J KITCHING in the Gazette & Herald assured us that the gas extraction industry and the relevant regulatory bodies would not take dangerous risks that could harm the local population or environment. “Temporary inconvenience – not danger”, was to be our re-assurance.

So, we should not worry because: The banks surely wouldn’t do anything illegal or immoral that could cause a worldwide recession; the pharmaceutical companies wouldn’t market a new drug that could cause birth deformities without proper trials; the chemical firms wouldn’t release insecticides/fungicides that decimate our bee population.

Still, the regulatory body (the government) will save us from the curse of Fracking. Hang on, wasn’t it our government that went to war in Iraq due to these weapons of mass destruction?

Thank heavens our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are protected by law. A cause for celebration, until we learn that fracking will be allowed in “exceptional circumstances” whatever that means.

Still the House of Lords will come to our rescue. Lord Howell can’t really have said in a debate about fracking that in the desolate North East fracking could take place well away from anybody’s residence.

Surely local government will rescue us, after all my local parish council have put out the statement “we do not support the principle of shale gas development in Ryedale because of the risks involved”. Then in Parish Council News we learn that a local councillor wished to register her objection to a donation they accepted from TESLA.

In the pursuit of profits what is right flies out of the window and the granting of fracking licences will be another horrific example. It’s much harder to make millions from wind turbines and solar panel farms so they will be allowed/encouraged to wither on the vine.

Private Frazer from Dad’s Army was right: “We’re doomed.”

Alan Vowles, Hovingham