About Today...

Thoughts about today - Day 1 in the Cuadrilla House...:

No scenarios proposed here in this post, nothing more than an update on what Cuadrilla started today at Preston New Road - there are many meetings and conversations to be had and it is really for each individual/group to decide responses... we do have some plans and ideas formulating for any who can support but this will unfold.

So today the starting gun has been fired - despite the outcome of two legal challenges still not decided - Cuadrilla have put temporary traffic lights on Preston New Road, are moving trucks to prepare the proposed frack site with a view to actual drilling within 3 months and even... even set aside a little 'protest pen' in case any of the locals might object!!! Grrrrr.

The pen (opposite K9 Kennels) is not too bad but there is little to stop us being on verges etc... the road though is deadly dangerous and anyone thinking of anything needs to take this very seriously. Down to one lane between 9-3 each weekday with the temp lights and a vital direct 'red route' between our two main hospitals. Staying safe, keeping others safe and ensuring we are in the strongest position to fight this... is so important.

Lots of amazing messages of support and ideas from across the country.... the creativity is wonderful.

I don't know yet exactly how we progress or what the next steps look like but I do know that we MUST stop this industry and that it can be done only if we work together... my thoughts are loose but we particularly need to get activity in ALL arenas I think ie:

-More visible Union support as all but the GMB are opposed to fracking

-LibDems/Labour too claimed to be on our side in 2016 and now we could do with evidence of this both in parliament and in the local councils, regional groups at actions etc

-Green Party have been with us since before the start and are already mobilising local groups to do all they can

-Activist groups that deal with online communications disruption and Direct Action; very effective, skilled tactics that we need

-Local residents and residents' groups already have great networks and can monitor planning breeches and share info about what companies are supplying the frackers

-Local Frack Free groups nationwide can perhaps help to stop those suppliers from leaving their industrial estate depots - reducing the traffic that comes to fracking sites. Plus shows that NIMBY has never been our label; if we can stop a delivery from leaving one town, we can ease the burden of those on the receiving end in another town

-Greenpeace/Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups help already but as with all mentioned... we need the urgency of now to increase all activity on all fronts.

-Maybe too, all of the above need to very visibly support each other because this is a shared threat, with a shared foe and a clear and easily agreeable objective - THEY DON'T FRACK THE UK.

Busy times ahead but we're up to this and we know now that WE are our only line of defence... the government has sold out, the Councils are neutered, much of the press is anything but impartial, the academic institutions have their research shaped and paid for and the law has been shown clearly to be available for manipulation by industry to make them seem LEGAL and us - anarchic!!!

Solidarity and strength x  

Tomorrow is a show of determination and intent orgainsed by Blackpool Greenpeace - meeting 1-3pm at Preston New Road 

PR4 3PJ. Facebook event details here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1272996946122426/ 

TOMORROW