Fracking taught us to dance...

Who knew, hey? Who knew that putting a toe across some line that marks where democracy-the-fantasy ends and reality begins... would lead where it does. Where simply disagreeing with a government plan, would create a conflict that would ravage years and expose the fallacy of ‘rights’. Activists have known I expect, for as long as there have been, Activists. The ones who noticed something amiss, something they felt they needed to challenge, protect, defend, question... but ‘Activists’ weren’t us. At least until the day we became them.

Over the years of eye-opening public meetings in communities across the country faced with the threat of fracking – I met people who were teetering – the ways of engaging with our system of government were failing them and they needed to access democracy. Government wanted to drive an industry into their lives that they point-blank refused to tolerate. What next? There’s no handy guide for this stuff. Councillors proved either toothless, sold-out or ignorant and those who had taken the time to look properly at the risks – were too few to impact. The media showed bias to government and industry and the regulators... weak, ill-informed, ill-equipped, understaffed and overburdened.

Everyone that became an activist ever... wasn’t one, the day before and there’s lots of people in that place now – either unaware or simply holding back with caution till more is known. We are all fed lies through slick PR & marketing campaigns, flogged things we really don’t need by smooth-talkers and led to believe a myriad of things that just aren’t true... is it any wonder we’re divided, conflicted and confused?

All talk is of the EU – in or out. How the hell can anyone be expected to make a decision this big – without access to honest facts, honest government, honest figures and a wise, human debate? We’re told to be afraid of all the outcomes and presented contradictory figures to support the tales. I feel like we’re being kept busy having conversations that can only be based on assumptions – as we know, facts are not what those in our government peddle, whichever side of the debate they’re on.

What a contrast to the fracking ‘debate’ – there isn’t one. The government says you’re having it and the other side of the story remains unexplored. Media blink our way, find the colourful, the unique, the emotional, the creative ones to present as the face of activism... ignoring those of us more dull round the edges, more everyday... thus perpetuating the ‘Activist aren’t you’ lie.

The minute I became an activist was somewhere around noon 15 October 2011 – at the entrance to London’s Stock Exchange. My first direct action. I sat for around 8 hours, as close as I could get to the place where we brought our anger. Our government had bailed out the banks and inflicted austerity on the people... targeting those most in need. I hadn’t encountered fracking at this stage and simply wanted to address the unfairness of things I was witnessing.

15 October 2011 - London Stock Exchange

Occupy was a unique place to become an Activist – probably couldn’t have asked for a better environment in which to learn, grow and most of all – place assumptions aside and forget about making judgements about others... individuals are rarely what they appear and in that place – I was constantly taken aback by the wisdom of strangers.

The greatest gift I took from Occupy was the discovery of a core inside people that is capable of uniting around a shared idea/hope/demand – regardless of all the things that otherwise drive us apart. Like taking one step together in unison at the start of a dance – there’s a moment (just before it all gets prematurely over-confident and a bit messy for a while) when the mass is moving as one in a single direction... like a murmuration of birds. It takes a lot of choreography to get even that one step and we’re a long way from executing a tango... but I believe the fight to defend air and water, has been a strong focus that brought many together who otherwise never would have met – let alone become ‘Activists’.

We may call it campaigning or community building – but this is activism. This is people standing up and saying very firmly NO... to those in office who wield the power. People discovering how little power WE have in this seemingly one-sided arrangement. Everything is fine if we just listen to the lies, tick the box, swallow the story and get distracted enough so we won’t notice them ignoring their promises and abusing the arrangement.

This activism though is easy... because the cause is very clearly stupid and a RIGHT NOW threat. Who the hell thought fracking was a great idea... let alone on a fractured, highly populated island? People ‘get it’ and so adding to our numbers has not been as much of a challenge as say those honourably standing to stop a runway, to keep our NHS in public hands, to stop nuclear dumping, to stop Trident or make education accessible – not everyone sees themselves as having a stake in those things or fully understands the issues and so there are more excuses to turn away... but EVERYONE needs clean, safe air and water – and so do their children.

We have some fine tools now that also weren’t available to earlier campaigns... able to undo media lies before they hit the News at 10... able to rally ourselves to events, arrange transport, send warnings, crowd-digest huge volumes of research and share the truth of what’s happening, as it’s happening - rather than the edited version shaped to fit some agenda.

Fracking is a dangerously stupid plan – preventing it though, has done a whole lot of good.

I’d describe fracking as a very big, ugly symptom of an underlying disease – like a huge boil that you can’t help but see the infection in... election fraud, bank bail-outs, BHS Pensions, privatisation of health and education, clearly biased media and so much more, are symptoms too but they are more rashy and harder to spot. The disease is the problem and forever fighting symptoms is still failing to address the cause.

Not sure how I’d name the disease... it’s not ‘democracy’ because that reads quite nicely and we’re not experiencing that – so what is the ‘system’ we live under? That we pay taxes to? That we entrust with the education of our children, our health, the wellbeing of our elderly, the care of what we need to survive? I’ve heard lots of names for the disease – but sometimes people are confused by their interpretation of the names... so maybe, for the sake of staying in-step with the dance... we try not to fuss about the label just yet – simply first acknowledge that it exists and what the next step is. 

Enough...

I don’t want to do this – it’s such a bloody time-consuming, life-eating thing... to object to the government’s plans to take risks with our air and water, based on economic considerations. I expect everybody else campaigning to protect our air and water feels this too.

I have tried to think of ways to not be doing this anymore and I can’t find any.

If I stop standing against my government and demanding a frack-free UK – that is the same as saying I am willing to risk the health and wellbeing of our children – or that I deny anything I know of the truth of this industry. That George Bender’s death wasn’t related to this or he imagined the things he shared. That Jessica Ernst isn’t really an educated and clever woman with vast expertise – nor Mariann Lloyd-Smith. That noting how Oklahoma has now become the earthquake capital of the world, going from two a year to two a day – is just being dramatic? Or that a need to use gagging orders, expensive lobbying firms, heavy-handed policing, bend laws and avoid the clean air and water act is not evidence of at the very least – a complete lack of transparency?

So no, there’s no way out.

The past five years should have been spent enjoying my granddaughter passing from a child of six to beautiful young girl of 11 but instead have been spent at roadsides, campsites, courtrooms, meetings, marches, rallies and events... that have admittedly taken me to some beautiful parts of our country and best of all – brought me into the company of people who I have so much respect for.

There is that... the beauty of people that makes the ugly of this industry bearable.

It doesn’t matter how well we know each other or even if we’ve met face-to-face, if you’re an activist/campaigner/active resident etc. I can safely say how much I appreciate and admire you because you got up – you didn’t sit back and accept the unacceptable. No matter who we have been – when we become this, we are united and have a common thread.

In the earlier days of this campaign I named a talk ‘The Unwelcome Gift’ because every time we did a public information event – I KNEW that we’d leave behind more people who just like us, would be stuck here in this absurd and horridly consuming campaign. I also knew that they would find it impossible to walk away once they started to discover the harms this industry would bring and perhaps worst of all – that our government was going to make it easy for them.

What happens next?

Well it’s been the most emotional and impactful few weeks of the past five years and it’s like everything got thrown in the air and has yet to land. I know we knew they would probably say yes to fracking in Yorkshire as they had a compliant Conservative council, a pre-existing (cheap & already drilled) site but still... deep deep down there was a tiny light of what once I called trust in justice and honour in office. Won’t make that mistake again – ever.

Not sure how we proceed and only have one certainty – that we DO proceed.

Realistically, no matter how much the media tries to stir the pot on ‘warfare’ talk and overplayed hype about us having a battle etc – we’re just regular people thrown out of our comfort zones and into the path of a juggernaut of a government mission fuelled by one of the most powerful industries in the world. Good grief. Nothing prepares a person for this I don’t think.

It’s like a showdown - only the ‘bad guy’ is wearing the Sheriff’s Badge and pretending to act for a greater good and we’re some terrifying threat to all that is sacred and wholesome about his economy. Sadly the people writing about these roles in old-world media, are using the same script that leads to some pretty ugly stuff ahead if it plays out their way. If it played out my way... there would be this moment where those in office realise that maybe facts matter more than self-service, that the ‘greater good’ is sometimes the health and wellbeing of the people – not the economic balance and that they are bound by office to prevent harm.

Apparently I’m one of the bad ones.

This really sucks. I am far far from perfect in so many ways but I am NEVER wilfully bad and NEVER intend harm... though I mess up lots of other things. Two ‘bailiffs’ (I was corrected by one today who said they are ‘process servers’) came looking for me during the past few weeks to remind me how bad I am and that there is a price to pay. Thanks to the lovely people on Facebook who impacted the Review section of the law firm Eversheds page (they actually removed the facility to review after their rating dropped low) – they finally responded to my email. I explained that I was happy to receive the papers demanding I attend court but that I would only receive them by arrangement and not at family fun days or events. We arranged to meet today and I took the papers.

I’ll be in Blackpool Law Courts on 24 June 2016

The court wants me to pay £55,342.37 in court costs for an ‘eviction’ (that wasn’t as we’d already gone) in Summer 2014 of a 3-week camp in a field earmarked for fracking by Cuadrilla here in the Fylde, Lancashire. I am the ‘Judgement Debtor’ now. I feel quite sick looking at the words. KNOWING that this ‘justice’ is not a thing of humanity or society as I know it. That it is POSSIBLE to attach a debt like this to a person who is standing to defend against harm. I know that this is done to make an example – to show that if you DO stand up, there is a price to pay and it’s really big.

A quandary...

So the papers want me to explain to court why I can’t pay (I actually really can’t as I am very poor and without assets)... but I find the question is pointless. What point my bringing in financial excuses when my real problem is that I WILL NOT pay criminals, or contribute in any way to harm. What that means for my case, I’m not sure and will look at legal advice over the weekend. I won’t have a lawyer though as their job is to get the client the lightest penalty – whereas my objective is to not contribute in any way to what I consider an abomination of a plan – directly or indirectly by submitting to their ‘authority’ and ability to use our laws to their advantage. Why is the law not working to my advantage? Why can’t I get it to move quickly on behalf of our movement? What recourse and access realistically do any of us have? I can’t win if the law and ‘justice’ is based on ability to pay for lawyers – they will always have more.

I’ve asked that no-one contribute to costs that in the end support the industry and their position – any support I would want would be by way of action against this industry... continued non-violent but direct action involving lobbying your MP, maybe supporting a camp, writing to journalists and local press, joining frack-free groups, attending events and public meetings, organising leaflet drops etc. Whatever action suits – all action counts and has contributed to the UK remaining frack free for five years now. Yay us...

Onwards...

I Blame Antony Gormley..

It all started to change for me with Antony and his ‘One & Other’ project in 2009. Although not really an art-lover and I knew little of him, I loved the idea of taking a Trafalgar Square Plinth (the 4^th one) and instead of putting a representative of war... you put a regular human. Real people, one hour each, 24 hours a day, for 100 days. I loved the idea enough to show support by signing up for the updates and thereby entering my name in the draw for places. I got in/on... first Sunday at 11am. I was terrified.

I was not who I am now really – terrified of ‘appearing in public’, never spoken to more than a couple of people at a time and most relevantly – scared stiff of heights!! But “c’est la vie” I thought – there are not enough ‘firsts’ once you grow up – no more first kiss, first-dance, first-date, first-car etc. and this was most definitely offering a rarity: first-plinth (the 4^th one) as living work of art.

I had no idea what I would do with my hour – the brief was simply “do anything you would do during an hour”. Helpful. As the weeks progressed, later Plinthians would have something to go on from previous but for us first-weekers, it was all a completely blank page of references on what to do for an hour as a living work of art conceived by an odd artist with a penchant for still-people.

I ended up playing some music, losing my microphone (on a bloody plinth lol!), throwing some sweets (avoiding eyes proved a challenge I failed at) and saying a bit about government, wars. life's challenges etc. I didn’t get laughed at, I didn’t fall, I didn’t fail and that was empowering – and another first, I hadn’t even considered. Acceptance is a warm place that just gets better and bigger.

Twitter was still finding its way as a social media site at the time and the continuous live broadcasting of One & Other brought it to a whole new dimension. ‘Twecklers’ emerged – like those two guys in the Muppets that critique the show... and they tweeted every hour, every day for 100 days. Some of us became friends and remain so.

So how did Antony’s project cause my life to change? I’m facing £60,000 court costs, possible arrest for occupying a field and am living an unrecognisable life from what it was before One & Other. Everything changed but it did so in stages, triggered by other things (a bit like the slow-boiling frog but hopefully with a less ghastly outcome).

Around this time, one of those other things was that the government bailed out the banks and then told us we’d have some austerity but that it wasn’t related really. I saw disabled people, the elderly, the unwell and vulnerable, having to fight for the essentials and a government tightening their belts for them. Wars in places we shouldn't be were raging and we were fuelling them with propaganda and money (that we couldn't spare for a little dignity for our elders)/ Then I got angry. Then everyone else who was angry was telling each other on social media and instead of News at 10 telling us it was essential and all necessary – other views emerged and the increased ability to communicate gave us further sense of acceptance. WE were mostly agreeing with each other – only the media was fighting back with a counter view.

Also happening... the Arab Spring, Tahrir Square, the Indignados and then Occupy Wall Street permeated the media and social networks and it was like watching all that I was reading – made real and fleshy. Good in-tent was being savaged though by authorities and my own rage was rising at the assault on people who just wanted change that they couldn’t get at a ballot box – including a change to that whole “ballot box is democracy” lie. I heard that a meeting in London had called to Occupy the London Stock Exchange and I decided right away that I would go. A personal ‘enough is enough’ moment. I had no idea what could be achieved – I only knew that I didn’t choose the decisions our government was making and I wanted to stop. Just stop.

Maybe there was a point at this stage where I might have backed out but the occupation date was set for 15 October 2011 and I was due in London anyway on 14 October 2011 for a reunion with those lovely One & Other friends (honouring the final day of the project two years previous).  And then this happened: I took the Facebook post and put it on the international Occupy event listing site that asked if you were having an action, to add it. In adding it, I inadvertently became the ORGANISER of Occupy the London Stock Exchange! Whoops. I didn’t know a single person involved in the event and had no part in planning so when the media called, I was so out of my depth.

CNBC’s Squawkbox programme asked if I’d come onto the show on the morning before the occupation – I explained that I knew nothing, was nobody with any power and simply made the post listing; he had no one else so pushed for me to come with a promise of train fare. I said yes but only if he made sure it didn’t say ORGANISER, he assured it wouldn’t. They put me as a PLANNER – tsk. So another first as I entered the media stuff - like a lamb to the slaughter which may have been their intent, as it was three presenters and me. Some nice lady attempted to apply bright red lipstick but said my hair was fine, I wiped off the lipstick and was indeed content that the hair, was at least having a good day. I struggled but I didn’t get laughed at, I didn’t fall, I didn’t fail. It wasn’t great but I survived and that was empowering.

My sister Julie and I went to Occupy the London Stock Exchange - that ended up a few metres away at St. Paul’s Cathedral because of policing and the kindness and solidarity of one Reverend. I sat that first day, stubbornly for 8 hours as close as I could get to the stock exchange as that’s what I’d planned. Then I got a tent and stayed each week for 2-4 days – going home to meet work commitments and spending every penny on train fare. One day during the early days of the Occupation, the planned twice daily public meeting (General Assembly-GA) didn’t seem to be proceeding even though the broadcast bicycle was there and the people – just no facilitator arrived. My sister Julie and I realised that as this was a movement with bumps but no hierarchy and pretty poor planning a lot of the time... we’d just be the facilitators. It was a bit strung together but it worked, we got though... we didn’t get laughed at, we didn’t fall, we didn’t fail.

A highlight of OLSX was when having met Tammy, she asked during a GA if I would say something on her behalf as I was 'always talking and stuff'. I said no; because her words were amazing and no-one could deliver what she’s just said, like she did. I told her I was saying no because it was church related. She was a bit angry and her temper took her to her feet and the microphone... she didn’t get laughed at, she didn’t fall, she didn’t fail. The resonance with everyone there was beautiful – real humans speaking from the heart are the best sound.

Everyone had their own Occupy and for me, it consisted of countless debates and conversations held in circles with strangers who after also sleeping in tents on cold ground and surviving without the usual stuff of life – all looked and smelled a lot alike; despite the vast diversity of our backgrounds. 

You couldn’t PRE-judge anyone because there were no social indicators like clean clothes, a home, a job, a family, possessions etc. And that opened a world of sharing.

I returned from Occupy to find a fracking leaflet and since then... there has been little else. As adults in this world we are obliged I believe, to care for our young and fracking is a provable threat to them. It would be criminal of me to stand back and let it happen when after nearly 5 years of research, I am well aware of the risks.

The government though feels differently.

They even changed laws and rules and guidelines in order to help the fracking industry get going. So which laws matter then? Which laws are relevant to me? The ones they had... the ones they changed to or perhaps something on the horizon? Why should I obey a law that is designed for a purpose other than justice? What do we do when the government IS the threat? I am not a radical anything... just an accidental activist (thanks Antony!) and I think, it’s all about to get a bit legally complicated.

In trying to stop us, there has been heavy policing (BartonMoss the worst I have seen) and authorities are looking to make examples of those acting on their moral conscience (activists) – they believe that heavy fines, threats of prison etc. will stop the already-active and importantly - will prevent others from daring to rise up. Ian Crane is another they are making an example of.

Like Ian - I am resigned to this and INSIST that no money is paid in fines or costs to a criminal organisation (fracking companies taking risks with life for profit ARE the criminals). Nor will I feel honour-bound by fluid laws that slip and slide according to an economic consideration and apply only to certain people. Whatever happens next, I will abide by a moral justice and it will be, what it will be.

I will not stop. This is not a choice, it’s an obligation – to protect my young.

Netherlands: Fishing for plastic | Global 3000

System Error

Not about one man's taxes - about the culture within the system of government that imposes austerity on the vulnerable, yet bails out banks - that takes away our ability to access justice by making it costly, whilst avoiding the finer points of law with expensive accountants and that has so little value for the health and wellbeing of communities - that it promotes and forces on us, dangerous industrial practices that put us at risk - for the sake of 'the economy' ...that same economy that is failing our hospitals, schools and disabled ...that same economy that is a fraction of what it would be, if we didn't build in avoidance/evasion/corruption for those who can afford it..

This coming weekend... individuals and groups from all sectors of society - fed up with the hypocrisy of a government that ignores the plight of doctors, teachers, children - whilst avoiding responsibility on any level.

We have a system problem - not just a party or individual problem... but this is a start.  The following is from the People's Assembly who are organising the gathering on Saturday 16 April 2016:
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www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/hhje

National Demonstration - Saturday 16 April - March for:
HEALTH, HOMES, JOBS & EDUCATION
#4Demands 
Assemble: 1pm, Gower Street / Euston Road, London 
(Stations: Euston, Warren St, Goodge St) 
March to Trafalgar Square 

Organised by the People's Assembly Against Austerity
The Tories are facing their biggest crisis yet. David Cameron’s stake in his father’s off shore tax haven, prove that this is a government for the privileged few, not for the majority. This shows beyond all doubt that Cameron is divorced from the life of any working person.

The governments failure to deal with the steel crisis could leave thousands without a job. They've attacked junior doctors and student nurses while privatising the NHS. They plan to force all schools to become academies and teachers are now balloting to strike over pay and conditions. They've done nothing to address the growing housing crisis. Iain Duncan Smith’s resignation shows a government falling apart.

This is a situation, which is unrecoverable for the Tories if we mobilise, demonstrate and unite everyone together against austerity.

HEALTH:
- Fully funded and publicly owned NHS - end privatisation
- Invest in health workers - end the staffing crisis
- No cuts or closures

HOMES:
- Hands off social housing
- Secure homes for all
- Control rents

JOBS:
- Scrap the Trade Union Reform Bill
- Stop insecure contracts
- End the pay freeze, living wage for all

EDUCATION:
- Scrap Tuition Fees
- Invest in our futures - stop cuts to education
- End the marketisation of education


We face a vicious government who prioritise only the richest in society, big business and the corporations. With the potential of 4 more years of a government who will continue dismantling the NHS, furthering the housing crisis, taking away workers rights, and attacking our education system - it's time to get back on the streets and to demonstrate the majority won't take it.

The Tories aren't going to back down easily so it's up to each and every one of us to get out and march for our Health, Homes, Jobs and Education.

Last year saw massive political shifts. After the devastating general election result, where the Tories gained a tiny majority, it became clear that the result did not reflect the views of the Country.

Immediately after the election, protests, meetings, rallies and demonstrations took place up and down the country culminating in one of the biggests demonstrations in Britain for years with 250,000 people bringing London to a stand still on the End Austerity Now Demonstration organised by the People's Assembly.

Since then, the surge in support for anti austerity politics, being put forward by Jeremy Corbyn, is yet another indication that people are fed up with policies that only represent those at the top.

Austerity is a choice not a necessity.

See you in London on April 16. Let's make this the biggest demonstration possible. Transport will be arranged from across the country. full details inc. route and speakers will be announced soon.

The People's Assembly

Branding Truth...

I was reading an interesting observation piece on LinkedIn entitled: The Art of Marketing to the Gullible and recognised the truths both as having worked in marketing and now, primarily working actively to whip away its veils and expose the dangers lurking beneath. The author, Simon Iredale asked things like:

"How did we end up drinking fizzy drinks laced with sugar, eating deep fried foods at every opportunity, believing that chocolate bar with nuts and raisins was good for us? How do we borrow more money than we can afford, buy products with global logos on for much more than they’re worth and give our kids graphically animated games that ‘shut them up’?"

and

"At the time of writing this we have leading UK politicians blatantly lying but being believed, we have very educated people buying products that are actively contributing to global warming, we have one of the most dangerous men in the world being followed and voted for by legions of adoring fans (and I’m not talking about North Korea). We are individuals so surely we can’t make a difference? If I stop buying that sugary drink will that shut the company down? If I stop buying that shampoo will the tree felling stop?"

I was speaking with a former UK Diplomat about how after public meetings about the process of fracking, the following would happen and what to do about the last bit: Most people would gather to form groups or question the speakers, looking for ways to be effective in preventing the industry from getting started. No-one ever said we were wrong (apart from the odd, exposed industry-insider) but there were always a few who would say:

"Sure it's a bad thing but hey, what can you do? The government has said we're getting it."

The Diplomat replied: "Oh yes, that's the 'Implied Inevitability' ...it's relied on to convince people that they are powerless to stop something; a decision has been made." Not that a law had yet changed or that planning permission had been obtained, just that somebody important said it would happen.

White coats and sharp news-reader suits have a lot to answer for. Before online alternatives, we were informed of all the inevitables as well as shades of reality that media chose to shine a light on; all together at 6 and 10 o'clock. By the end of the news you had a picture of the world as told by the sensible man in the suit.

Then along came online and instead of wondering if it was just me feeling jaded and sceptical about all sorts of things from the news items to margarine, or if my opinion of the politician on Question Time was a rare one... I could go to Twitter and engage with countless others feeling the same, asking questions, searching reports, sharing results and informing ourselves.

In the past, I have written quite a few hotel websites and was delighted as they became virtually worthless with the advent of reviews by actual guests. Although to be taken with a pinch of salt and awareness that not everybody's definition of 'yuk' is the same... I have more chance of truth on Booking.com than a glossy description by someone who hasn't even visited and is acting on information, from the person who most needs it to sound perfect,

Applying marketing skills to truth telling is a glorious plan and maybe that's what is happening particularly amongst the (unplanned) 'branding' of our 'Nana' activists against fracking in the UK and the Knitting Nanas Against Gas fighting coal seam  gasification in Australia? For us here in the UK, identifying as Nanas was simply an attempt to make clear WHY we became activists and to ensure anyone watching us on media, would not see us titled as something they maybe didn't relate to like: 'eco warriors' 'environmental campaigners' etc.

Our 'Nana' status was a job title and description in one - we are protecting our young.

There's no denying that the world is changing rapidly with the advent of new technology - for better and for worse.. my hope is that we seize the moments to infuse them with truth and humanity so that the cold hard sell, becomes obsolete.

I'll leave the last words with Simon as they sum it up well:

"We are amazing marketers; we perform magic tricks on the world, we seek out the gullible and take their hard earned money. It’s really dead simple. The good news however is that we have this ability in our hands to do this magic, to make people believe what we tell them, to make a difference to peoples perception of the brands we work on."

*Note the notes before taking too literally :)

ps... just discovered some having fun and effect with the old marketing ways by turning the tables on big fibbers.

The Time is NOW...

What a time this is. The anti-fracking movement is being stretched to the limits and the pressure is huge - sites for exploration (experimentation) springing up all over and the case for the first full production sites being debated in the current appeal in Lancashire. We need it to be clear to those it would affect - investors and politicians (who seek re-election) that the UK WILL RESIST and will do so against the companies on the ground and the politicians in the polling stations. Marches, demonstrations, public meetings, groups formation, MPs lobbied, Councillors informed, letters to Editors, online sharing, Protection camps, independent reporting, peer-reviewed studies, whistle-blowers and victims coming over and speaking out - ensured we have remained FRACK FREE for 5 years. Right now though - we are experiencing an emergency and EVERY ONE OF US needs to act/react in some way (any way) to add to the volume - to let it be known that we will not accept this dangerous industry here on UK soil. Of all the issues we face under this government - and there are so bloody many - NOTHING will matter if we don't have safe air, safe water, safe agricultural land and our health. If this wasn't an immediate emergency I would be fighting to keep our NHS public, our kids out of wars that aren't waged for self-defense or the good of anything other than special interests, the under-funding of mental health issues, the state of over-crowded classes and under-funded education, the risks posed now and in the future by nuclear waste disposal sites, the injustice of our expensive justice system, the unrepresentative election system and and and... .. but right now, unconventional energy companies are literally risking our lives and so we can't stop - until we're done. Tired, fed-up, drained, infuriated, broke, missing precious pleasures and family time BUT what is the choice for those of us that KNOW what is at risk? I think the knowledge of the illness and harm being done right now, in so many places where this industry is - means I couldn't stop if I wanted to. No heroics - this is an obligation, plain and simple.

My biggest fear is they start here in the UK - ONE planning go-ahead for a production site and we are pretty lost. The ability to fight in court is beyond us - we can NEVER have as much money as this, the biggest industry in the world - to tackle them in court system. Once they start - stopping them is harder. :( We have a tiny window of opportunity and sadly, despite the exhaustion - that window is now. Tina xxx THIS link: https://www.change.org/p/pledgenvda-i-pledge-to-take-non-violent-direct-action-against-unconventional-energy-techniques-fracking-coal-seam-gas-coal-bed-methane-underground-coal-gasification-etc ...is to a PLEDGE to act against this industry in a non-violent way - PLEASE sign it so we can at the very least, let our numbers be known. It seems such a little thing to ask and yet could contribute to the difference we make. I have spoken to crowds of 8000+ and KNOW we are very many more... I hope this pledge can reveal that.