LETTER: Fracking is not the answer to climate change

A recent study by NASA has found that the oil and gas industry is increasing the burden of methane in the atmosphere by 17 million tons per year. Another study found as follows: “Our analysis of recent peer-reviewed methane research and other data sources reveals that intentional emissions (venting), equipment leaks and other unintentional sources (fugitive emissions), and the combustion of gas (flaring) results in New Mexico’s oil and gas operators emitting 570,000 tons of methane every year – equivalent to the climate impact of approximately 12 coal-fired power plants.”

It is absolutely clear fracking is not the answer to climate change. In a terrible act of betrayal this shameful Government withdrew funding from the pioneering tidal lagoon power plant in Wales.

Tidal power could contribute 35 per cent per cent of the UK energy needs and is sustainable and pollution free. The UK could have become world leaders. A blind act of stupidity or much worse.

Chris Clayton,

Hempland Drive, York

Living With Fracking is shocking snapshot

The Government is proposing to re-classify fracking as a “permitted development” thus removing the democratic right of local communities to have their say on planning permissions. The public consultation closes on October 25.

On Friday I attended a meeting hosted by Frack Free York & Villages in Strensall Village Hall and watched again the film Living With Fracking made by two Ryedale residents, Steve and Jo White, after a visit to Pennsylvania. It’s shocking.

Threats in the UK include:

l the industry needs to operate on a huge scale to make it worthwhile – an estimated 6,100 well pads, meaning one each day for the next 15 years

l pie in the sky standards which will not be enforceable due to staff shortages in the Department of the Environment

l water contamination risks

l noise and noxious gases from compressor stations and processing plants

l house prices will drop when industry moves in

l 60-70 heavy trucks each day to each well pad

l gas pipelines marring our countryside

Cllr Andrew Waller let us know that York council has just confirmed that they will continue to implement local planning decisions with a 500 metre buffer zone around any proposed fracking operations, despite the Government’s attempt to make fracking a “permitted development” on a par with a garden shed.

Say what you think of this in the public consultation which closes on October 25. Email shaleconsultation@communities.gsi.gov.uk.

Sue Lister,

Dunnington, York

Let’s hear benefits of carbon dioxide

THERE are three types of debate in relation to Earth’s climate, which in ascending order of publicity are facts, predictions and religion.

Carbon dioxide and temperature levels have risen since the industrial revolution, fact. Predictions about how hot Earth will become in future are far less certain. No model can ever hope to accurately predict something so complex, even weather forecasts become useless beyond a fortnight.

The religion gets most attention and its fundamental belief, a concept so contrary to the scientific method, is that climate change is inherently evil. Given that Earth’s climate is constantly in a state of flux without human intervention, this ideology deserves to be challenged.

A few questions I would pose are: what is the optimum temperature and carbon dioxide level for the Earth and who gets to dictate (or tax) them? If we could select any levels we liked, why would we assume those in 1800 were somehow superior to any other from history?

By burning fossil fuels we merely return carbon to the place where plant life first found it, the atmosphere. In return we get the finest October I can remember and a planet which is now considerably greener.

Yes, we should discuss the problems, but the positive benefits of carbon dioxide should be given a fair hearing.

Dr Scott Marmion, Woodthorpe, York