Co-ordinated by Friends of the Earth Cymru, 5 July was a ‘Wales Against Fracking’ day of action.
Across Wales, groups mounted events to gather signatures on a petition to the Welsh government for a moratorium on extreme energy. Many communities in Wales are threatened by fracking, underground coal-gasification or coal-bed methane extraction.
Extreme energy keeps us hooked on the fossil fuels that drive climate change, risks contaminating water, and diverts investment from renewable energy.
With reports still coming in, we can confirm actions in Wrexham in North Wales, through Aberystwyth and Carmarthen in the mid-west, to Neath, Port Talbot, Swansea, Pontypridd and Cardiff in the South.
Communities in Lampeter, Newport Gwent, Llanelli and Merthyr staged actions later in July.
In Aberystwyth, the day of action on the promenade featured entertainment from radical choir Côr Gobaith and the show-stopping Hittites, among many others. A giant red dragon made periodic ‘flights’ into town to gather more signatures!
One person who signed said: ‘I would love to leave this world in good condition for my kids and future generations, so please don’t frack.’
The Welsh government petition and another to Ceredigion council, which may be the first local authority to declare itself ‘frack-free’, are available to sign on online.