Mass anti-Fracking protests in Bulgaria
What is fracking?
Hydraulic Fracturing is a method used to free gas trapped in rock (that would usually be inaccessible) by cracking the rock using a pressurised fluid. Wells are drilled and the fracking fluid injected into them under high pressure to crack the rock. The fracking fluid consists of water, sand and a lot of chemicals. Millions of gallons of water are used to frack a well.
Other sources: http://frack-off.org.uk && http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/whats-fracking
Mass Protests in Bulgaria on the 14th of January
Mass mobilisations against fracking in at least 12 cities in Bulgaria on Saturday brought thousands of people out onto the streets to protest against the plans to bring the practice of hydraulic fracturing for shale gas to the country. Solidarity demonstrations organised by Bulgarian expatriates were held in several other European cities including Paris, Copenhagen and London.
In Bulgaria thousands marched in the capital Sofia and other cities across the country carrying banners denouncing fracking and telling the US energy giant Chevron to "go home". Chevron was granted a permit last June by the Bulgarian government to explore for shale gas in Dobrudzha region in northeastern Bulgaria, which is one of the country's main agricultural regions of Bulgaria. Since then the movement against fracking in Bulgaria has been growing with increasingly larger protests. Hundreds protested against fracking in Sofia in December
A strong movement against shale gas extraction, and other extreme energy practices such as coal bed methane (CBM) and underground coal gasification (UCG), has been growing across the world as the threats it poses to communities and the environment have become clear. In the UK resistance to fracking has taken off in the last few months with strong local campaigns in Lancashire, South Wales and Sussex. The top management of fracking company Cuadrilla Resources were mauled by local residents in a public meeting on Wednesday in the Sussex village of Balcombe.
Original source: http://london.indymedia.org/articles/11458
Updates on the demonstration on 14.01.2012, which according to activists went great:
Location: Sofia
http://vimeo.com/35082026 [24]
News in Reuters:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/14/bulgaria-shalegas-protests-idUSL6E8CD1YP20120114 [25]
Location: Plovdiv
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2SjeARLKLKM [26]
Location: Varna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc1EQeWgOA0 [27]
Location: Shumen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_lc8cBbQGw&feature=player_embedded [28]
Location: London
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtZWO477X50 [29]
Copenhagen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJEk2H_5qBc&feature=context&context=G228aec6AUAAAAAAAAA [30]
Actions also took place in 10 other cities in Bulgaria.
We had demanded from the very begining (last summer) moratorium and then a ban in the legislation.
So, the ruling party GERB promised last friday, they will support such a process.
On the 16th at16h (+1h CET) they had to proove it, and then Wednesday, the 18th they have to confirm it as a decision of the Parliament.
The call for the Mass protests from 14.01
On 14.01 civil society groups are organizing a national-wide demonstration - in more then 11 cities. There will be a solidarity action in London -17.00 - Tower Hill underground station, and in Copenhagen 14:00 -15:00 -Nørrebrogade 0, 2200 København, or Dronning Louises Bro - the bridge between Frederiksborggade and Nørrebrogade, from 15:00 to 16:00. In Paris our group will join the french demonstration on 17th. http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-729903 [1]
We had started the campaign during the summer when noone knew about fracking. We just got the information that our Government give permition to Chevron to make a drilling for gas and oil here. Then we found that more then 10 corporations has the same permition for some other parts of the country. And there is no clarification in our legislation when we are talking about shale gas. It is just gas. So, for half of year the civil society groups made a transperant campaign and the shale gas topic is now the most important topic in the country. Gasland and some foreign issues help us a lot. We made a lot of different actions, including direct actions.
The proposal for moratorium in now in the Parliament, but they are not voting on it. There is a legislation proposal which is in the same situation - freeze.
Bulgarian specific is that there is no control and risk is high. 1. We in an earthquake zone 2. We have a lake of underground water in North-East Bulgaria on 13 000 sq.km [2] In this region there are no rivers. The water is underground. These are the best agriculture lands in the country. Even one incident can contaminated the water of the whole region. So, now we are colecting signatures as well, according to a legislation for public participation. But the signatures has to be on paper with personal data, so it is not easy. We have now more than 25 000 signatures collected for one month. So far there are two sonde in Bulgaria for exploration, but we know they are using fracking in exploration as well. We got to stop this madness even that will mean to change the government.
Our facebook group is now over 46000 people:http://www.facebook.com/groups/ecobg/ [3]
There are regional and international groups as well.
One of our websites with english translation: http://www.zonabg.com/en.htm [4]
We made a PSA on that issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnBlg0cilno&feature=player_embedded [5]
Some connected links, concerning to the topic:
Chemicals used in fracking:
SHALE GAS 'WORSE THAN COAL' FOR CLIMATE:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/jan/05/fracking-new-york-poison-claim?fb=optOut [7]
Some other international facebook groups:
Franco-Québécois-Suisses-Belges-Luxembourgeois-Български [8]
http://www.facebook.com/groups/211204702262676/ [9]
COMITE DE VIGILANCE INTERNATIONAL anti GAZ et HUILES de SCHISTE. [10]
http://www.facebook.com/groups/collectifcitoyen/ [11]
If you want a help us, please sent us a letter of support or organize a solidarity action on 14th of Jan. Even a picture from a well know place of just few people with poster can help.
This campaign help us so much in the process of spreading information about climate justice. But bulgarian green movement is growing fast.
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