Government’s fracking ‘ban’ is merely an election stunt - Yorkshire Post letters

AS we enter an election campaign, the Government wastes no time in finally announcing a moratorium on fracking (The Yorkshire Post, November 2). This is welcome.

Fracking to be banned in UK until it is shown to be safe, government announces

All who have urged Kevin Hollinrake, who represents Thirsk and Malton, to condemn fracking and to support renewable energy instead will be dismayed by his colleague Andrea Leadsom’s insistence, as Business Secretary, that fracking must remain an option for the future.

If her views reflect the government’s true position, then the moratorium is merely an electoral stunt.

Does Mr Hollinrake also still see fracking as an opportunity? Or does he now accept the industry should be closed down?

Will he also condemn the importation of fracked gas from the USA?

This dangerous and polluting industry should be terminated everywhere, not just here.

From: Dick Lindley, Altofts, Normanton.

I WAS amazed to read that this Tory government has stopped all fracking in the UK.

Why Yorkshire’s fight on fracking is far from over

We have huge reserves of gas and coal in this country but we prefer to import our energy requirements from corrupt nations whose records on human rights have more in common with those of Communist or Fascist dictatorships than with a civilised nation such as the UK.

Who amongst us, apart from a few unemployed ecowarriors, would not enjoy cheap oil, gas and coal to meet our needs without importing them from foreign states?

When the world inevitably explodes into conflict, when oil tankers on the high seas are targeted by terrorists, when those under sea gas pipelines are smashed by hostile submarines and when we have insufficient energy to run our homes and our industries, the truth will finally become apparent – that we were complete idiots not to exploit our own huge energy reserves here in the UK rather than relying on foreign imports.