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As Europe gives Russia a week’s grace to reverse its military actions in Ukraine or face a new round of sanctions, the oil industry just carries on investing with Russia regardless.

As so often in the past, where America leads, the UK obligingly and belligerently follows. It has been widely known for months that Britain was going to open up vast swathes of its densely-populated land for fracking, but now we have confirmation.

The percentage of people who support fracking is now below 50 per cent in both the UK and US and is continuing to decline. Conversely the amount of people opposed to the controversial technique continues to grow.

As the evidence mounts that fracking is causing chronic air pollution and health problems, American civil society organisations are pressuring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action.

The British Government is set to unleash a fracking frenzy across large parts of the country as politicians try and replicate the American energy revolution.

As the debate on fracking heats up in the UK, politicians are keen to point out that the process is safe. The influential Conservative MP Peter Lilley appeared on TV the other night and arrogantly dismissed any concerns with fracking. “Any problems with the environment, safety and health can be satisfactorily managed”, he told the audience.

It maybe early in a new year, but already new research has been published which raises serious health concerns about fracking. What is most worrying about this research is that it shows that the controversial drilling technique could be impacting the most-at-risk in our society: new born babies.

Leading scientists and American politicians are worried that the the US is trying to undermine the EU's landmark Fuel Quality Directive

As First Nations continue to fight fracking in New Brunswick, the neighbouring provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador has halted the controversial drilling technique.