Calories In Honey Bunches Of Oats

Villeneuve de Berg in Ardeche: Start versus shale gas

20,000 people in the Ardeche to say "Stop shale gas"

Several thousand people, including José Bové, converged Saturday Ardèche for the first national rally against the exploitation of shale gas, despite the announcement by the Minister Environment of the suspension of work.

Behind the slogan "No gazaran" between 10,000 (according to the prefecture) and 20,000 people (according to the organizers) did, the time one afternoon, the small village of Villeneuve Berg epicenter of the growing opposition to the operation of the gas trapped at 3,000 meters below earth.

foot, bike, stroller, car or bus, a diverse crowd and friendly, came from throughout France, gathered on a rest area at edge of the road, closed to traffic, saying "Stop shale gas."

Below, the plain Mirabel, farms, vineyards, crops, camping. In the distance, the mountains so dear to Jean Ferrat. Here, "they may drill two wells" and erect a flare to burn the gas, said William Vermorel, caver and one of the initiators rally.

Manufacturers Total Schuepbach Energy and GDF-Suez, which has obtained a permit to explore 930 km2 around Villeneuve. Two other permits, called Nant (Aveyron) and Montelimar (Drôme), were granted in March 2010 by the services of the former environment minister, Jean-Louis Borloo.

The department is trying to save time

front sling growing local and regional representatives, residents and environmentalists, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet early February announced the suspension of works exploration pending the findings of an evaluation mission of environmental issues, in June.

Main concerns of opponents: the pollution of groundwater and damage to rural activities and tourism.

To extract the gas, it is actually drill wells every 200 meters and inject millions of m3 of water mixed with sand and chemicals to free the gas particles.

Even "the community has nothing to gain, except that it will maintain the roads damaged by trucks, "insisted Mr Vermorel.

For José Bové, MEP Ecology Europe, spearheading the protest and present at the gathering, the exploitation of these deposits is the question of" waste energy " .

"It is time to ask how we make energy more efficient, renewable and non-destructive to the environment," argues former Larzac.

In his eyes, there is only one way to mobilize, born a few weeks "contempt of citizens and elected" by the government and business who "play the sorcerer's apprentice": the repeal of the permit.

To support their struggle, the various departmental group have also set up Saturday morning at Valencia in national coordination.

In the crowd, white beard and long hair, Alain Gibert, Mayor Rocles ecologist, says that "the same thing happening with GMOs: people are not consulted." And mayors either. Then, in his commune of 240 inhabitants Ardèche, he took as against GMOs, an order prohibiting the operation of the gas.

To date, the prefecture has still not disputed. And cultivation of GMOs is prohibited in France.

APIS (photos Gilles Warnery Die)