FRIENDS of the Earth Scotland has started a crowdsourcing campaign for donations as it looks to face down fracking firm Ineos in court.
In an email to supporters, Head of Campaigns Mary Church said: “This week INEOS are in court trying to overturn Scotland’s ban on fracking.
“We fought hard over the last six years to get this ban in place because of the serious risks the fracking industry poses for our climate, health and environment. Now we are making a groundbreaking public interest intervention in the case to protect the ban.”
“By getting involved in the case we will be speaking up for the 60,000 people who said a clear ‘no’ to this dirty and risky industry.
“We are arguing that not only is the ban lawful, but that the Scottish Government is required under its own climate change laws to put a stop to the industry.
“As you know, taking legal action isn’t cheap so we are asking you for help in covering the cost. A donation of any amount will help.”
INEOS and Reach Coal Seam Gas’s legal challenge against the ban on fracking in Scotland begins today at the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
The company is both challenging the legality of the ban on fracking and suing the Scottish Government for compensation due to an alleged breach of its human rights.
The hearing is expected to last four days.
The Scottish Government will defend the case.
But Friends of the Earth Scotland also lodged what is called a public intervention aimed at proving the science and burden of proof behind the ban in sound.
Environmentalists view the case as one of the most important for the welfare of Scotland in modern times.
The fracking firms say they will suffer deep financial loss if an indefinite moratorium on fracking – a planning device used to effectively ban the process – is allowed to stay in place.
WANT TO LEARN MORE? Read: Scotland bares its teeth as fracking faces even tougher ban than had been in pipeline
PHOTO CREDIT: cc Kolibri5