DRILLING for oil in the South Downs National Park always had a slightly surreal feel. This sort of thing happens in Texas or Siberia. But the infrastructure on the Matterley Estate has been in place for some 15 years although dormant for several years after the price of oil fell. Now IGas Energy wants to revive its operation.

It would be wrong for several reasons. One is that a national park, an area of great beauty, is not the place for such activity. A second is that we are facing a global crisis fuelled by the use of fossil fuel over the last two centuries. Many people argue that the amount of oil extracted at Matterley will be so minuscule that it will make no difference. That misses the point. Everyone knows that for this crisis to be tackled the Chinese and the Indians must take action. But we cannot expect them to whilst the UK carries on much as before.

READ MORE HERE: Plans to revive dormant oil well on Matterley Estate

We have to wake up to the fact that the world has changed and we must change too. This country has stopped digging coal even though there are huge reserves still under the ground. We should be thinking in the same way about oil and gas. The flip side is that we will have to get used to the fact that wind turbines, solar farms and the untapped power of the sea will be as great a feature of the countryside as electricity pylons.

You may disagree. Feel free to write a letter for publication at letters@hampshirechronicle.co.uk.