In this 3 minute read, is a motion you can use to ask your local council to consider and debate fracking. We've also included some myth busters that might be useful in heightening awareness about the realities of fracking.
The dust is starting to settle from the decision to lift the moratorium on fracking yet we are still no clearer about how fracking will return.
The government’s decision to push ahead with lifting the ban defies logic and the same reasons presented against fracking that led to the moratorium, remain. The moratorium must stay.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s official statement revealed the government is claiming it's a national duty for communities to tolerate higher risk and disturbance.
Fracking – template council motion
Below is the text that may be proposed for consideration and debate by local councils as a motion to show their opposition to fracking. A council motion notes information pertinent to the issue at hand and includes a resolution to take action of some kind. Motions must be tabled by a councillor, and so you will need to contact your local councillor and ask them to support or even table the motion.
Only last week, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council passed a motion, expressing its opposition to fracking in their area ( 49 councillors voted in favour
and not one councillor voted against it). Ryedale District Council
have recently passed a similar motion and Lancashire County Council
have voted to ask the government to “commit to decision-making on fracking to remain solely with locally-elected members in the local planning authority."
The government has promised that fracking will only go ahead with local support. So passing a motion is impactful as it demonstrates that there is no community consent for fracking.
The template motion below is based on their council motion.
Motion text ( Note: Please amend this to make it applicable to your local area )
This council:
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Agrees that fracking activities should not happen in [PLACENAME] and,
This council resolves to:
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Write to the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the Minister for State (Minister for Climate), in light of the Government’s statement that it will only frack where there is local support, to ensure they are aware of the opposition to fracking in [PLACENAME]
If your council is due to debate a fracking motion you might want to think about holding a rally or event outside the council on the day of the debate and get in touch with the local media to let them know the debate is happening.
Click here for some useful Myth Busters compilied by Frack Free Ryedale and If you know of anyone who wants to become a supporter of Frack Free United please ask them to the Frack Free United Declaration here.
With our best regards
David and the FFU team
Our pledge to you.
It is our intention to keep setting the agenda and continue to put pressure on the government to halt all forms of fracking. We will continue to work tirelessly to push our message to everyone who can make a difference in our communities.
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In this email, which is a 3 minute read, there is a brief update on from FFU and information on our first online film / discussion event - Join the regeneration 2040
It’s been a bizarre 9 months to say the least since we welcomed the news of a moratorium on Fracking in England! There is cautious optimism that the moratorium will hold but we must not forget that licences still exist across large swathes of the UK. For the must up to date and independent information Drill or Drop has the latest (click here)
Our world has been transformed by Covid 19. We had no choice but to respond to the challenge of the pandemic, but we can choose to make this a defining moment in tackling the climate and environment crisis.
If not now, then when?
At the start of the March we teamed up with the Ryedale Community Charter to help facilitate a large help network in our local area. What did became obvious during the lock down was that society can act together as one and that there is an urgent need to ‘build back better’ with environmentally smart solutions for a more sustainable future.
Now more than ever, we need positive voices in the ecological crisis and in our campaigning we have always sought to forward the case for clean, sustainable solutions to protect the environment.
Telling a positive story is a powerful way for people to find out how to take action.
With that in mind, we would like to invite you to join us to see director Damon Gameau's award winning 'exercise in fact-based dreaming' climate film called 2040 followed by a discussion with Key Speakers. (click here)
You can watch the trailer here
Using a solutions-based approach that are available to us today, the film examines how we can, using the technology we already have, mitigate the enormous global issues we currently face showing a possible and positive future for our children and planet.
It is a challenging film and will generate much debate, but is a story of hope.
Click here to REGISTER FREE for the screening, you’ll be sent a link to watch the film plus a Zoom link to join the following discussion. (tickets are limited to 100)
Simon Bowens- Friends of the Earth
Sue Jefferson- Circular Economy Malton
Steve Mason- Environmental Smart
With some excellent examples of local action at work from the Ryedale Environment Group
For us the work has only just begun. Fracking is stalled, though not banned, in the UK and we must use this opportunity to make it impossible for it to raise its head in the future.
Over the next few weeks we will be examining various issues that will have an impact both locally and nationally on bio-diversity and the climate, such as the distribution of renewable energy specifically on public sector buildings like schools and the proposed planning white paper which will have a major impact on our ability to 'build back better' alongside our ongoing focus to stop fracking.
We will be promoting clean, green solutions to help tackle the environmental issues impacting our future via our Environmental Smart organisation.
There is much work still to be done and together we must remain united in our desire to create a better future for the next generation.
Best regards
Steve and the team
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