Time is running out

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It's not just Caroline Lucas - Josef Dobraszczyk is one of the five fracking protest defendants in the Brighton Court this week. Photo: Zoe Brougton.
It's not just Caroline Lucas - Josef Dobraszczyk is one of the five fracking protest defendants in the Brighton Court this week. Photo: Zoe Brougton.
This statement was read out by the five anti-fracking campaigners standing trial at Brighton Magistrates Court this week, for joining in a peaceful protest near the Sussex village of Balcombe. The trial will resume on 17th April, when a verdict is expected.
Climate change will cause violent conflict, displace millions of people and wipe trillions of dollars off the global economy.

On 19 August, we took part in a peaceful protest in Balcombe, against fracking.

We are here to defend ourselves.

Balcombe is the start of a major struggle over the search and exploitation of yet more fossil fuels - and the stakes could hardly be higher.

This week the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report will be published, which is based on thousands of peer-reviewed studies and put together by hundreds of respected scientists.

Leaked drafts suggest it will predict that climate change will cause violent conflict, displace millions of people and wipe trillions of dollars off the global economy.

Time is running out.

The latest science suggests that as much as 80% of known fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground if we are to have any hope of avoiding dangerous climate change.

In a number of other countries, fracking is banned. We remain deeply concerned at the prospect of fracking here in the UK.

We'd like to thank the people gathered here for all their support.

We have been advised by our lawyer to make no further comment at this stage.

Thank you.

 

Video by Zoe Broughton / Urchin Media.

The five defendants standing trail are:

  • Sheila Menon
  • Josef Dobraszczyk
  • Ruth Jarman
  • Ruth Potts
  • Caroline Lucas

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