Anti-fracking uses body painting for campaign

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While campaigner creates stunning body art that slams fracking

ANTI-fracking campaigners in East Lothian have welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of a moratorium on planning consents for all unconventional onshore oil and gas wells.

Lynn Fraser’s interpretation of fracking. Pic by Duncan Holmes

The decision has been hailed as a success by those concerned about the impact of the controversial drilling procedure and comes after an attempt to introduce a similar suspension at Westminster failed.

Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing MSP also promised a full public consultation on the issue, which has ignited protests across the country.

Community groups East Lothian Against Fracking and Dunbar Anti-Fracking Team (DAFT) welcomed the decision but there wad concern that the moratorium had not been extended to include undersea coal gasification.

Chris Eden of DAFT said: “This is a huge victory for people power in Scotland. We told the Government that fracking is daft, destructive, and not needed. It was great to see the Scottish Government and Parliament listen to our concerns.

“This is a dirty industry that pollutes our environment, can harm the health of local people and increases the risks of catastrophic climate change. We’re confident that any reasonable assessment of the evidence must lead to an outright ban.”

But he said DAFT was disappointed that undersea coal gasification was excluded.

A company called Cluff Natural Resources is said to be drawing up plans to burn seams of coal under the Firth of Forth and extract the resulting gas.

Mr Eden said: “This is another daft idea that should be scrapped. The risks of pollution to groundwater supplies and to the waters of the Firth of Forth are just too big. The Scottish Government should think again.”

Musselburgh MSP Colin Beattie said: “The moratorium will be welcomed by communities across Scotland who have been alarmed by the gung-ho stance taken by the Westminster Government.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish Greens invited artist Lynn Fraser, from East Lothian Against Fracking, to present her latest work, depicting the devastation of the industry, to a fracking workshop.

Body artist Lynn created a set of stunning images as part of the anti-fracking campaign.

Lynn created her work using model Tuesday Robinson’s body as her canvas.

She said: “I’ve been body painting for five years now because it is a uniquely expressive canvas. I created this paint because I felt something of the emotional side of the case against fracking was missing from the debate.

“Many people know, in scientific terms, about the dangers of fracking and coal bed methane extraction to our health and environment, especially our water, but right now those risks are hidden literally below the surface, where the unconventional and effectively untested technologies will be used.

“I wanted to bring to the surface that the Earth is poisoned by this activity, and to make people ‘feel’ what that will be like for Mother Nature and the devastating effect it would have on us all.”