A Black Day for Ireland.

Today, February 14th, is a Black Day for Ireland. A year to the day when the previous Government issued preliminary licences to 3 companies to explore for gas in several counties, it is the day when Tamboran, an Australian company who have licences for the north-west, are allowed to “brief” the TDs (MPs) in Dail Eireann(Irish Parliament). Members of the public are not allowed to attend this “briefing” and it will not be broadcast.

Whilst the companies do not yet have licences to drill, people are worried. The gas is sitting in shale rock. To release the gas from shale a process called hydraulic fracturing is used. Commonly called fracking this process has proved controversial wherever it is used. The next stage of licensing would allow exploratory drilling using fracking. We here in the north west do not want this to happen. Why? Just look at the photo above. This photo, taken just outside Drumshanbo, shows our beautiful river Shannon. This river, the longest in the country at 214 miles, is precious to us. We do not want it contaminated with escaping methane and chemicals.

I’m not going to try to prove the case against fracking here. More qualified and able people than I have done that…many times over . If you want to read and listen to the evidence go to www.whatthefrack.org.  This area is known for it’s beautiful scenery and tourism. Tamboran have promised many jobs… up to 1,500. The question is…how many farmers and tourist industries will be out of business if this abomination comes to pass? It does’nt make sense!

In America many wells and aquifers have been destroyed by escaping gas and chemicals. There is no reversing this damage. I have seen heartbreaking footage of people whose health has been destroyed forever. Cancer, respiratory diseases and damage to reproductive and nervous systems are just some of the problems people are left with. All to line the pockets of the already rich. Is this the destiny of Ireland and it’s people? This is’nt just the concern of the people here in the north-west. Licences have also been issued for Clare, Limerick, north Cork, north Kerry and over the border in Fermanagh. The Shannon runs from Cavan to Limerick, it touches on many counties along the way. Dublin is expected to be taking some of it’s water supply from the Shannon in the near future. Do the million or so people living there matter? Of course they do! We all matter! This is our land, our water, our air, our future. Why destroy it for short-term gain?

What can you do to help stop this happening?  Get informed, then inform others. Tell your TDs and councillors that you want a ban on fracking throughout Ireland. Highlight the issue with local and national media. Help spread the word on social media.

Recently Enda Kenny, our Taoiseach (Prime Minister), called on us all to “put on the green jersey” in the face of current austerity measures. Now I believe it is time for Enda and the rest of his cronies (sorry I meant government) to wear the green jersey.

Stop this madness…BAN FRACKING NOW!

(Black Day for Ireland logo designed by Tracey Jean Yappa (Tatty).

Artists against Fracking.

Last night I attended an exhibition in Carrick on Shannon which was a collabaration between 5 artists using various media working to create an awareness of the issue of hydraulic fracturing.The Engage Collective is made up of Stephen Rennicks, David Spense, David J, Brigitta Varadi and mentor David Michaelek.  Regular visitors here will know that the threat of hydraulic fracturing has been a worry for the people in counties Leitrim, Cavan, Sligo, Roscommon and Donegal since our Government (in their infinite wisdom) give preliminary licences to 2 companies earlier this year. Whilst these licences do not permit drilling…desktop studies only…the next step would permit test drilling. These licences could be applied for in 2012. I won’t give info on hydraulic fracturing here…or fracking as it is more usually known…there are lots of websites with info available. One of the most informative is www.what-the-frack.org . The most striking exhibit last night…for me anyway…was a series of portraits of people living in the area. Beautifully captured by David Michalek the pictures were starkly displayed around the white painted brick walls.

The portraits were also available as a set of postcards free to take home…that’s what I have shown above. On the reverse of each postcard each person…children, farmers, artists and students to name but a few expressed what aspect of their lives they felt was threatened by the threat of hydraulic fracturing. Air, health, water, family and land were a few of the things people thought at risk. So much at risk and for what? To continue to line the pockets of  rich men in high places who don’t care about us here on this little island…don’t care about the last wilderness left in this country…don’t care if we become ill…don’t care if our air is destroyed. All to continue to line the pockets of already rich investors and provide the energy that could be obtained from solar, wind and wave power.

 If the companies get the go ahead for test drilling that will be the beginning of the end of all we hold dear. Agriculture and tourism…our 2 main industries will be destroyed. Who would want to tour the fracklands? The diagram above shows the possible scenario for North Leitrim if this madness goes ahead. The red squares show frack pads with the tentacles of the rigs fracking the earth reaching underneath the beautiful Lough McNean. Crazy? I think so. A huge campaign has been mounted to have a ban on hydraulic fracturing applied to Ireland. Hopefully the politicians will awake from their stupor of ignorance and not allow this to go any further. If not… well…we’re not called the fighting Irish for nothing!

For more info on the project and the artists involved check out www.engagecollective.wordpress.com

Meet The Frackers!

Regular readers of this blog will know that our lives here in the north-west of Ireland have not been the same since May of this year. It was then that we discovered that the traitors that formed the last government had given licensing options to two companies to explore for gas in the Lough Allen Carboniferous Basin, an area that covers 432,000 acres of the most beautiful landscape imaginable, some of the last remaining wilderness on this island.

I won’t give info on fracking or to give it it’s correct name hydraulic fracturing here, there is lots of information widely available on the internet on the topic. I will say that it is  a process that damages health, of humans and animals,  brings large amount of heavy traffic, causes light and noise pollution, uses vast quantities of water which after being used to frack wells is highly toxic. These are just a few of the problems fracking brings with it.

 This week Tamboran, one of the companies issued licences by the aforementioned traitors, decided to meet with the public and councils in our area. On Monday they gave a presentation to our local council in Carrick-on-Shannon outlining what wonderful benefits, (facetious, Moi!), they will bring to our communities. Tamboran’s most debated claim is that they will not use chemicals in their fracking operations in Ireland. This has not been trialed anywhere on the planet but they want us “put our trust in them”. They want us the Irish people to give our approval to basically being guinea pigs. Even if chemicals were not used can you picture the above landscape with drilling pads every kilometer.

A small section of the demonstration at the Council Offices in Carrick-on-Shannon on Monday.

Last night they gave a public presentation in Enniskillen. They also have licences in Northern Ireland. The large audience there were not receptive to their plan nor did they believe their sales patter. The message was “WE DON’T WANT THIS, WE DON’T TRUST YOU”. Tonight there is a presentation in Carrick-on-Shannon. I am certain the message will be the same. WE LOVE OUR AREA AS IT IS, LEAVE IT ALONE! Last week there was a public information meeting in the same town. The 600 people there were highly informed already on the topic and the consensus was “NO! NO! NO! 

If you wish to help us in this looming battle please to go www.what-the-frack.org and sign the online petition there. If you are living in Ireland please start lobbying the government, especially Pat Rabbitte who is the relevant Minister. Inform yourself, this should concern everyone. Don’t be silent. Look what happened in Rossport.

Petition to Ban Fracking in Ireland.

On May 9 th of this year my life and the lives of many others in this country was changed dramatically. On that day we discovered that the Irish government had issued licences for gas exploration in the Lough Allen Carboniferous Basin. This is some of the last remaining wild counryside in Ireland.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The underlying rock bed in this area, which covers an area of 432,000 acres, is shale. The only  way to release gas from shale is by fracking. Fracking is a process whereby millions of gallons of water together with a cocktail of almost 600 chemicals is pumped under enormous pressure into fractures caused by underground explosive charges. A cement casing is made which is used as a shaft for the frack water and gas extraction. However in America, where fracking has been extensively used, there has been problems with breaches in these casings resulting in water contamination and the toxic cocktail being released into the earth.

A well can be fracked up to 18 times using 140,000 lbs of this chemical cocktail per frack. Formaldehyde, toulene and benzene are some of the chemicals contained in this formula which was developed by the American company Halliburton.

Even if all goes well and everything is brought to the surface, what happens then? The gas that comes to the surface is “wet” gas. This has to be processed in large condensers. These condensers give off Violatile Organic Compounds invisible to the naked eye. When these mix with diesel fumes from the trucks and generators on site you end up with ground level ozone.  I wonder how long after this process starts in an area is it safe to eat fruit and vegetables from one’s garden?

We, the Irish people did not give permission for this violation of our beautiful countryside. Indeed we were not asked. This was presented to us as a fait accompli.

Please help to overturn this. We are petitioning the government for a  total ban on this process in our country.

You can help by signing and encouraging other people to sign the petition at www.what-the-frack.org . There is also a lot of additional information on fracking and its disastrous consequences on  this site.

Saturday Ponderings from the Arigna Valley.

Catmint and Lady’s Mantle looking good together,   Foxgloves looking on. It is said that blue and green should not be seen together. This gives the lie to that.

The Tomatoes are doing well in the small polytunnel. I do find lettuce  is going to seed very quickly this year, probably due to the unsummery weather. The only outside crops doing well are Onions and Potatoes, the rest are just sitting there looking miserable. Thank goodness for polytunnels!

In the back field the Sycamore stands strong and proud, oblivious to all weathers. Sycamore is not native to Ireland but it has naturalised and self seeds itself profusely.

Facing West just outside the back door is Ganesh, a present from our friends Paul and Debra who visited last weekend from Co. Clare. Is’nt he fab? Ganesh is said to be the remover of obstacles. I think he has his work cut out for him here. The biggest obstacle, as regular visitors will know, facing us here in the north west is the threat of the destruction of the land in search of gas. The process called fracking, short for hydraulic fracturing, is the only one that can be used to extract the gas from the shale rock we have here. If this happens it will leave a trail of destruction. Water sources destroyed, land and air polluted, an industrialised landscape instead of the amazing untamed wildness we now have. I am still stunned that our government would even contemplate letting this happen. But it seems they have. Maybe Ganesh will be successful!!

Thoughts from Prospect Cottage on Solstice Eve.

Here we are again at the Eve of Solstice, the time of great abundance , the time when Mother Nature’s gifts are so plentiful. For me it is a time of stillness, a time to contemplate, a time for an increased awareness of the vibrancy of the surrounding nature. I love to just be here on our place at this time. To work outdoors, be quiet, be aware of the power of the Sun as it reaches it’s zenith.

This year in the north west of this little island of Ireland, for me there is a poignancy. About 6 weeks ago now we found out that our government has given exploration licences for gas in the Lough Allen Basin, an area that covers 204,000 acres of beautiful unspoilt countryside. If it goes ahead it will involve the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing commonly known as fracking. It will not go ahead without a fight that’s for sure. But still I ask myself , WHY? How can a government be stupid enough to even contemplate the permitting of  the rape and violation of some of the last wild places left on this island?

Why are they bowing down to the powers of globalisation, the exploiters, the perpetuators of greed that are once again being allow to invade, unimpeded, this country which fought so long and so hard for freedom? It is beyond my comprehension.

So, at this Solstice, this time of abundance, it feels for me, like the calm before the storm that is rapidly approaching. But,  like all great battles, it must be fought.

Happy Solstice to you all. Do join me early tomorrow morning in rising early to observe the Sun as it rises to it’s highest, most powerful position.

The Madness & Sadness that is upon the Earth.

Foxglove coming into bloom.

As I sit here on this beautiful Summer morning I feel a heaviness in my heart at the destruction that is being carried out on our beautiful Earth. This heavy sadness has become intensified since I heard, some 3 weeks ago now, of the possibility of fracking for gas being carried out in the Lough Allen Basin. No, it’s not NIMBYism(not in my back yard), up to that point I had not heard of fracking. Since then my research has shocked me. The destruction caused worldwide by this process is mind blowing. How could any sane government allow this? Do they even know what it is? Are our politicians just a pile of yes men, kowtowing to the demons of globalisation that are revaging our Planet?

How can they allow a process that poisons the land and water with gas and a cocktail of over 500 chemicals? Devastation has been caused on a massive scale in Indonesia where a mud volcano has been eruption for 5 years after drilling for gas started in the area. In Lancanshire in England there have been 2 earthquakes since the fracking started there. In America water tables have been destroyed wherever fracking is being carried out. In the movie Gasland, which is about this topic, we saw people able to light the water coming out of their taps because of gas in their wells. People suffering from all sorts of diseases, animals dying after drinking contanimated water.

What is it all for? Even in Ireland solar power is a more viable option than this. The Sun does’nt have to be beaming to enable solar energy to be captured. But no, it must be oil and gas. Why? To make money for huge corporations that don’t seem to care about anything except their own perverse agendas. We as a people must stand up and be counted, each and every one of us. Don’t wait for someone else to write the letter or start the petition. Government is supposed to be serving the people! Lobby them now to let them know what we the people want. Hopefully our government will get strength from the people to carry out their will.

Fracking Hell!!!

Did my Friday garden stint at Strabraggan School today and afterwards went for a walk on an oft taken route on the shore of Lough Allen. My mind still filled with images from a documentary called Gasland we went to see last night. The focus of this movie is fracking, a term I was not familiar with until about 10 days ago.

Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is a means of natural gas extraction employed in deep natural gas well drilling. Once the well is drilled, millions of gallons of water, sand and over 500 dangerous chemicals are injected under high pressure into the well.

The pressure fractures the shale and props open fissures that enable gas to flow freely from the well. 1-8 million gallons of water may be used to frack a well. A well may be fracked up to 18 times. The waste water or recovered water as the industry like to call it, is highly toxic.

The bad, sad news is that our last Government, led by Fianna Fail, has issued 2 licences allowing for exploration of the Lough Allen Basin Gas Field. Fracking would be used because of the underlying shale. This was another parting shot of treachery by this bunch of fools who sold out the island of Ireland to the IMF, World Bank and the demons of globalisation.

Is it right that beauty should be destroyed in pursuit of oil/gas and money? Check out the Gasland website and movie. Fracking may be coming to a beauty spot near you in the near future!!

All photos taken today on the shore of Lough Allen.

Info on fracking www.gaslandthemovie.com