http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23505723

I've no problem with the suggestion he's making, just that he's the one making it

I've no problem with fracking at all. I know enough about it to see through all the Greenpeace bull [LIFTED], scare mongering and paranoia.

If this is such a great idea start in government controlled areas and let them reap the benefits from the next election.

I do not have any problems with the drilling, but the problems are methane leakages which is an even more of a green house gas than carbon dioxide. Then there is the problem of what is actually used to frack the rock. If the ingredients were not so dangerous that would not be an issue, but they are hiding behind corporate secrecy to not disclose what is actually in the mix. Then there is the problem of the sheer volumes of water that is used. We have had a lot of droughts in much of the country and diverting water away from domestic uses for fracking is something that will need to be addressed at some point. Then there is the recent concern that limiting global temperatures will not be enough and that there may be no benefits long term from using this gas at all, if it accelerates the global warming.

I don't have a problem with how he said it, IIRC Northumberland and Cumbria are the least densly populated counties and there are bits where there is a huge amount of poorly utilised land.

I do have a problem with how it was said.

Yes but it also depends on the impact on the water supply. Northumberland is a huge reservoir for the North, if that was polluted it changes the economics of the economy.

They are trying to start fracking around the town where I work. There are huge protests at the moment.

I have a feeling the difference is the protests in Germany might actually get somewhere. The idea this UK government would put the interests of voters ahead of their own is naive at best.

I had never heard of fracking was until it was mentioned in a book I was reading recently and now it's all over the papers.

Jeremy Vine discussing it on radio 2 now

There was a very good Horizon program on this not long ago

In the UK they are required to provide the info as to what is in the chemicals (unlike the US)
The methane escaping into the water supply seems to be where they have cut corners when lining the bore hole
As for the global warming - I guess if this replaced coal then its less CO2 polluting

Finally would I prefer a fracking well (that will power a gas turbine station somewhere) near my house or a few dozen wind turbines

Dozen? More like a few thousand to equal the power from a reasonable gas field.

Don't worry, it's nowhere near as bad as southern water, even if it was polluted

Each gas field has quite a lot of wells though.

I saw that programme. There was the case of a woman who had some illness - but her doctor could not tell,her the cause, or indeed anyone else who could have the specialism to treat it, because she (the doctor) was compelled to sign an NDA in order to make a diagnosis. So the patient is continuing to suffer as a result of *something* that her GP is unable to disclose to anyone. This is down to commercial secrets surrounding the chemicals used in the fracking process.