Green and anti-fracking groups are getting themselves in gear for a renewed Spring of activity over the next few weeks, with Reclaim the Power mobilising for its next round of anti-frack action and anarcho-greens Earth First! organising their Winter Moot.

Reclaim The Power is optimistic for the year, as leading frack firms Cuadrilla and Igas continue to struggle with their drill sites. The former is celebrating a court victory after it beat a case brought by Friends of the Earth against its safety measures, but has found itself struggling to avoid causing earthquakes [1|2|3]. The firm has had to shut down production multiple times through its first phase of fracking at Preston New Road having caused 50 earthquakes and their parent company’s share price has plummeted. The situation has gotten so obviously problematic that bosses are now lobbying to do away with earthquake regulations.

Igas has failed to find any gas at Tinker Lane near Sheffield and has moved its rig to the Misson Springs site nearby. Rathlin energy meanwhile is pushing exploration in West Newton near Hull. All these sites are characterised by inspiring community groups using direct action to stop fossil fuel expansion.

In a regional blow to the industry, Greater Manchester councils have announced an effective ban against new fracking applications in the region, adding to the existing ban in Scotland.

Gatherings storm

Ahead of its planned Supply & Demand days of action next month, Reclaim The Power will be holding a National Gathering in London on January 26th-27th.

The get-together will be “making exciting decisions about our summer mobilisation against new gas infrastructure; skill-sharing; working group time on Supply & Demand and making solidarity banners ahead of the sentencing of the Stansted 15 in February.

The event at The Printworks, 139 Clapham Road, London, SW9 0HP will run from 11am-6pm (followed by an evening social) on the Saturday and 11am-5pm on Sunday. The venue is wheelchair accessible and has a disabled access toilet. For questions and special requests you can email the organising group on [email protected]. RtP also runs a solidarity travel fund, so if you need help with upfront costs of travel please email [email protected].

At the National Gathering, the group will hold a Saturday night social to raise funds for End Deportations and also to support arrestees who have been blocking and delaying works at a proposed new opencast coal mine in Pont Valley, Durham.

The next month there will be the The Earth First Winter Moot. This year’s gathering will take place in Lancaster on February 22nd-24th. It will be a weekend of campaign updates, networking, planning, solidarity and socialising in solidarity with Lancashire anti-fracking resistance. Involved or want to get involved in ecological resistance in Britain & Ireland? Whether you are fighting fracking, opencast coal, fracking, GM, nuclear power, new road building or quarries. The Winter Moot is for you.

The event at Halton Mill costed at around £25-30 per person for the weekend (though no-one will be turned away for lack of funds), includes full vegan meals and indoor floor sleeping space for accommodation, so sleeping bag and mat would be advisable.

For all info or offers e-mail [email protected]