YP Letters: Stop making excuses for fracking campers' poor behaviour

Anti-fracking protester Tim Thornton at the Kirby Misperton protest camp.

I WISH to respond briefly to the three letters (The Yorkshire Post, January 7), aimed as responses to my original letter from December 31.

Mr Pickles speaks of a moral compass related to climate change. The Climate Change Committee stated that we could meet our 2050 carbon targets if three tests were met when using our own shale gas.

He says we should keep fossil fuels in the ground, a fashionable phrase.

The protest camp at Kirby Misperton uses gas and fossil fuel-powered generators. They are now living the dream in a field they took without permission, finding themselves unable to live without fossil fuels whilst campaigning against them.

Jon Mager talks of East Coast erosion, presumably blaming climate change. For centuries the coast has suffered erosion. He praises India covering 10 sq km with solar panels and then campaigns against a two hectare shale gas well pad in the equivalent area. He may feel wind and solar will be our energy saviours, but we live in one of the darkest countries in the world and wind produces less than 10 per cent of our power. This ties in with Anne Stewart’s letter fearing industrialisation of the countryside.

What do they think wind and solar farms do? They offer no feasible solutions, just excuses for poor and inconsiderate behaviour by a transient group who took a field without permission.

From: June Smith, Pottergate, Helmsley.

I VISITED the protection camp at Kirby Misperton and was greeted with smiles, warmth and friendship and offers of tea and food. The camp was tidy and organised.

How grateful Ryedale residents should be to these folk who are taking a stand against the fracking industry to protect our stunningly beautiful countryside. They are protecting what we have for our children and future generations. I urge residents and our local MP Kevin Hollinrake to pay them a visit.

From: Russell Scott, Ryedale and London.

YOU reported (The Yorkshire Post, January 5) on the worrying news that Third Energy, the company with permission to commence fracking in Kirby Misperton, had yet again failed to file its accounts on time. One must surely question how Third can afford to frack at KM8 and more importantly pay for any clean-up should an environmental incident occur.