Scores of Abergavenny residents and visitors joined Abergavenny & Crickhowell Friends of the Earth on High Street on Saturday July 7 calling for a ban on fracking in Wales. One of a number of stalls and events around the country for Wales Against Fracking Day, the local environment group collected signatures for a petition asking the Welsh Government to ban the controversial process of "fracking", which extracts natural gas from rock strata by pumping water and chemicals underground. More than a million people in Wales live in areas at risk from fracking which include virtually the whole of South East Wales, and there have already been a number of applications for test drillings. Rod Walters of Abergavenny and Crickhowell Friends of the Earth, said, "The row over fracking is a defining moment in the fight against climate change. Backing fracking would be to open up a new source of fossil fuels and would be at the expense of the rapid development of renewable energy that is needed". He paid tribute to local groups such as Llangattock Green Valleys that have launched community renewable energy projects in the Abergavenny area but said a massive hike in commitment and investment is also needed from the UK and Welsh Governments. Mr Walters said, "They can do much more to encourage community-owned local schemes such as small-hydro, solar or anaerobic-digester plants. There are over 6,800 anaerobic digesters in Germany. How many in Wales? "We're asking the First Minister to call a moratorium on fracking. The Welsh Government has full control over planning, so they are able to stop it."  If anybody would like to add their name to the petition or know more about the campaign, they can phone Rod Walters at 01873 854404."