Letter: Fracking is not the answer to our needs
Are we selling our environmental souls? There is no public support for fracking. 'The greenest Government ever' is losing the argument as local communities see the dangers of fracking.
Having had their statements on lower energy bills and job creation totally discredited they resort to putting local councils under pressure to accept money, when vital services are being cut drastically.
They allow a French company to take a share in the drilling operations at Gainsborough when the French government have said no to fracking! How ludicrous is that.
There will not be earthquakes and the claims of water pollution are over stated (but not unfounded). Let's ask ourselves what we are committing our communities to if Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin Councils allow fracking in our area.
If shale gas is found under our homes then our community will be overrun with tankers as water is trucked in and many well heads are built and our environment is threatened by chemical pollution.
Will the one per cent of profit paid to our councils be enough to compensate for the damaged environment and pollution?
We should keep our fossil fuels in the ground, invest in clean renewable energy (which includes many things not just wind and solar), provide jobs to insulate our houses and create energy efficiency. Shale gas is cleaner than coal but it will stop us doing what we need to be doing to ensure a clean, secure energy future.
Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Councils must say no to this Government's madness.
Phil Harrison, West Midlands Green Party
