years, with minimal public consultation. Then on August 29th, a major new investor in the project was announced, US firm New Fortress Energy [3].

Ms Harrington continued: “When An Bord Pleanála originally granted planning permission for this project in 2008, natural gas, or methane, was viewed as relatively ‘clean’ in terms of its climate change impact. It is now known methane is almost 90 times more harmful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide when it escapes into the atmosphere. Producing and transporting natural gas – especially through fracking – releases methane at levels that make it hugely damaging to the climate.”

Campaigners are also highlighting the consequences for communities in the US. “Last year, Ireland took a proud step when we banned fracking because of its devastating effects on human health and the environment, but the Shannon LNG terminal simply exports fracking to the US, thereby harming communities in the US where fracking takes place. It’s a shameful Irish solution to an Irish problem,” Ms Harrington said.

“The planning permission for Shannon LNG terminal allows it to output more than twice as much gas as Ireland consumes. This is because the developer – and the European Union – plan to export this gas via the UK, turning Ireland into a pipeline for fracked gas from the US into Europe.”

In February, 23 environmental groups from Ireland, Belgium, Germany and the US made a joint submission to An Bord Pleanála, opposing the extension of planning permission.

One of those groups is the Brussels-based Food & Water Europe, and this week its policy advisor, Andy Gheorghiu, pointed out there are already more LNG import terminals in Europe than there is demand for: “The utilisation rate of all existing EU LNG terminals is at only roughly 23 per cent, clearly showing that any new investments in LNG infrastructure will almost inevitably create stranded assets. Apart from that, it is more than obvious that the import of fracked US LNG torpedoes Ireland’s efforts for a fossil-free future”.

Update: Meanwhile the High Court granted an injunction against a decision to extend planning permission to the Shannon LNG to the environmental group Friends of the Irish Environment.[6]

For further comment please contact: 

Anne Marie Harrington
Futureproof Clare
email: [email protected]

Andy Gheorghiu
Food & Water Europe
email: [email protected]

NOTES 

1) More information and updates are available at Futureproof Clare on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/futureproofclare/

2) http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/ghgprojections2017-2035/#d.en.64043

3) https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/blogs/fracked-us-lng-torpedoes-irelands-dreams-of-a-fossil-free-future/

4) https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/OpenLetter_PublicConsultation-LNGTerminal-Shannon.pdf

5) http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/summaries_CH4.php

6) http://www.radiokerry.ie/environmental-group-secures-injunction-extension-planning-permission-shannon-lng/

Planning Permission Extension for Fracked US LNG Import Terminal Threatens Ireland’s Climate Obligations and Dolphins in the Shannon Estuary

Ireland banned fracking but a company named Sambolo Resources wants to open one of Europe’s biggest projects to process fracked US gas from Trump’s America in the Shannon Estuary nature reserve where whales and dolphins swim.

The recent decision of An Bord Pleanála to extend the old planning permission for another five years – without a previous public consultation on the need for LNG development in Ireland – has shocked environmental groups and local activists[1] who have hoped for at least a proper democratic process.

They highlight that the Shannon LNG terminal would contribute significantly to climate change, destroy local biodiversity, involve more fossil fuel lock-in and damage the up-and-coming Irish renewables industry. Global trends show that investors are prioritising green development.

The proposed Shannon LNG terminal is huge: the proposed final maximum capacity of at least 10 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year would equal the European Union’s most ambitious gas project, the Southern Gas Corridor, and supply Ireland‘s fossil gas needs twice over. Fracked hydrocarbons would be tankered in from the United States, processed and much of it then sent to Europe, with Ireland becoming a gas import hub.

Planning permission was first granted in 2008 but since then lots of things have changed:

The Shannon Estuary has been declared an Estuaries Special Protection Area by the EU; the exact site is now an EU Special Protected Area for waterbirds and whales, dolphins and porpoises.
We now know how dangerous fossil gas – in particular fracked gas – is: over a 20 year period methane is almost 90 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
Numerous leaks and accidents have proved the destructive impact of fracking and LNG on the environment, climate and public health.

Ireland has banned fracking and the Dáil has voted for full divestment from fossil fuels.

Ireland signed the Paris Climate Agreement; this project would make our emissions goals unreachable.

However, An Bord Pleanála, the Irish State Planning Board, decided to fully ignore all these facts, stating that extending the expiring planning permission for the proposed Shannon LNG “would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment.”

This decision comes at a time when even the economic arguments speak against the extension of LNG infrastructure in Europe. The utilisation rate of all existing EU LNG terminals is at only roughly 23 percent, clearly showing that any new investments in LNG infrastructure will almost inevitably create stranded assets. At the same time, environmental groups as well as the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) challenged a Department of Energy-funded study that concludes U.S. economic growth would be boosted by unlimited LNG exports.

According to the groups, An Bord Pleanála has failed to provide a proper democratic process and has completely ignored the significant local, national and international main arguments that clearly speak against the project – such as Ireland’s Climate Change commitments and the absence of a Strategic Environment Assessment.

They also express concerns about possible political interference in the decision-making process at An Bord Pleanála – given the fact that a major US investor is apparently close to purchasing the entire Shannon LNG site for an estimated €25-€30m.

Jointly, they’re calling for a judicial review of the decision and a proper public consultation on the proposed fracked gas LNG terminal at Shannon.

[1] Safety Before LNG, Not Here Not Anywhere, Love Leitrim, Food & Water Europe, People’s Climate Clare

Contacts:

Not Here Not Anywhere, Ciara Barry. Email: [email protected]

Safety Before LNG, Johnny McElliot. Email: [email protected]

People’s Climate Clare, Anne Marie Harrington. Email: [email protected]

Love Leitrim*, Eddie Mitchell. Email: [email protected]

Food & Water Europe, Andy Gheorghiu. Email: [email protected]

Notes for the Editor:

*Love Leitrim is a community organisation that was to the forefront in the Irish Fracking ban (http://www.loveleitrim.org).

http://www.safetybeforelng.ie/

https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/blogs/fracked-us-lng-torpedoes-irelands-dreams-of-a-fossil-free-future/

https://www.foodandwatereurope.org/blogs/blog-europes-terminals-to-import-liquefied-natural-gas-lng-heavily-underused/

https://www.foe.ie/takeaction/no-to-shannon-lng/

https://www.stopclimatechaos.ie/

https://fossil.energy.gov/app/docketindex/docket/index/10