Fracking - Expand on renewables

I am happy to hear Ms Atkins is reassured about the impacts of fracking in our county. Unfortunately after spending six months reading government and scientific reports I am far from reassured about its safety or need. There are many research papers that highlight the negative impacts fracking will have on our health and landscape.

I would suggest that Ms Atkin and anyone who has yet to decide where they stand on the issues surrounding fracking reads the Medact report ‘Health and Fracking’, the Chemtrust briefing ‘Fracking Pollution: How Toxic Chemicals from Fracking Could affect Wildlife and people in the UK and EU’ and finally ‘Shale Gas and Fracking: examining the Evidence’ by Scientists for Global responsibility . I am sure anyone that reads these report from recognised health and scientific professionals will not be keen to support fracking in the UK.

Is Ms Atkinson aware that the industry will rely heavily on self regulation and reporting? Hardly the gold standard of regulation we have been assured of.

Ms Atkins argues that gas is running out when in fact in 2015 the biggest discovery of North Sea gas in a decade was made. The Royal Academy of Engineering argues that “it is unlikely that shale gas or oil will have a significant impact on the UK energy system by 2030”. I would argue that time effort and public money would be better spent improving and expanding the renewables sector rather than trying to squeeze the last bit of gas out of a hole in the ground.

Sharron Harris

Snitterby Carr