A FURTHERANCE of the fracking agenda of the petrochemical and gas industries will come at the expense of renewables, which, given the direct and indirect funding which the fossil fuel industry receives, could meet much of the West’s energy needs within a relatively short period of time.

Shale gas is not needed as a bridging fuel: to argue so is specious and obfuscatory.

Many people, however, will be less aware of the need to be vigilant now in protecting the planet against those clauses in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) which is now under consideration with a view to early ratification.

It will further the fracking agenda and make it possible for industry to override national legislation in the interests of business and industrial so-called competitive fairness. A national requirement, for example, that fracking fluids be fully declared at all stages could well fall foul of such TTIP provisions – a frontal assault on national autonomy!

It was recently reported that Exxon Mobil, anxious to exploit shale gas in the southern hemisphere, has been told by the EU Trade Commissioner that TTIP would facilitate the removal of obstacles to the development of fossil fuel extraction in South America and in Africa.

Let us hope that many will not wish to be a party either to the demise of what remains of UK autonomy, or indeed to the gratuitous endangering of the planet.

Our MEPs need to be made aware of our feelings in these respects.

David Cragg-James, Stonegrave, York