PERHAPS Mr Challoner should give his subject a better ‘overview’, to understand why his anti-fracking meeting was sparsely attended.

The so-called risks from fracking have been grossly exaggerated by those who at heart, are not ‘pro-environment’ but anti-capitalism, and to whom fracking protests are simply a convenient ‘vehicle’ for their political ‘posing’.

The archetypical scare story that it ‘causes’ cancer, is likely to illustrate this more than anything. Cancer is also caused by excess indulgence in alcoholic drink, burning tobacco products and food.

The ‘clean’ myth about the diesel engine has ‘exploded’, with NO2 emissions (and the rest), said to cause thousands or premature deaths.

Yet look how many of these actually otiose, gross 4WD vehicles (and the ‘people carrier’) are deemed ‘absolutely essential’ for the daily commute to/from work, yet none of them ever carry more than one occupant — the driver.

Worldwide, 1.5 million deaths a year in road accidents is considered the acceptable ‘price’ to be paid for the ‘advantages’ of the car. Pollution, Mr Challoner? Find out what the word ACTUALLY means.

Fracking does not cause earthquakes; it does not pollute ground-water; it does not cause excessive leaching of methane into the atmosphere.

Paddy Keenan, Ward Close, Andover