RAPID RESPONSES
All hail shale
I wholeheartedly agree with Matt Ridley [In America, the shale gas revolution is creating jobs and growth, yesterday]. The country would be much richer for letting the shale gas industry compete on a level playing field with subsidised green energy.
Crucially, doing so would spark much-needed industry in the north-west. Many people in Blackpool, which would be at the epicentre of the energy revolution, are struggling – unemployment is around 9 per cent and rising.
Politicians obsess about rebalancing the economy, but rather than wasting money on wealth-destroying green jobs and enterprise zones, they should let the price mechanism decide.
We have gas reserves that compare with those of Venezuela to tap into. It’s about time we got our priorities in order.
Jim Stephens