'No need for Prince’s costly trip to Norway'

I note Prince Harry has made a round trip of six hours duration to Norway to visit our troops in training.

There are two relevant points to consider:

1: The planet is facing a serious climate change problem and can ill afford the carbon footprint associated with this private jet flight;

2: The UK defence budget cannot justify the £26,000 cost.

Whilst I appreciate troops may require morale-boosting trips from time to time, can an appropriate visit be made after consideration of prevailing environmental/economic circumstances?

The legacy which we are leaving to our children and future generations is a very unpleasant one.

David Algar

via email

It would be far better if Prince Harry got a proper job rather than spending his time at rugby, or day trips to Norway, at our expense.

Leave official duties to his father and brother.

Thomas Reed

via email

Environment

Don’t relax regulations

Following the attempt to frack at Preston New Road, Little Plumpton, there are now calls for the ‘Gold Standard’ Traffic Light Regulations for induced earthquakes to be relaxed, even though these regulations were set up with the input and agreement of the fracking industry.

But what about the tremors under the ground?

What about well integrity?

What about fugitive gas emissions and the migration of toxic fluids?

Before any discussion of a review takes place, surely comparison data needs to be gathered from multiple sites across the UK’s complex geology.

This is something that the Government ministers stated as far back as in 2015.

In the leaked letter to George Osborne, Greg Clark, now the minister in charge of fracking, said “We need SOME exploration wells, to clearly demonstrate that shale exploration can be done cleanly and safely here”.

Clearly this has not happened, as so far in the UK, we have had two shale gas wells fracked in Lancashire and both induced earthquakes of various levels.

We are told that evidence from around the world should not be taken into account, as our regulations are apparently the best.

Therefore, consistency is required and the evidence from the United States on induced seismicity must be disregarded in the same way that Public Health England has disregarded the US studies which indicate real concerns over the health impacts from fracking.

The Government must be supported in its current stance of keeping the precautionary principle in place to reassure communities across the country.

It is up to the industry to prove they can frack safely.

Many now doubt that this will ever happen.

Dr Frank Rugman

Wrea Green

environment

Disappointed by dog fouling

I have visited Longridge for many years and recently spent two weeks in the town.

It is a lovely place with many good facilities and walks.

I was able to explore the town much more than before but unfortunately was saddened and disappointed by the amount of dog fouling.

Instead of enjoying looking in the shops down Berry Lane, I had to keep my eyes on the pavement to avoid the dog mess.

It was particularly bad near the schools.

This was very unpleasant for the parents and school children.

Walking in it is unavoidable when several people are walking together along the pavement.

Maybe you could ask Lancashire Post readers how this dog fouling could be dealt with for the benefit of them, their town and visitors?

Carole

Dean (Mrs)

via email