To mark Friends of the Earth International Days of Action to mobilise against dirty energy and for climate justice last weekend, Young Friends of the Earth Ireland hosted a screening of multi-award winning film Gasland on Friday 13th October. Gasland explores the impacts of natural gas drilling, or fracking, on the environment and communities in North America, highlighting the link between fossil fuel exploration and climate justice.
The screening was followed by an informal panel discussion on dirty energy and climate justice featuring speakers from Not Here Not Anywhere, a group campaigning against fossil fuel exploration and infrastructure in Ireland, and YoungFOE Northern Ireland.
David and Jessie from Not Here Not Anywhere spoke about the current plans by public and private sector interests to develop Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminals in the Irish ports of Cork and Shannon. The gas would be fracked in South Texas before being cooled, liquefied and shipped to Ireland. While LNG is sometimes marketed as a “cleaner” fossil fuel, methane leakage during production means that it has significant environmental impacts. Not Here Not Anywhere is working to oppose all new fossil fuel investment and infrastructure in Ireland and to promote renewable, sustainable, local, community-based energy. The group is open to anyone interested in this area and you can get involved with Not Here Not Anywhere here.
Four members of YoungFOE Northern Ireland travelled to Dublin for the Gasland screening and one member, Frejya, spoke about the organisation’s anti-fossil fuel campaigning work, particularly against fracking. Unlike in neighbouring Ireland and Scotland, fracking is not banned in Northern Ireland and YoungFOE NI have been working with anti-fracking and campaigning groups locally and elsewhere in the UK.
YoungFOE NI is also working on food sovereignty, which is also the focus of YoungFOE Ireland’s current campaign. Find out more about YoungFOE Northern Ireland’s work here.
