SPAIN-ENERGY-FRACKING-PROTEST

Demonstrators gather to take part in a protest against "fracking" called by the Merindades anti-fracking platform and demanding a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing in the northern Spanish town of Medina de Pomar on May 3, 2015. 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. Environmentalists argue that the process may contaminate ground water and even cause small earthquakes. Banned in some countries in Europe, this technology is widely used in the United States, helping to keep down energy costs. AFP PHOTO / CESAR MANSO (Photo credit should read CESAR MANSO/AFP via Getty Images)