Time for MP Kevin Hollinrake to answer these questions over fracking - Yorkshire Post Letters

I HAVE written the following letter to Thirsk and Malton MP Kevin Hollinrake over fracking.

Cornell University has pointed to the massive atmospheric methane spike coterminous with American fracking activities.

Nottingham University has published research evidence suggesting a considerable overestimate of UK extractable gas reserves.

A seismic event at Preston New Road measuring 1:55 on the Richter scale resulted recently in Cuadrilla’s shutting down the well for the stipulated time. Another tremor measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale was recorded last weekend.

The 6th Edition of the Compendium of Scientific, Medical and Media Findings Demonstrating Risks and Harms of Fracking appeared in June, adding to the existing substantial corpus of documented harms linked with fracking.

The first two reports mentioned above have their critics, primarily of course from the industry. Nevertheless, they are bona fide scientific papers and accepted as such by academia.

Does none of this give you pause for thought, Mr Hollinrake?

Do you really believe that the industry can still take off in this country given global gas prices, falling investment, public opinion, density of population?

Are you sanguine about the many hundreds of reports of harm linked to fracking and listed in the Compendium?

Are you still convinced that fossil-fuel energy security is anything but a chimera?

Do you still think that money is better spent on developing this industry than on all-out support for the cheap alternative, onshore wind, together with the other proven renewable options?

Is it still your opinion that a new UK fossil fuel industry offers more, and more sustainable job opportunities than those available in supported renewables?

Do you persist in thinking that the industry will not control our “world class” regulatory framework should your Brexit drive us into the welcoming, if interested, arms of the US in order that we might retain our “sovereignty”?

I confess, Mr Hollinrake, that an affirmative answer to all of these questions would put considerable strain on my credulity. There is more at stake here than the industrialisation of Ryedale. This is your chance to stand with the people on the right side of history. The catastrophe slowly engulfing us from the Amazon provides a timely reminder that your choice has to be made now.