Fashion v Fracking

  British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood returned to the “runway” against fracking firm INEOS today. She was joined by other activists and models to protest against INEOS’ fracking operations, with […]

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British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood returned to the “runway” against fracking firm INEOS today.

She was joined by other activists and models to protest against INEOS’ fracking operations, with placards reading “fracking climate chaos” and “frack off INEOS”.

Last year, INEOS won an injunction against protesters, prohibiting unlawful activities such as trespass or obstruction of its fracking operations.

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing involves drilling deep underground and releasing a high-pressure mix of water, sand and chemicals to crack rocks and release gas stored inside.

Ms Westwood’s son and environmental campaigner Joe Corre, who is challenging the injunction in the Court of Appeals, also took part in the demonstration.

He told ELN: “Fracking is an extremely dangerous, poisonous industry. It will poison our water, our air, our environment. It will leave toxic chemicals in the ground for future generations to have to deal with.

Renewable energy has come on leaps and bounds. It’s now the cheapest it has ever been and it’s destined to become cheaper. There is no case for fracking at all.”

INEOS said: “Since 2017 various anti-shale groups have claimed that INEOS’ recent legal action has made all protest unlawful in the UK. This is not the case, as today clearly shows. Our injunctions prohibit unlawful acts by protesters and in no way impinge on the right to peaceful protest. These injunctions simply protect INEOS and our people from hardcore activists who game the system and treat the law with contempt.

“But the key message here is that if shale gas proves to be successful in the UK it provides the UK economy with highly competitive energy and it provide enormous levels of invesstment and jobs in the North of England where they are desperately needed.

Manufacturing jobs are not created without investment and there is precious little investment in the North of England in manufacturing.”

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