John Ashton during a visit to Preston New Road in February 2018. Photo: Refracktion
In this week’s listings
- Former climate diplomat, John Ashton, visits campaigners at Preston New Road;
- Deadlines for comments on Balcombe permit;
- Closing date for participation in Ineos access case against National Trust at Clumber Park;
- IGas consultation event;
- Fracking motions at GMB conference and Sheffield City Council;
- Trades unions Vs fracking event in Lancashire;
- Plus meetings and rallies.
Diary for all of June 2018 and beyond. Please let us know here if you’d like us to add your events or if any details are wrong
Monday 4 June 2018
Green Monday at Preston New Road shale gas site. Speakers include John Ashton, former UK Special Representative on Climate Change (about 12 noon) and Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics (about 12.30pm). 10am-1pm, Maple Farm, Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, near Blackpool PR4 3PE. Details
Start of Unions Week, Week 10 of United Resistance anti-fracking campaign at Preston New Road, Little Plupton, near Blackpool. Details
GMB union conference. 3- 6 June 2018, Brighton Details Includes a motion from the union’s southern region:
“The reports of the employment opportunities of Fracking has been widely exaggerated. The devastating effects on the environment have been widely under played. This motion asks that the GMB commissions an independent enquiry on the Fracking Industry not one based on the Fracking Industry’s own findings. That GMB backing of the Fracking Industry is suspended until the results of the study are published and voted upon in Conference.”
Tuesday 5 June 2018
Closing date for comments on Cuadrilla environmental permit application for oil storage and handling at Balcombe. Details
Dame Vivienne Westwood and Joe Corre deliver to Downing Street Planet Ineos, their representation of armageddon, which they says is caused by plastic pollution and climate change. Photo call: 1.15pm, Downing Street, London SW1.
Sheffield Against Fracking meeting. 7.30pm, Central United Reformed Church, Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB. Details
Frack Free Tinker Lane meeting. 7.30pm, Red Hart Hotel, Bawtry Road, Blyth S81 8HG. Details
Wednesday 6 June 2018
Women’s Call march and vigil. 9.30am-10.30am, Maple Farm, Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, near Blackpool PR4 3PE. Details
IGas consultation event on plans for gas exploration at Elton, Cheshire. 2pm-7pm, Elton Community Centre, School Lane, Elton CH2 4PU. Link to questionnaire: surveymonkey.co.uk/t/talkaboutgas
Motion opposing government measures to impose fracking on Sheffield. To be discussed by Sheffield City Council (item 6). 2pm, Council Chamber, Town Hall, Pinstone Street, Sheffield S1 2HH. Details
Thursday 7 June 2018
Emergency meeting of Lancaster Fights Fracking. 7.30pm, Apothecary Bar & Lounge, Marton Street, Lancaster LA1 1XN. Details
Friday 8 June 2018
Black Friday at Preston New Road shale gas site. 10am-4pm, Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, near Blackpool PR4 3PE. Details
Deadline for interested parties to submit objections to Ineos Shale proposal to carry out seismic testing in Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire. Details
Saturday 9 June 2018
Solidarity Saturday at Preston New Road shale gas site. 10am-2pm, Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, near Blackpool PR4 3PE. Details
Bolsover Against Fracking stall. 10am-1pm, Market Place, Bolsover, Derbyshire. Details
Trades unions Vs fracking. Part of the United Resistance campaign. 10.30am-5.30pm, Preston New Road, near Blackpool PR4 3PE. Details
Sheffield Against Fracking stall at Peace in the Park. Noon to 8pm, Ponderosa Park, Upperthorpe, Sheffield. Details
Sunday 10 June 2018
Torworth Scarecrow Festival. Torworth Village Park, Holds Lane, Torworth DN22 8PF. Details
Categories: Diary
DRILL OR DROP? 
Did anyone notice the National Grid’s Winter 2017/18 Review out this week. A reassuring report generally but…
Firstly a tiny bit of history – in their Winter 2016/ 17 Outlook Report the Grid said ….there is an expectation that LNG availability in NW Europe will remain high…..BUT today’s 2017/18 winter review says ….supplies of LNG this winter were the lowest for many years. LNG flowed to markets in Asia instead, where it attracted a higher price……Grain and Dragon received four cargoes from the new Yamal terminal on the Russian Arctic coast…….
The document also reports that, for the week starting 26th February (Beast from the East week) 25% of UK electricity was generated from coal fired power stations, all of which are planned to close.
So that’s reassuring, our energy security in cold snaps depends on Russia and disappearing coal-fired stations.
One of the most interesting things that hasn’t happened this week is that the wind hasn’t blown appreciably and it’s been quite cloudy and therefore renewable sources have contributed less than 10% to electricity supply. Good job it’s not winter.