Britain is currently hooked on dirty polluting fossil fuels that contribute to Climate Change. The Government gave the green light to fracking for shale gas in the UK in late 2012. Friends of the Earth believes that this is a risky technology and that drilling for more fossil fuels, such as shale gas, is the wrong direction for UK’s energy policy. There is no evidence that it will cut energy bills and the environmental impacts could cost future generations.

We are calling for a halt on any exploratory shale gas exploration and are already working with community groups around the country. We believe that renewable alternatives such as wind, solar and tidal are much better, safer long term options. Instead of fracking, the UK needs to focus on cutting energy waste, and using clean British energy. Research also shows that investing $1 million in renewable energy creates more than two to three times as many jobs as investing the same amount in gas.