Fracking Banned in the United Kingdom

For Immediate Release

The Guardian is reporting tomorrow that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will announce a formal, immediate ban on fracking.

Drilling companies have targeted several UK sites for years, but a series of earthquakes have recently stalled operations. All along, intense local opposition movements have blocked drilling sites and pressured lawmakers across the country.

Johnson had been a vocal proponent of drilling, and his Conservative Party was the only major political party that still supported fracking.

In response to this news, Food & Water Action and Food & Water Europe executive director Wenonah Hauter issued the following statement:

“This monumental victory is a huge win for the movement to protect our water and our climate future, and it happened only because committed activists lobbied political leaders and put their bodies on the line. It is a testament to the power of bold, uncompromised climate action in the face of immense political and legal obstacles.

“The biggest loser here is Ineos billionaire CEO Jim Ratcliffe, whose business model seeks to deliver petrochemical pollution, plastics proliferation and planetary destruction. It was Ineos that sought to frack the UK, and they have been stopped by a determined activist movement.

“The bottom line: If fracking is so bad that even Boris Johnson had to say no, there is no excuse for political leaders and presidential candidates in the United States to be any less ambitious. For the sake of clean air, clean water and a safe climate, fracking must be banned everywhere.”

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