To think fracking is on balance a good thing...

[Flashbangandgone]

... And that the benefits of the UK being 'energy independent' from an economic perspective (with the impact that would have on daily lives) and strategically (ensuring we were no longer so dependent on oil-rich dictatorships in the Middle-east) are underplayed.

Yes, we need to develop renewable energy but that doesn't preclude a degree of fracking. As for the other issues - (incredibly minor) earth tremors etc - they seem to be exaggerated above all proportion, seemingly to promote the aims of the campaigners with a narrow 'renewables only' position on energy they know wouldn't actually wash with the general public if they knew the dramatic consequences to their lifestyles this would lead to.

So I assume, on balance, you wouldn't mind a fracking operation in your back garden?

We can rely on Chinese money to build nuclear power.. Or import gas from that kind Mr Putin.. You know him, he is the nice person who invaded Ukraine.

Or we can rely on so called renewables and have no power in mid winter when ther is no wind and no sunlight.

You can store solar power in hydrogen. Which is going to take a bit of doing, but it's better than screwing up the deep geology and poisoning the water table.

So I assume, on balance, you wouldn't mind a fracking operation in your back garden?

I wouldn't be keen... But then I wouldn't be keen on a wind farm either. I'm not arguing that careful planning doesn't need to occur to minimise the impact.

But on balance i want reliable reasonably priced energy, and fracking may be part of that solution imo

I doubt think fracking operations are ever put in anyone's back garden. I probably wouldn't want to live next door (i.e. within yards) of any sort of industrial usage. But a couple of hundred yards away and hidden by trees would be fine. Is anyone being asked to put up with worse than that?

Theoretician

Exactly... Lots of hysteria about this.

The reason fracking is supported by communities elsewhere in Europe, same as wind power, is that the local community gets definite benefits. They really are all in it together. Locally lower energy rates and compensation on a village level. In the UK the principle of private property is so well entrenched that people expect to keep all the money if the operation is on their land regardless of disruption to others. If we are forced to resort to benefits so nebulous and diluted to the national level regardless of proximity to these operations then they will never be supported and that is entirely understandable