Fracking (short for hydraulic fracturing) is one of the methods used to extract gas from rocks thousands of metres below the earth’s surface. A drill is used to create a well, then millions of litres of water and various chemicals are pumped into it at high pressures in order to fracture the rock and release the gas. 

Fracking keeps us hooked on dangerous fossil fuels which reduce our ability to meet our legally binding obligations to reduce our CO2 emissions. 

The dangers of fracking are enormous: the air we breathe risks being polluted, the water we drink could be contaminated, our farming practices may be disturbed, house prices may take a hit, and even tourism could be disrupted. Stories of fracking from the US already provide evidence of the negative environmental and human impacts of fracking. Even on our own doorstep, fracking has caused havoc – test drilling in Lancashire caused two earthquakes back in 2011.

Lord Browne was appointed as a Non-Executive Director in the Cabinet Office by Francis Maude (MP for Horsham, West Sussex which includes the village of Balcombe, where Cuadrilla have a site) a mere four months after joining Cuadrilla as Chairman. 

We believe Lord Browne should resign as he is looking to benefit financially from fracking and this coupled with his influence within the government amounts to a massive conflict of interest.