The Young Greens joined an anti-fracking protest at the Stormont Assembly.

The Young Greens are totally opposed to Fracking in Ireland and will be actively campaigning against any licenses for its use on this island.

In 2011, Australian-based Tamboran Resources was granted a license to explore the potential of hydraulic fracturing for gas in South West Fermanagh, Cavan, Leitrim, Sligo and Roscommon.

The extraction technique, also known as Fracking, is relatively new and is highly controversial, as its impact on the environment and public health is not yet fully understood.

The arguments against are considerable and wide-ranging, including:

Massive heavy goods traffic and consequent congestion danger and air pollution.
Destruction of landscape and wildlife habitat.
Loss of livelihoods in agriculture and tourism industries.
Noise & light pollution.
Danger of contamination of water and soil with consequent health risks to humans, livestock and wildlife.
Risks of earthquakes, explosions and serious fires.

How does hydraulic fracturing work?

Hydraulic fracturing or fracking is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling.

Once a well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and proprietary chemicals are injected, under high pressure, into a well. The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable natural gas to flow more freely out of the well.

Horizontal fracking differs in that it uses a mixture of 596 chemicals, many of them proprietary, and millions of gallons of water per frack. This water then becomes contaminated and must be cleaned and disposed of.

In the US there has been substantial Fracking taking place and this has led to environmental and public health disasters.

There is growing concern amongst local communities as plans are now in place to allow fracking over a large area of Northern Ireland. Licences have been issued for Central Larne-Lough Neagh Basin, Lough Allen Basin- including Fermanagh, Rathlin Basin and Rathlin Island.

Links to the Anti-Fracking Campaign in Ireland:
Fracking Free Ireland
What the Frack?
Green Party Northern Ireland Anti Fracking Page