I would like to add my voice to those of Dr Alex Clayton, Chair of WiACC, and Cllr Jackie Porter in their protest against plans to probe within the South Downs National Park with view to fracking for oil and gas.

The Planning Inspectorate displays either their ignorance or their cupidity in saying “There is no dispute between the parties that there is a national need for onshore oil and gas, as part of a diverse and secure energy supply”.

This has been exposed as an obvious deceit since all such finds will be traded on the international market, within which the UK is a customer in competition with other nations. The only commercial benefits would go to those with shares in fossil fuel companies.

Those familiar with the fuel markets know full well that the cheapest form of energy generation is on-shore wind farms followed by solar collectors. The intermittency of these supplies can be balanced by investing in the totally reliable lunar power of tidal currents, in which potential energy source the UK has a world advantage.

Fracking is the dirtiest of all energy sources, worse than coal. Not only does it release methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more powerful than CO2, but in the toxic chemicals, including methanol, ethylene glycol, and propargyl alcohol which are added to the water pumped into the earth's fissures.

And need I point out that we inhabit an area of UK with high water stress. Where is this contaminated water to be discharged once it is pumped back up?

Probably into our precious chalk rivers, of unique world importance for wildlife, ensuring the extermination of what has survived Southern Water’s discharges of untreated sewage.

Kate Macintosh,
West End Terrace,
Winchester 

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