Below is a short film, made by RoJ, about the Standing Rock Water Protectors, following a visit by Chas Jewett to Dublin. To read more about Chas’ visit go here.
Significant Move Towards Ban on Fracking Welcomed by Afri
banning fracking from Ireland. Here members of ‘Love Leitrim’ and supporters who campaigned to have fracking banned. Photo by Derek Speirs.
31st May 2017
Afri has welcomed the completion of the Bill to ban fracking which today passed all stages in the Dáil and will now go to the Seanad. “This is a victory for people power and for community resistance”, according to Joe Murray. Afri would especially like to congratulate Love Leitrim who led this persistent, determined and successful campaign.
We also pay tribute to the community in Rossport for the part they played in this success as it was John Monaghan who first alerted the community in Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, to the dangers of fracking and who urged the community to organise and resist.
Film by Dearbhla Glynn on fracking
Reflections from ‘Making the Connections: No Fracking’ event
Afri funded and coordinated a group of anti-fracking activists from Spain and the UK to come to Ireland on a four day visit over the weekend of November 27th 2015. Their visit began with them giving a talk in Dublin, hosted by the Worker’s Solidarity Movement in Jigsaw. The following day they made their way to Co Leitrim and on to Fermanagh to meet members of the anti fracking group LAMP (Letterbreen and Mullaghdun Partnership). A visit to the site of the planned exploratory well in Belcoo followed before the main event Making the Connections, Fracking No!
Making the Connections, Fracking No! took place in The Glens Centre in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim on November 28th, bringing together anti fracking activists from northern Spain, England and Ireland in an evening of theatre, singing, discussion, music and dancing.
Donal O’ Kelly performed his awarding winning one man show ‘Fionnuala’, in which the human rights abuses perpetrated at the hands of Shell during the Corrib Gas Project in Erris, Co Mayo are starkly conjured up. Spanish surtitles accompanied the performance to critical acclaim and oddly timed laughter!
Next up came the Kidz from the Glen who sang an anti-fracking song called Stand Up for Ireland written by Michael Mc Loughlin. Continue reading “Reflections from ‘Making the Connections: No Fracking’ event”
No Fracking: Not Here, Not Anywhere
Making the Connection, Fracking No!, an international gathering of anti-fracking activists, in the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, 7pm-11.30 pm Saturday 28th November.
NO FRACKING: NOT HERE, NOT ANYWHERE
FRACKING NO: Nĺ AQUÍ Nĺ EN NINGÚN SITIO
International activists resisting fracking in England and in the northern regions of Spain will share and swap information, stories and experiences as part of Making the Connection, Fracking No! to take place on Saturday November 28th starting at 7pm sharp in The Glens Centre, Manorhamilton.
Donal O’Kelly will perform Fionnuala, his Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning show about human rights abuses connected with the Shell Corrib gas project, with live music by Dee Armstrong of Kila and Diarmuid and Lughaidh Armstrong.
A panel discussion comprising of speakers from Burgos, Cantabria, England and Ireland will follow with DJ Enda of Firehouse Skank finishing off the evening with reggae beats.
The idea for Making the Connection, Fracking No! was born out of a visit to Frackanpada 2015 in the Basque Country in July by Leitrim-based anti-fracking activist Caitriona Kelly in which over 400 international activists and campaigners from over fifteen countries gathered for a week of workshops and talks.
This event has been organised in collaboration with Afri and is supported by Love Leitrim.
International Scientists Support Call For Island Of Ireland Fracking Ban
Afri welcomes the decision by Northern Ireland Environment Minister Mark Durkan not to award a license to Australian mining company Tamboran Resources who sought to begin test drilling work on the Cavan-Fermanagh border as part of its ambitious fracking plans for the island of Ireland. The group say nothing short of an all-Ireland ban on fracking is needed and that leaders in Dublin and Belfast should follow the lead of the French and German governments in banning fracking while prioritising renewable energy sources. According to Afri Coordinator Joe Murray, fracking is a short-sighted solution to job creation and energy supply, which he says compromises water supplies, farming, wildlife and air quality.
Afri’s campaign is backed up by leading international scientists who are supporting Afri’s online campaign for an all-Ireland ban on fracking.
These include renowned scientist Dr. Ken Caldeira from the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University who said:
“We know we need to be heading towards a near zero emission energy and transportation systems. Expansion of the dirtiest corners of the fossil fuel industry is a step in the wrong direction. We need to be developing and deploying the near zero emission clean energy technologies of the future, not expanding last century’s archaic energy system. We can no longer afford to be building energy and transportation systems that assume we can continue to use the sky as a waste dump.” Continue reading “International Scientists Support Call For Island Of Ireland Fracking Ban”
Ban Fracking On The Island Of Ireland
The island of Ireland is one of the greenest places on the planet but global energy corporations want to put an end to this. The fracking industry have big plans for both sides of the border and we need to act fast to stop them.
We can’t sit back and let our land and water be destroyed by those who promise us the earth while destroying it in the process.
Despite huge opposition, fracking work has commenced in scenic County Fermanagh and plans are in place for nearby Leitrim. Other areas under threat include the Antrim, Down, Derry, Donegal, Sligo, Roscommon, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Cork and Kerry.
Demand a fracking ban on the island of Ireland by signing and sharing our petition now. Each time someone signs it, key politicians will get an email urging them to act. Sign here or read on: https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-fracking-on-the-island-of-ireland Continue reading “Ban Fracking On The Island Of Ireland”
The Future for Shale film
An Afri film on fracking by award winning film-maker Dearbhla Glynn
The Future For Shale?
The Future For Shale?
Sunday evening March 9th saw the launch of a short documentary by award winning film maker Dearbhla Glynn in an event organised by Afri. Dearbhla’s work as an independent documentary maker has previously shone a spotlight on human rights injustices in the Congo and Gaza.
Members of Love Leitrim Eddie Mitchell and Chair Susan Carton were at hand for a Questions and Answers session after the film. The audience were also treated to a traditional music session from well known musicians Steve Cooney and Paddy Keenan in the Glens Centre venue.
An unexpected highlight of the evening was when renowned Choctaw artist Gary White Deer made a presentation of his painting entitled “Fracking Mother Earth” to Love Leitrim.
By Dervilla Keegan, Love Leitrim
The Future for Shale?
The Future for Shale? An Evening of Film, Conversation and Music on the theme of Fracking
Premiere of short film on fracking by Dearbhla Glynn
Speakers and discussion
Followed by music with Paddy Keenan and Steve Cooney
Also exhibition of Gary White Deer’s paintings
6pm Sunday 9th March 2014 in the Glens Centre, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim
Admission free but donations welcome
To see who is going: https://www.facebook.com/events/430931410343192/
Afri wishes to acknowledge the support of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust
Canadian Scientist to speak in Dublin about risks of hydraulic fracturing
There will be a public event on Fracking on Monday the 11th of March at 6.30pm in the Smock Alley Theatre, Exchange Street, Dublin 2, with Canadian scientist Jessica Ernst, organised by Friends of the Earth, No Fracking Dublin and Afri.
Jessica Ernst, a 55-year-old Canadian scientist with 30 years oil and gas industry experience, is suing the Alberta government and gas producer EnCana for unlawful activities related to hydraulic fracturing. She is in Ireland on a speaking tour that includes visits to areas that will be potentially affected by fracking in the North and West of the country.
Jessica’s presentation is a thorough and shocking story of regulators failure to protect health and the environment. Her lawsuit methodically details how Alberta’s two key groundwater regulators, Alberta Environment and the ERCB, “failed to follow the investigation and enforcement processes that they had established and publicised.”
This event is relevant to those who want to prevent fracking in Ireland, and who would like to find out more about the issues involved.
To book for this event, go here: http://www.eventbrite.ie/event/4001927874