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PDF of WS129 Issue: 129 WORKERS SOLIDARITY April/May 2013 25 Years of Irish Anarchist News Only Mass Action Can Defeat Austerity Five years into an austerity program visible that the workers are unhappy. Inside this issue: that is only working to make the rich richer, most of us are very unhappy • Fighting for Abortion Rights in about the lack of resistance from the As long as workers across Europe ac- unions. During the Croke Park cam- cept this limitation we will have auster- the North paign the SIPTU National Executive ity imposed on us. Tokenistic one or Council released a statement that in- two-day actions, no matter how mili- • Campaign Against Home cluded: “There is, of course, a wider tant or noisy, cannot force the reversal and Water Taxes – inspiring issue of fairness in the Country as a of austerity. If that’s what we want to people to demand participatory whole because the wealthy are not con- see, it’s not token action we need, it’s tributing to the degree that they can or striking to win. democracy should. This is a consequence of the political choices made by the voters at • What the Frack? election time.” We need to give up on pleading with the wealthy 1% to treat us fairly. Their • The Human Cost of Cuts to strength is in their enormous wealth Public Services -Thoughts of a Here, boldly stated, is the problem at though which they literally buy politi- Dole Worker the heart of modern trade unionism in cians and the media. Our strength is in Europe. Deeply built into its ideology the fact they are 1% and we outnum- • An Irish Emigrant in Sydney - is the acceptance that we have to accept ber them 99 to 1. Our strength is in the the policies of whichever parties hap- fact that unless we work they make no life, work and radical politics pen to win each consecutive round of money. And our strength is in their fear the Xfactor-like electoral circus. This that if we act together, if we organise • West Belfast - 2nd highest levels is why the so-called general strikes in together, if we strike together we will of child poverty in the UK Spain, Greece & Italy have not changed realise that we have no need for the 1% policy there. Those ‘general strikes’ are at all. • ‘Why It’s Still Kicking Off not aimed at bringing down the govern- ment but rather just on making it very Everywhere’ - Review WORKERS SOLIDARITY 129 What the Frack? One of the final acts of the last the engineers be sure Fianna Fáil government was to of what the extent and award licences to a number of effect of the fractures companies to explore for com- will be? The practice mercial gas in the Northwest of hydraulic fracturing Carboniferous Basin (commonly has come under exami- known as the Lough Allen basin). nation internationally The Lough Allen Basin is a huge due to environmental, area that covers parts of Cavan, health and safety con- Donegal, Fermanagh, Leitrim, cerns and has been Mayo, Monaghan, Roscommon, banned in France and Sligo and Tyrone. Significantly in certain parts of the this area covers the headwaters of USA. There are also two of our largest water systems, temporary bans in place the Shannon and the Erne. Right pending further re- tific American, March 2010). in the middle of the basin is an search into its environmental effects in area that is dependent on water New South Wales (Australia), Quebec We are being asked to trust an indus- related tourism and recreation (Canada), Karoo region (S. Africa) and try that is effectively saying “we only for its economic activity. It is es- in parts of the UK. polluted over there, because we were timated that 1,000 wells could allowed to, of course we won’t do that be drilled. Similar plans are also What we are primarily concerned with here because it’s against the law.” We being made for Clare. The drill- is the effect fracking may have on the are being told that we should rely on ing method that would be used groundwater. The fact that President our stiff anti-pollution regulations to in these wells is Hydraulic Gas Bush made fracking exempt from the protect us from this wanton destruc- Fracking. federal “Clean Water Act” in 2005 is a tion. This comes at a time when all big hint at its potential effects on wa- public services including environmen- Fergal S ter quality. There’s at least 11.5 million tal regulation are being cut back. With litres involved in the initial fracking of the best will in the world our state ser- What is Fracking? just one gas well. All of this water and vices definitely don’t have the man- chemicals have to be transported to and power to do this job properly. Even if Hydraulic fracturing, often called from the well heads causing a massive they did, we have an Environmental fracking or hydrofracking, is the pro- increase in traffic from the thousands Protection Agency (EPA) which is im- cess of fracturing or breaking a rock of heavy trucks needed to do this job. mune to prosecution and run by a for- layer, using a highly pressurized fluid, mer IBEC adviser who is famous for re- in order to release natural gas for ex- Another result of fracking is that meth- marks about facilitating industry with traction. This fracturing is done from a ane, brine and other fluids (some of light touch regulation. well-bore or hole, drilled directly into them radioactive) normally trapped in the rock formation. The energy from the rock layers can come to the surface The big question is: when all the mon- the injection of highly pressurized with the natural gas and these must be ey from these energy companies starts fluid creates new channels in the rock disposed of somewhere. There’s also sloshing around, what will happen to which can increase the extraction rates the problem of what to do with the mil- our regulators then? History shows us and ultimate recovery of fossil fuels. lions of gallons of waste fracking fluid. that greedy politics takes over. Where A mixture of water, sand and chemi- In the USA environmentally damaging were the regulators of the banks when cals is pumped into the rock at a very spillages of fracking fluids, diesel and we needed them most? What about high pressure and it cracks it just like a other chemicals from gas wells have the planning tribunals? Have we really windshield. The cracks go out a couple been recorded, affecting river systems learnt enough lessons from these deba- hundred feet on either side and that and drinking water wells. cles to trust that our own principles will forms the pathway for the natural gas be enough to shield us from the dam- to migrate to the well bore and up to US EPA tests have found suspected age already seen in the USA? The goal the surface. The fracture width is typi- fracking fluid chemicals in drinking of any of these private gas companies is cally maintained after the injection by water wells, and a study by the New to make money and if there is any short the sand or other particles that prevent York State Department of Environ- cut that will improve the bottom line the fractures from closing when the in- mental Conservation identified 260 then it will be taken. Ireland has the jection is stopped but still allow the gas different chemicals used in the process. smallest tax take on the exploitation of to rise through them. Companies zealously guard the secret any of its natural resources so we won’t of what exactly makes up their individ- even see any meaningful additions to Why Should We Be Worried? ual fracking fluid in the same way Coca the public purse. Cola keeps its recipe secret. Companies This process of deliberately fracturig also dump used fracking fluid back the bed-rock is very risky and unpre- beneath the surface, usually injecting dictable. At the very least it raises some it into other formations beneath the For further information and what you questions. For example what will be the shale. The long term effects of this form can do see the longer version of this effect on our groundwater? How can of deep dumping are unknown (Scien- article at FILL THIS PART IN Follow us: Facebook (facebook.com/workerssolidaritymovement) & Twitter (twitter.com/WSMIreland) WORKERS SOLIDARITY 129 Fighting for abortion rights in Contacts Workers Solidarity Movement the North PO Box 1528, Dublin 8. In the North, abortion is prohibited un- www.wsm.ie der the Offences Against the Persons Act [email protected] (1861) - with some common law excep- Organise! tions. If continuation of the pregnancy http://organise-ireland.blogspot.com/ threatens the life of the woman, or would [email protected] adversely affect her mental and physical health where the effects are ‘real and seri- Derry Anarchists ous’ or ‘long term’, are two such examples. http://derryanarchists.blogspot.com/ Maria Revolutionary Anarcha-Feminist The ‘Attitudes and practice of gynaecologists to- Group wards abortion in Northern Ireland’ survey claims PO BOX 10785, Dublin 1. that the majority of gynaecologists in Northern http://ragdublin.blogspot.com/ Ireland “do not support the current abortion law Seomra Spraoi as it stands”. Many also say they would carry out Dublin Social Centre abortions under certain conditions. Sexual health been more than willing to receive any inspections/ 10 Belvedere Court, Dublin 1.
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