What happens when the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining, do we just sit back and wait for the lights to go out?

I totally agree that the majority of anti-fracking campaigners are either ignorant or hypocrites. Unfortunately the fact is that this country cannot produce all its energy requirements from so called renewable “green” energy resources alone. What happens when the wind stops blowing and the sun stops shining, do we just sit back and wait for the lights to go out? Neither can we rely on other unstable countries like Russia and the Middle East to provide us with cheap, reliable oil and gas supplies. Apart from fracking, which is actually another name for drilling for shale gas, the only other long term viable energy source is nuclear power, and we are all too familiar with the environmental issues with that alternative.

There are environmental and physical dangers associated with most industrial operations, but the technology is there to make sure that shale gas extraction can be done safely with minimal damage to the environment, and legislation can be put in place to control this.

We all want our modern way of life and home comforts mainly provided by cheap fossil fuels from abroad, which few of us are prepared to give up, but there is a price to pay. No one wants a drilling rig in their back yard, but sadly it is inevitable that this will happen in the near future.

However much the anti-fracking campaigners protest, and whether people want it or not, due to economic pressures any government in power will have no alternative but to ensure that the extraction of shale gas goes ahead in the UK. Instead of playing party politics and throwing insults at each other during Council meetings our local councillors and MPs should wake up and be united in encouraging the gas exploration companies to look for shale gas in the region. If and when viable gas supplies are found then our politicians should work hard to make sure that the jobs and financial benefits are shared with the local population to bring prosperity and full employment back to the people of Lancashire.

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