Sunday, 17 August 2014
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Rathlin's Propaganda: Read between the lines
Rathlin's propaganda machine has delivered 45,000 leaflets to local residents. Here's a response to the latest (lack of) information from their PR.
Dear Simon, all very clever but still no explanation of why Rathlin applied to the Environment Agency to carry out hydraulic fracking.
No explanation of why they are drilling into Bowland Shale when it is public knowledge that this is a "tight" formation from which gas can only be released by fracking. At least the other oil companies are honest about this.
No reference to the 50 year option to set up oil and/or gas production at West Newton and Crawberry Hill, the latter on top of the second most important chalk aquifer in the country.
No reference to the numerous breaches of the planning permissions.
No reference to the serious impact on local wildlife.
No reference to spillages at both sites compromising the integrity of pea crops harvested by Birdseye, and in the case of West Newton draining into a SSSI and then on to the Hull River.
No reference to the breaches of Health and Safety legislation which meant that on the first day of operations at Crawberry Hill a person exercising their European Human Right to peaceful protest was knocked down by a tractor and had to have hospital treatment.
No reference to Operation Trojan/Trogan/Trogen (pity the highly paid police can't spell) which involves the police, Rathlin and East Riding Council in a Memorandum of Understanding, a deliberate, secret, strategy to undermine the right of residents to protest against the evidence-based concerns about the impact of exploratory drilling, let alone full scale production, on the health and welfare of all East Riding residents, with the first signs of impact on property values at West Newton.
No reference to the impact of oil and gas development on global warming which creates extremely high risk in a county with the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, recent experience of major flooding and monthly experience of severe weather conditions leading to damage to property.
No explanation of the incompetence of Rathlin's project management which has led them to run out of time at Crawberry Hill. They knew at the start they only had two years to complete their drilling at Crawberry Hill but they had three years at West Newton. So what did they do? They put all their drilling equipment into West Newton first leaving them insufficient time to meet the 5th November 2014 deadline for Crawberry Hill rather than the obvious logic of working the other way round. If this is typical of their management incompetence then heaven help us if they get the chance to operate here for the next 50 years.
No explanation of why there was no office facility, no security fencing, no security staff employed at Crawberry on a site which was described in the High Court as being at high risk if there was any tampering with the well head - a deliberately irresponsible approach.
No explanation of why Humberside police have colluded with Rathlin in ignoring the traffic management plan for both sites.
No explanation of why the so-called community liaison meetings are held in strict secrecy to avoid the community voicing their concerns.
In other words another example of your well deserved reputation for mastery of the dark arts of spin and deception.
I trust you still sleep well despite your active role in defending the planned ruin of the East Riding. I expect the fee you earn helps but that will be little comfort for the 8000 reported to work in the local tourism industry or the similar number of residents who work in agriculture.
Finally, an apology. Thanks for the offer but no, I do not want to meet you for a cup of coffee and a chat; perhaps we might if you are able to answer truthfully to the points made above.
Regards, Jon Mager
"The essential English leadership secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous." Joseph Goebbels 1941
Dear Simon, all very clever but still no explanation of why Rathlin applied to the Environment Agency to carry out hydraulic fracking.
No explanation of why they are drilling into Bowland Shale when it is public knowledge that this is a "tight" formation from which gas can only be released by fracking. At least the other oil companies are honest about this.
No reference to the 50 year option to set up oil and/or gas production at West Newton and Crawberry Hill, the latter on top of the second most important chalk aquifer in the country.
No reference to the numerous breaches of the planning permissions.
No reference to the serious impact on local wildlife.
No reference to spillages at both sites compromising the integrity of pea crops harvested by Birdseye, and in the case of West Newton draining into a SSSI and then on to the Hull River.
No reference to the breaches of Health and Safety legislation which meant that on the first day of operations at Crawberry Hill a person exercising their European Human Right to peaceful protest was knocked down by a tractor and had to have hospital treatment.
No reference to Operation Trojan/Trogan/Trogen (pity the highly paid police can't spell) which involves the police, Rathlin and East Riding Council in a Memorandum of Understanding, a deliberate, secret, strategy to undermine the right of residents to protest against the evidence-based concerns about the impact of exploratory drilling, let alone full scale production, on the health and welfare of all East Riding residents, with the first signs of impact on property values at West Newton.
No reference to the impact of oil and gas development on global warming which creates extremely high risk in a county with the fastest eroding coastline in Europe, recent experience of major flooding and monthly experience of severe weather conditions leading to damage to property.
No explanation of the incompetence of Rathlin's project management which has led them to run out of time at Crawberry Hill. They knew at the start they only had two years to complete their drilling at Crawberry Hill but they had three years at West Newton. So what did they do? They put all their drilling equipment into West Newton first leaving them insufficient time to meet the 5th November 2014 deadline for Crawberry Hill rather than the obvious logic of working the other way round. If this is typical of their management incompetence then heaven help us if they get the chance to operate here for the next 50 years.
No explanation of why there was no office facility, no security fencing, no security staff employed at Crawberry on a site which was described in the High Court as being at high risk if there was any tampering with the well head - a deliberately irresponsible approach.
No explanation of why Humberside police have colluded with Rathlin in ignoring the traffic management plan for both sites.
No explanation of why the so-called community liaison meetings are held in strict secrecy to avoid the community voicing their concerns.
In other words another example of your well deserved reputation for mastery of the dark arts of spin and deception.
I trust you still sleep well despite your active role in defending the planned ruin of the East Riding. I expect the fee you earn helps but that will be little comfort for the 8000 reported to work in the local tourism industry or the similar number of residents who work in agriculture.
Finally, an apology. Thanks for the offer but no, I do not want to meet you for a cup of coffee and a chat; perhaps we might if you are able to answer truthfully to the points made above.
Regards, Jon Mager
"The essential English leadership secret does not depend on particular intelligence. Rather, it depends on a remarkably stupid thick-headedness. The English follow the principle that when one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it. They keep up their lies, even at the risk of looking ridiculous." Joseph Goebbels 1941
ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT TO HAVE YOUR SAY: Consultation on Underground Drilling Access
The government wants to change the law to allow oil & gas companies to drill under your property without your permission.
You have until just before midnight on Fri 15th Aug to have your say.
It's only about 5 questions, and can be done in as little as 2 minutes if you wish.
Useful Info in this press release, that links to the consultation:
It's currently unlawful drill under your property without permission.
You can refuse at WrongMove.org.
Where's the Council's Climate Change strategy gone? A reply.
Members of the public are entitled to ask questions at Council meetings. This question was asked at the last meeting of East Riding of Yorkshire Council:
Council – 30th July 2014
As part of a comprehensive review, the Council has recently updated and broadened the scope and content of its Environmental Policy in relation to climate change. As a result, the Council's objectives and targets on climate change will now be contained within the policy's associated delivery plan, removing the need for a separate, stand-alone climate change strategy. Therefore, the existing draft strategy dating from 2010 will be superseded by the Environmental Policy, and objectives within the policy will be reported against in the Council's annual Environmental Statement.
The operation of a separate Climate Change document had some advantages early on in the case for addressing the impact of climate change but as with all such subjects, the approach now needs not to stand apart but to be embedded within in all aspects of the Council and the daily lives of local communities and businesses.
In going forward this approach has been adopted to ensure practical measures are taken forward within each sector – for example:
The Council is currently preparing an Energy and Carbon Management Plan which sets out the energy and carbon reducing measure it has already achieved and its proposed way forward in respect of targets and action plans. This is very much a practical approach and shows considerable success over the last two years and, although measures can be expensive, bidding for funds to support the measures sought, has assisted in taking this element of impact on climate change forward. The council has received some acclaim for the stance and measures it has put in place.
There are other aspects to climate change such as Flood risk management and this area again is of such significance within the East Riding that a Flood Risk Management Strategy is being produced for consultation early in 2015 but in the interim there is intensive bidding for investment funding for flood protection measures with some schemes already underway and especially treatments for a sustainable way forward in respect of local communities and businesses at risk from flooding. Targets include number of homes with a reduced flood risk.
Considerable effort has been put into the Local Transport Plan to increase the use of walking and cycling for short everyday journeys and reduced car usage and this approach towards a reduction in emissions is embedded within the overall transport plan
Measures again have been taken in these areas to have significant impact on individual property emissions, however this has a considerable way to go and work is ongoing to address this area.
What has happened to the ERYC Climate Change strategy which, according to the Council website, was due for adoption by Council in 2012? It promised to "set targets and action plans for mitigating both council and area wide greenhouse emissions by 2020."
Council – 30th July 2014
Response to Question by Elector
As part of a comprehensive review, the Council has recently updated and broadened the scope and content of its Environmental Policy in relation to climate change. As a result, the Council's objectives and targets on climate change will now be contained within the policy's associated delivery plan, removing the need for a separate, stand-alone climate change strategy. Therefore, the existing draft strategy dating from 2010 will be superseded by the Environmental Policy, and objectives within the policy will be reported against in the Council's annual Environmental Statement.
The operation of a separate Climate Change document had some advantages early on in the case for addressing the impact of climate change but as with all such subjects, the approach now needs not to stand apart but to be embedded within in all aspects of the Council and the daily lives of local communities and businesses.
In going forward this approach has been adopted to ensure practical measures are taken forward within each sector – for example:
Energy and Carbon Reduction Management Plan
The Council is currently preparing an Energy and Carbon Management Plan which sets out the energy and carbon reducing measure it has already achieved and its proposed way forward in respect of targets and action plans. This is very much a practical approach and shows considerable success over the last two years and, although measures can be expensive, bidding for funds to support the measures sought, has assisted in taking this element of impact on climate change forward. The council has received some acclaim for the stance and measures it has put in place.
Flood Risk Management Strategy
There are other aspects to climate change such as Flood risk management and this area again is of such significance within the East Riding that a Flood Risk Management Strategy is being produced for consultation early in 2015 but in the interim there is intensive bidding for investment funding for flood protection measures with some schemes already underway and especially treatments for a sustainable way forward in respect of local communities and businesses at risk from flooding. Targets include number of homes with a reduced flood risk.
Local Transport Plan- emissions
Considerable effort has been put into the Local Transport Plan to increase the use of walking and cycling for short everyday journeys and reduced car usage and this approach towards a reduction in emissions is embedded within the overall transport plan
Housing & Schools- affordable warmth with reduction in carbon emissions
Measures again have been taken in these areas to have significant impact on individual property emissions, however this has a considerable way to go and work is ongoing to address this area.
Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Police and fracking companies – in each other’s pockets?
In the week that Rathlin thank Humberside police after rough arrests at the weekend, and the Hull Daily Mail prints Rathlin's press release pretty much verbatim, evidence of Police Collaboration with gas company at Barton Moss emerges:
- growing levels of nationwide police collaboration in response to opposition to unconventional energy extraction
- Police PR department at the disposal of IGas fracking company
- judge accused Greater Manchester Police of exceeding its powers by intervening on IGas’ behalf during a civil trespass and of “acting as civil enforcement officers” for the company.
Monday, 21 July 2014
Legal stuff: Police guidance for protests + right to take pictures
Crown Prosecution Service - Legal Guidance: Public Protests
 |
| Click to go to the CPS website and read the guidance |
ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) - Guidance for Photographers
 |
| click for pdf |
- You have the right to take pictures & video in a public place
- The police do not have the right to delete photos
Another Damning Report
Brand new report- Scientists for Global Responsibility & Chartered Institute of Environmental Health: examine the evidence
This new report has been released today, and we've added it to our collection on the Get Informed page:
It concludes
- Regulation of the industry in the UK is currently inadequate
- Confidence in the practice is undermined by a series of disingenuous claims made by both the Government and industry
- Virtually all economic analysts refute the claim that fracking will reduce energy bills
- job creation potential has been substantially exaggerated, and is also significantly less than that of the low-carbon energy sector
- Community benefits have been exaggerated
- the exploitation of shale gas is dangerous and unnecessary
- use of shale gas will undoubtedly be in addition to, not instead of, coal, and will therefore result in an overall increase in emissions
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