SIGHS of relief all round when the Government announced last week that they were putting a moratorium on fracking in England.

Already banned in Scotland, the Oil and Gas Authority has raised concerns about the practice saying it is not possible to accurately predict the likelihood and strength of earthquakes connected to fracking operations.

Of course they can’t – who can?

The Labour Party says this is an election tactic. I don’t care if it is or not – all I care about is that fracking is halted.

Yes, we need more resources for producing the gargantuan amounts of energy that we human beings use in our modern-day living, but with the right mix of renewable technologies and energy-saving measures, this need can be met without destroying our world.

It is just that the right investment is not forthcoming from any of the political parties or even big business. Instead, despite all the information about fossil fuels being so instrumental in the damaging changes to our climate, they are still subsidising outdated fossil-fuel technologies.

Please note my use of the words ‘investment’ and ‘subsidising’ – language is very important: successive governments have used the term ‘subsidising’ when speaking about renewable technologies, when in fact, they have actually been ‘subsidising’ fossil fuels.

Unpredictable earthquakes are not the only dangers from fracking. Apart from the methane which also is released, it takes millions of gallons of fresh water to fracture the rock where shale gas is stored and allow the gas to be captured. Sea water does not work. This water cannot be reused. It is so full of heavy metals and chemicals that it has to be disposed of in enormous ‘ponds’.

This at a time when England is experiencing summers and winters which, despite periodic flooding, are much drier overall.

Drills now can turn underground and go sideways underneath your house. You don’t own the land beneath you so you can’t prevent this from happening.

And there is the blot on the landscape of our beautiful country that fracking sites cause. Any internet search will show images of fracking sites. According to a survey by the British Geological Society, although Lancashire has been selected for drilling, the best prospects for fracking are in southern England, in the Weald Basin.That’s between the North and South Downs.

This is a temporary stop so be vigilant, ready to act if fracking starts again.