YP Letters: Fracking '“ the climate change clock is ticking

LORRAINE Allanson’s letter in support of fracking captures why it is so hard for all of us to respond appropriately to climate change (The Yorkshire Post, April 18).

Despite a few weeks that have veered between the Beast from the East to unseasonable heatwaves, the ‘weirding’ of the weather is still only a passing inconvenience.

But it is changing radically and nearly all climate scientists tell us we don’t have anything like several decades of ‘very comfortable lives’ left to change – 20 years is pushing it.

The second problem is a sense of powerlessness: as Lorraine rightly says, fossil fuels are everywhere.

As I learned at a recent conference on climate and the heritage industry, the most positive thing the public can do about climate change is talk about it: those most worried (women under 30) are the least likely to mention it.

We have seen how the public response to Blue Planet II drove the Government from indifference to plastic pollution to consultations and action virtually overnight.

We can achieve the same for our energy needs: there are many climate-friendly alternatives to fracking – but they need Government investment. To renew our energy system we need not apathy and resignation, but for everyone to raise their voices for change, whether it’s on social media, or chatting in the pub.

A huge sense of community has developed around opposition to fracking.

We should build on this and make Yorkshire a leader towards a better energy future.

From: Claire Holtham, East Brow Road, Pickering.

LORRAINE Allinson’s letter says “common sense dictates that it will take several decades to fully replace fossil fuels due to the major role they play in our very comfortable lives”. And then she uses that to argue for continued fossil fuels use and fracking. Surely that’s nonsense?

Dare I suggest that if it’s going to take a long time to swap over to clean energy that we need to start now?

Of course (at the moment) we can’t avoid fossil fuels. But putting our time, effort and investment into developing clean energy is the real common sense.

From: David Schofield, Highfield Drive, Garforth.

OVER the past couple of years, The Yorkshire Post letters page has been dominated by two highly emotive topics – fracking and Brexit.

Many letters have been written with passion and, in some cases, venom, but, interestingly, neither has actually got under way yet.

In the case of fracking, one side tell us it will lead to untold damage to health and the environment, while the other side tell us it will slash our energy costs, making us all better off.

My suggestion is to begin fracking as soon as possible at a designated site, and the operation should be closely monitored by people from both sides of the argument.

If the extraction of shale gas is successful, then all well and good and, conversely, if it brings serious health and environmental issues, then close it down immediately. End of argument!

In the case of Brexit, again so much rhetoric and hot air has been generated by both sides, but it does seem to me that many of our politicians from both sides are more interested in scoring political points rather than respecting the wishes of the electorate.

For my part, I voted in favour of Brexit, and on balance, I still hold that view, but I have one concern.

As I am about to become a septuagenarian, will I still be eligible to claim my free European alpine ski pass?

From: Jarvis Browning, Main Street, Fadmoor, York.

WHEN will the House of Commons and the House of Lords respect the wish of ordinary voters to leave the EU? No ifs, no buts or compromise (Bernard Ingham, The Yorkshire Post, April 25). There is a bigger world outside the bureaucratic EU.

Disgrace over Windrush

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

IN his thoughtful history of the Windrush affair, Mike Smith suggests that those who are trying to establish their citizenship would not get 
much help from “tick-box officialdom” (The Yorkshire Post, April 25).

I suspect he’s right; but if the good ship Empire Windrush had come from Australia, laden with those of Anglo-Saxon heritage, would those boxes have been ticked – or not – with quite the same vigour?

The last few years have been polluted with the inherent nastiness of Ukip and Brexit.

Is it such a bad thing that this disgraceful episode has come to a head now?

Indestructible amphibian

From: Keith Wigglesworth, Mead Way, Highburton, Huddersfield.

IT was interesting to 
read in Picture Past of 
the toad which was found encased in coal when sinking the shaft for Morley mine (The Yorkshire Post, May 24).

Many years ago, when preparing to lay some block paving in the garden, I was digging over hard, compressed soil that had been untouched for a number of years, when I spotted a movement in the dug-out soil.

Carefully breaking up 
the soil with my hands, I 
found a toad that had been buried about six inches deep 
and was totally encased in solid clay and soil.

It sat there for around five minutes and then hopped off into the hedge.

I can only assume that, 
like the toad in the coal, 
it had been in suspended animation for years. Quite amazing!