Ko-fi

Wednesday 7 August 2013

Democracy not found in Balcombe



(despite digging deep to find some trace of it)


Today was the day that the press release came out announcing that an event originally scheduled to take place at West Burton Power Station – would now be held in Balcombe, West Sussex. The event is ‘Reclaim The Power’ and it will now join ‘The Great Gas Gala’ in this welcoming, beautiful village in West Sussex; the current frontline of the stand against a relatively new form of ‘unconventional’ energy extraction, fracking for shale gas. The opposition to 'unconventionals' is based on overwhelming reports of harm by this industy from America, Australia and more.

Now on day 13, The Great Gas Gala has brought together villagers as well as concerned UK residents from across the country, to camp at the roadside entrance to a drilling site where exploration for gas and oil is being undertaken by Cuadrilla Resources (Chairman Lord John Brown). More than 30 arrests, insane amounts of police brutality and so, so many attempts at halting, slowing or even slightly delaying the trucks that deliver the equipment, have broken hearts and strengthened resolve.
The numbers on the roadsides vary from 100-350 depending on the time and day and although these wonderful, dedicated souls are enduring beautifully...

... it can’t go on, they need help

In a democracy, we would have the ear of those in office and the village vote of 80% AGAINST the drilling, would count for something; that it doesn’t... matters, maybe as much as the insistence by those in office that we accept this dirty, risky business on our land.

I have been in Balcombe over the past two weekends and feel no need to justify the reason the camp exists or explain the respect these people deserve – surely, this is obvious? Some of the mainstream media don’tsee it this way but the mainstream media is out of step with reality on too many things for this to have been unexpected. 'Activism' is not a lifestyle choice – it is an obligation by those who see a wrong and act to correct it.

A phone call had alerted me to an upcoming meeting where the possibility of moving the Reclaim the Power event to Balcombe was being discussed. It was made clear that the event would not come to Balcombe uninvited and people involved wanted to talk to villagers and ask their views; as I was going to the site and had met some of the warm, friendly (feisty!) villagers, I was asked to arrange a get-together with some of them. 

I was so very torn

The people I know from Reclaim the Power are exemplary - I trust those I know implicitly and am certain of their right, just and appropriate intent - but I still did not really know how I would feel if I were a villager of Balcombe, if I was presented with this. A night of long pondering followed until I got it down to two simple and unavoidable choices I thought the villagers faced:

-accept that Cuadrilla WILL drill because they clearly have the power to wrap our laws and law-enforcement around their machinery in order to ensure they are not stopped

~ OR ~

-accept the powerful offer of help from a dedicated, well-organised group of determined people that comes with unknowns...  a large number of people, living together in tents, performing acts of civil disobedience and having to confront the law, does not come without incidents. BUT ...a large number of people, living together in tents, performing acts of civil disobedience and confronting Cuadrilla - is probably the ONLY thing that stands a chance right now.

On Saturday, as 120 villagers walked into the camp, singingnew words to Jerusalem, smiling broadly and adorned with children – there was no more beautiful sight; it followed though on the heels of countless vile incidents of police brutality in defence of Cuadrilla vehicles in the preceding days. This contrast of idyllic village life and ugly confrontation is a stark and raw vision of light and dark, right and wrong, good and bad.

A showdown is imminent, inevitable and so horrid that I want to get under the duvet, pretend it all away and not come out till it somehow just stops being a fact. It’s the heaviest feeling knowing that IF we don’t stop Cuadrilla in Balcombe that not only do we put our air, water and health at serious risk – but that any ideas about living in a democracy, are just fantasy. The power of those with financial interests in this industry, over our government - is evidenced beyond doubt and obvious with every policy decision made by those in office.

IF we tolerate this – then we accept we have no voice

I watched a cluster of smiling women from different walks of life, discuss feelings about relocating Reclaim the Power to Balcombe’s Great Gas Gala and thereby infusing it with many hundreds more people; video and notes from this meeting of  villagers and visitors from Reclaim the Power went to a meeting of those involved in the event and today’s press release is the outcome.

Reclaiming the power
...means more than sane energy decisions 


Change is already happening in Balcombe, not just this stand the villagers are making or the camp that is growing but the realisation of another reality that comes with each arrest, each ignored vote, each rejected petition, each un-heeded planning objection, each ignorant political response, each ill-informed Councillor, each revelation of powerful lobbyists in OUR government, each divisive headline in the press and each and every moment... that what we KNOW to be true, is hidden from view. 

IF the drill at Balcombe is not stopped, it will do its job on West Sussex then return to Lancashire for more of the same – I live in Blackpool, where the drill is due next - so I know what I would choose, if I were a Balcombe villager.



*Calling the cavalry.


6 comments:

  1. Depending on the numbers of people, will the authorities send the same number of police in order to protect a corporation based in the Cayman Islands for tax purposes?

    We are the ones who are paying the wages of the police, yet the corporate paid politicians are using them against the people.

    We shall just have to see what happens.

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  2. FRACKING CRAZY
    They are going to bring a gigantic drill
    Down your quiet sleepy country lane
    Cause a lot of upheaval and disruption
    That could easily drive you all insane
    They are going to do some fracking
    Pump toxic chemicals to break up shale
    With irreversible damage to the earth
    And your beautiful hill and vale
    They are going to shake the earth’s foundations
    Make great cracks for goodness sake
    Scaring you, your family and neighbours
    By creating a frightening earth quake
    They are going to pump in toxic chemicals
    And make gallons of contaminated waste water
    That could get into your domestic supply
    And possibly harm your son or daughter
    They are going to light naked flames of methane
    This they most definitely cannot hide
    For they will be many metres high
    And dotted around the countryside
    They are going to ignore renewable energy
    That could make good use of wind and solar power
    Instead create another greenhouse effect
    Climate change happening each and every hour
    They are going to cause environmental hazards
    Releasing a harmful volatile compound
    In the polluted air above you
    And acid rain falling upon the ground
    They are going to cause distress
    Anger. opposition and fear
    As they press on with this fracking boom
    Large swathes of rural areas will simply disappear
    They are going to think only about wealth not health
    Because they know the price of everything
    Sadly no one sees the hidden costs
    They know the value of absolutely nothing.
    ©Suzi@frackingcrazy.org

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes - a lot of realisations, to be sure. So where do we go from here? Ahead, I say, but with the realisation that we ARE enough and with that, WE HAVE ENOUGH...Totally validated firstly by the film Drill Baby Drill shown by the Green Party around parts of UK. Amongst the atrocities that this FRACKING method for shale gas is responsible for, it is yet another temporary patch/fossil fuel, so not an answer at all. At this film showing,I felt very reassured that UK DOES indeed have enough energy resources to see us through until, through investment in renewable energy, we find a way that is compatible with our earth, humanity and life forms on it. Caroline Lucas reminded us of this yesterday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Tina... I've got an interesting barricading idea I'd like to share with you. Look me up on Facebook should you wish to discuss. Look for Danger Mouse.

    ReplyDelete
  5. thanks Tina, Saskia

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Tina, thanks for this. Yes, I'm beginning to see there's possibly some simple mathematics at work here: if NObody does ANYthing, then fracking will go ahead and be galloping across the country before we know it. If EVERYbody engaged WHOLEheartedly with the issue, then it certainly could NOT happen. At all. So our success probably rests largely on the NUMBER of people engaged and their level of engagement / commitment... the bigger (the number) and the higher (the engagement / commitment), the better / cleaner chance we have. So, like you say, numbers a good thing, more the merrier. Bring 'em on, let's get inspired, let's get co-creative, let's get TOGETHER...

    I was speaking to my friend Suzy Miller tonite, she's preparing a press pack to get some reportage out there. (Did you see the Telegraph today?!!!) Would you be up for talking to them? You've a great story, haven't you? Tho for best effect we'd have to see you in a sober frock, specs and apron with knitting needles on your lap... If you think yes then Suzy would like a contact number and an okay for photo. Whaddyathink? Unfort, I don't have such a good story, I did say to Suzy I'd take all my clothes off if it'd help but she said she hoped that wouldn't be necessary...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to add your voice to mine x

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