Caroline Lucas, the country’s first Green MP, and London’s Green MEP Jean Lambert will be in Croydon this afternoon to highlight the threat of fracking in the capital.

Lambert and Lucas will visit a potential fracking site just a few minutes’ walk from East Croydon Station.

MP Caroline Lucas at an anti-fracking protest in Sussex in 2013: today, she’s speaking in Croydon

Lucas is a leading voice in the campaign against fracking. Last August, the Brighton Pavilion MP was arrested during a peaceful protest at the exploratory drilling site in Balcombe, West Sussex, but was subsequently cleared of all charges.

In 2008, an exploratory fracking drilling licence was issued for an area encompassing Croydon, Bromley, Sutton, Mitcham and Epsom.

“Many people aren’t aware that fracking is a threat not just to our countryside, but to our capital too. It’s absurd to even consider drilling for shale gas in our overcrowded city,” Lambert said.

“With London’s pollution at dangerous levels, instead of taking action to clean up our air, the UK Government and London Mayor just stick their heads in the soil – looking for more pollutants to dig up.

“Fracking is not a quick-fix solution to our energy needs – it’s a distraction from the clean green solutions we need. It keeps us dependent on fossil-fuels, accelerates climate change, and threatens the local environment with risks to drinking water supplies, air and noise pollution.

“Rather than of listening to the oil and gas lobby, governments must listen to the climate scientists and halt this damaging dash for shale gas.

“Greens in Europe are calling for fracking to be stopped across the continent, and until this happens we are working to close the gaps in EU fracking regulation to better protect our air, soil and landscapes. We need more Greens in Europe to make sure energy policy moves in the right direction.

“We also need more Greens across the capital to keep London a frack-free zone. Only Greens will put public health before corporate wealth.”

Inside Croydon’s recent coverage of the local elections:

• Threat of UKIP forces Tories to press the panic button
• WEST THORNTON: Tories forget to include entire ward in election ad
• NEW ADDINGTON’s Royston Vasey “are you local” campaign
• CROHAM: Scouring campaign for something which might inspire
• These are the councillors who voted to build on a public park
• Questions mount over political influence at council
• What Barwell fails to tell you and the myths of Council Tax
• Council allowances and local politicians’ secret consensus
• The list of candidates for the May 22 local elections

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  Coming to Croydon

  • South Norwood local election hustings, May 12
  • Thornton Heath local election hustings, May 14
  • Norwood Society Talk: West Norwood – a place of change, May 15
  • David Lean Cinema: The Invisible Woman, May 15
  • Broad Green local election hustings, May 15
  • Coulsdon West local election hustings, May 16
  • Mrs McMoon and Signor Baffo at Stanley Halls, May 17
  • Croydon RFC charity memorial day, May 17
  • Warehouse International Palywriting Festival, May 17-18
  • Coulsdon East local election hustings, May 19
  • St Giles’ primary school open morning, May 21
  • David Lean Cinema: The Rocket, May 22
  • Greek Myths: stories and mask-making, May 27
  • Howard Marks: Scholar, Smuggler, Prisoner, Scribe, May 29
  • David Lean Cinema: Dallas Buyers Club, May 29
  • Tales from Ancient Greece, Upper Norwood Library, May 29
  • Upper Norwood Library Book Club, May 31
  • Stitch Pitch quilting workshop, Upper Norwood Library, June 2
  • Croydon Tech City “summit”, June 6
  • Lakes Playground Action Group fun day, June 14
  • Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, June 15
  • Norwood Society Talk: The Concrete Church, June 19
  • Classic Car Show at Purley Rotary Fields, June 22
  • Crystal Palace Overground Festival, June 26-29
  • South Norwood Allotments open day, June 28
  • Elm Tree Cottage garden open day, Aug 10
  • Norwood Society Talk: War Memorials, Sep 18
  • Norwood Society Talk: From Fire Station to Theatre, Oct 16
  • Norwood Society Talk: Lambeth’s Archives, Nov 20

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  Inside Croydon: Croydon’s only independent news source, based in the heart of the borough: 72,342 average monthly page views (Jan-Mar 2014)

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