Unbelievable. Last night -- and in the face of enormous local opposition -- fracking firm Third Energy was given the green light to frack in North Yorkshire.

The village of Kirby Misperton, Ryedale sits on the edge of the beautiful North York Moors. It’s a tranquil, rural setting that welcomes 4.5 million visitors a year in search of peace and nature. Now local people face having that peace shattered with the noise, pollution and traffic that fracking will bring.

Third Energy - knowing it’s backed by a government that is ‘going all out for shale’ - is determined to go ahead with its plan. But the local community has said loud and clear that they don’t want to be fracked, so let’s support them.

Fracking involves driving a high-pressure mix of chemicals, sand and water into rock in order to release the natural gas trapped there. It’s been linked to earthquakes and poisoned, flammable drinking water. And of course burning fossil fuels causes climate change.

The technique was banned for a year in 2011 after it caused earth tremors near Blackpool. This is the first time fracking’s been approved since the ban was lifted and sets a dangerous precedent clearing the way for fracking across the country.

Local residents were out in their hundreds to demonstrate outside the County Hall while councillors inside were hearing evidence. Over 4000 submissions have been made to the council - with only 36 in favour of Third Energy’s fracking plans - from the local community. And yet Third Energy is riding roughshod over their views and wants to force fracking on them.

SumOfUs members members from Alaska to Australia have stood up to the fossil fuels industry. Just last week we saw BP’s application to drill off the coast of Australia rejected. And thousands of us stood up against the tar sands industry threatening the environment and livelihoods of people in Canada. The people of Ryedale have vowed to fight this decision to allow fracking --  let’s stand with them.