I READ with great interest the views of Mr Malthouse (Conservative candidate) on fracking in his letter on 5 September, 2014. He attempted to mollify all sides of the argument in order to garner votes. It is not clear whether he is pro or anti fracking.

The indecisiveness was matched by ignorance of the science and the “viable alternatives”.

The basic law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; energy can only be transformed from one form to another.

Mr Malthouse opined that “there are surely more intelligent ways to make energy”.

Energy cannot be created or made! He identified hydrogen/ fuel cells but omitted how the hydrogen was manufactured in the first place.

Water may come out of taps but to extract the hydrogen you need to generate electricity to split the elements (a high energy process). The scale and amount of electrical energy required means that you will have to burn more fossil fuels, nuclear and/or festoon the entire country in windmills and solar panels.

Irrespective of the means of generation, environmental damage will result.

Most “alternatives” do not have the energy density that fossil fuels deliver. Fossil fuels provide energy instantly on demand and are extremely convenient. Oil is used to manufacture all sorts of vital materials. The modern world depends on these fuels. The contention that burning oil and gas is old fashioned and prehistoric is misguided. The burning of fossil fuel will remain at the centre of our world for many years to come – get over it.

Mr Malthouse should consider his local priorities.

Around Andover we see lots of new builds and mega sheds, all ripping up the green belt. These new buildings and lorries consume energy then pump more CO2 into the atmosphere. It appears that this environmental damage is OK but not the damage that fracking might potentially bring. It is sheer hypocrisy.

Too often environmental groups dictate the direction of energy policy. For ages we were peddled the dangers of nuclear power. Now the Greens see that they were wrong and the merits of nuclear are seen to outweigh its disadvantages. Scared politicians let this industry wither and it has now been taken over by the French. To make an informed choice scientific experts need to be listened to – not the ramblings of ideological politicians and pressure groups.

The viability of fracking must be explored. It has proved to be a success in the US and with careful management there is no reason why it cannot be successfully exploited in the UK.

John Carins, Honeysuckle Gardens, Andover