U.K. oil and gas exploration company Cuadrilla has scrapped plans to use fracking technology near the village of Balcombe in Sussex. Last summer, Balcombe was the site of weeks of protests, as thousands of people voiced opposition to Cuadrilla’s presence and to an exploratory well the company drilled to see whether oil could be produced in the area. Last Thursday, Cuadrilla released a statement saying fracking would not be necessary as the rocks at the site are naturally fractured, but the announcement brought only limited relief. Green campaigner Brenda Pollock argued that the U.K. should be focusing on developing clean energy solutions. Furthermore, while fracking has been taken off the table, Cuadrilla announced that it has submitted an application for a new plan to complete flow testing of oil from the exploration well, causing some residents to feel that Cuadrilla is ignoring their concerns. For the full story, see http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/23/fracking-balcombe-site-cuadrilla.