FoEeurope: Fracking our way out of crisis?

Activists from Friends of the Earth Europe posed as an imaginary energy company, Drill4All, and set up a fake drilling rig outside the European Commission today, to pretend shale gas was extracted in the centre of Brussels and highlight the possible negative environmental and local impacts of Europe's dash for unconventional gas.

The European Commission is currently working on legislation to better regulate the development of unconventional gas in Europe. Drill4All were there to greet participants as they arrived to hear the results of a European public consultation which forms part of the European Commission's risk assessment.

The fictional energy company Drill4All said: "Do you think Europe is digging itself into a climate ditch? Well we're here to frack Europe out. Why waste valuable time and subsidies on long-term sustainable solutions, when a quick and easy fix is at hand?"

Bottled water was provided to participants as they entered the Commission, to stress the danger of drinking water being pollution in drilling areas. A 'public notice' was served to passers-by and participants, which provided very little information, reflecting the lack of environmental standards and assessments required by current EU legislation for shale gas drilling in Europe.  MORE