Anti-fracking campaigners will be holding a good natured protest at the Mini Great Manchester Run at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday 21st May due to its sponsorship by the chemical company INEOS. INEOS has licenses to frack over one million acres of the North of England (1). Protesters will be joined by Sami, the Greenpeace polar bear, to highlight the dangers of climate change from fracking.
The protest will happen whilst North Yorkshire council decided whether to grant the company Third Energy permission for an exploration of shale gas in Ryedale (2) and less than two months before the result of the appeal against decision to refuse cuadrilla Resources permission to frack Lancashire is given to the government.
Hundreds of academic studies have shown evidence of health risks from fracking and New York State banned fracking in 2015 purely on health grounds. The medical charity MEDACT issued a report in 2015 which called for a moratorium on fracking due to the health risks.(3)
Martin Porter of Frack Free Greater Manchester said “We are not calling on people to boycott the run, we are calling on the run to boycott INEOS. Running is proved to be very good for your health, whilst fracking has been shown to be very likely to make you ill. INEOS are poised to frack one million acres of the north of England, endangering the health of thousands of people. We are shocked that British Athletics wishes to be associted with this company.
“Fracking is unnecesary, unsafe and unwanted. INEOS can buy publicity, but it can’t buy the people’s consent.”
ENDS
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