On Saturday 1st April campaigners from across Yorkshire were outside Barclays’ Albion Street branch in Leeds calling on the bank to ditch their Yorkshire fracking plans and stop being ‘Fossil Fools’. The campaigners dressed up as Barclays ‘Fossil Fools’ and called on Barclays to stop their controversial fracking plansBarclays Bank own over 90% of Third Energy, a company which is planning to frack at up to 19 well sites in Ryedale in North Yorkshire.
These controversial plans are widely opposed by the local community*, who are concerned that fracking brings unacceptable risks, including:
· Threats to their water supply from contamination of groundwater.
· Carbon emissions from more fossil fuel extraction
The anti-fracking protesters spoke to Barclays customers and passers-by who were invited to move their money to frack free alternatives and to sign letters addressed to the Chairman of Barclays, asking him to withdraw Barclays plans to frack in Ryedale, North Yorkshire.
Chayley Collis of Huddersfield Friends of the Earth said:
“Barclays must be joking if they think that fracking in Yorkshire is a good idea. Fracking produces more dirty fossil fuels that will cause more climate change.Barclays’ fracking investment is risky for both people and the planet. Barclays Bank has over £14 billion investments in fossil fuel extraction worldwide. We are calling on them to stop being ‘Fossil Fools ‘ and ditch their fossil fuel investments, starting with fracking in North Yorkshire.”
Notes
Huddersfield Friends of the Earth 