We Need to Talk About Fracking - The London Debate
Channel: Talk Fracking
Date: 2014-07-02

This is a record of the full London "Debate" held on 16th June 2014 at Central Hall, Westminster and chaired by Jon Snow.

Because invited industry and government fracking proponents were unwilling or unable to come to the event, it took the form of a panel discussion, chaired by Jon Snow, with questions and comments from the audience. 

Scientist, Nick Riley MBE, a geologist who believes fracking is a necessary and useful transition technology, was given time to speak from the floor, as was Cuadrilla's PR representative, Mark Linder. As these were the only two pro-frackers willing to attend it seemed unfair to pit them against a panel of five anti-frackers, and so they were given extra time to speak from the floor.

The panel comprised UK activist Tina-Louise Rothery, US campaigner Elizabeth Arnold, Ecological Futurologist Paul Mobbs, Diplomat John Ashton CBE, who was for many years the Special Representative for Climate Change at the FCO, Millie Darling from the Youth Climate Coalition, and Michael Stein, founder of the Triliion Fund, a major renewables peer-to-peer investment platform.

There were also speeches from businessman Joseph Corre, and his mother Vivienne Westwood, who provided much of the funding for the debate tour through the Humanade charity.

The debate was well-attended by a capacity audience of 400 people.