The anti-fracking movement

Anti-fracking campaigners in Westby, Lancashire

In recent times the process of fracking has become a common way to extract gas from the earth, and since people have learnt about it's dangers and risks.
Fracking is a process by which natural gas is extracted from shale rock layers deep within the earth. It is a relatively new way of extracting gas that was once unreachable to conventional technologies.

The way it is carried out is by drilling down into the earth with a high pressure water mixture directed at the rock to release the gas inside.

Anti-fracking protestors at the door of DEFRA (the Department
for environment, food and rural affairs) in London on the 18th of
August 2014

The reason it is controversial originates in the USA. Fracking (or hydraulic fracturing) has revolutionised the energy industry in the USA, but it has also caused grave environmental concerns:
1. Fracking uses vast ammounts of water which must be transported to the site, at a significant environmental costs.
2. Potentially carcinogenic chemicals can escape and contaminate the groundwater around the fracking side. 3. There are concerns that hydraulic fracturing can cause small earth tremors; two small earthquakes hit the Blackpool area in 2011 following fracking. 

Fracking in Wyoming, USA

Groups of local anti-fracking campaigners have been joined by environmental activists to challenge the Lancashire drilling plans. They gathered near Westby, Lancashire, just 5 miles away from Blackpool, where two minor earthquakes shook the population in 2011 after fracking activities. 

There are 22 separate anti-fracking groups in the county of Lancashire alone. More than 17,000 signatures supporting the case have been collected. When it comes to the environment, people are constantly more alert and aware of what devastating consequences our modern technology can bring.