BRITAIN-ENERGY-ENVIRONMENT-FRACKING-PROTEST

Protestors demonstrate outside Lancashire County Hall in Preston, north west England, on June 24, 2015 against the applications from energy firm Cuadrilla to start two fracking operations on nearby sites. Lancashire County Council deferred until next week their decision on of one of two applications from energy firm Cuadrilla to start fracking operations at the nearby Little Plumpton site. Fracking or hydraulic fracturing is a process used to extract shale gas by blasting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand and chemicals deep underground to release hydrocarbons trapped between layers of rock. AFP PHOTO / PAUL ELLIS (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)