Climate Rush tell George Osborne to Quit Gassing
On Sunday the 7th of October, we took the train to Birmingham with our Climate Rushers from London where we put up 250 biodegradable balloons around the ICC centre, at the beginning of the Conservative Party Conference. The blue biodegradable balloons were printed with an image of George Osborne’s face and the slogan ‘quit gassing #renewtheuk’. The protest highlighted the dangers of the government plans to expand shale gas extraction in the UK at the expense of the renewable sector.
Shale gas extraction is an expensive and highly polluting energy source, linked to polluted ground water, local earthquakes, and climate change. Methane emissions from shale gas are 30% higher than that of conventional gas and the GHG footprint of shale gas is 50% greater than for oil. The process of extracting shale gas from the ground involves pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with hydrochloric acid and a biocide, these chemicals react with the shale rocks and cause leaching of arsenic and radioactive materials. The chemicals pose a risk of contamination of drinking water and irrigation water supplies.
Shale gas extraction is an expensive and highly polluting energy source, linked to polluted ground water, local earthquakes, and climate change. Methane emissions from shale gas are 30% higher than that of conventional gas and the GHG footprint of shale gas is 50% greater than for oil. The process of extracting shale gas from the ground involves pumping millions of gallons of water mixed with hydrochloric acid and a biocide, these chemicals react with the shale rocks and cause leaching of arsenic and radioactive materials. The chemicals pose a risk of contamination of drinking water and irrigation water supplies.