REFERENCING your article on January 29 about campaigners being disappointed that Third Energy received approval to continue their gas extraction operations until 2035 in Ryedale.

Cllr Steve Mason said: “In 17 years time I would have hoped that we had kicked fossil fuels out of Ryedale”. He also publicly uses the phrase “Keep fossil fuels in the ground”.

Fossil fuels are about much more than just providing energy. If Cllr Mason is keen to kick fossil fuels out of Ryedale, perhaps he should personally visit all Ryedale businesses and institutions that rely on fossil fuels to make their products and care for local residents and inform them they will be kicked out of Ryedale too.

These include hospitals, care homes, steel companies, garages, bakeries, clothes shops, pubs, cafes, hotels, farms, etc.

Our modern way of life depends on fossil fuels, they are not a luxury but essential, unless you wish to return to a purely agrarian existence, pre the industrial revolution.

A recent Climate Change Committee report states that in 2050 we will still be using 70 per cent of the volume of gas we use at present.

We are now being forced to import gas, much of which will be fracked. How ironic. Imported LNG gas has up to 30 per cent higher CO2 emissions than our own gas. Environmentalists should demand we use our own gas.

It would be easy to think that campaigners helped “kick” 11 Third Energy employees out of their jobs recently by causing delays and disruption.

These are local people with families, mortgages and financial responsibilities.

I was in a head-to-head debate with a member of the local Frack Free movement on local radio last year and he stated, “We do not need the jobs”, I know of 11 people who do now.

Lorraine Allanson, Allerston

Tree planting plans

I WOULD be interested to know about any tree planting projects in the Ryedale area.

As planting trees is one sure way of helping to reduce global temperatures, it is important to push ahead with creating a green canopy wherever possible.

We need to get active in our home territory, as well as supporting national organisations like The Woodland Trust.

I know the Kirkbymoorside Environment Group and the Ryedale Environmental Group have tree projects going already, but it would be interesting to know what else is happening.

June Emerson, Kirkbymoorside

Congratulations

CONGRATULATIONS to the University of York and Leeds Trinity University for agreeing to divest from fossil fuels.

Now more than half of all UK universities have committed to divesting hundreds of millions of pounds from the fossil fuel industry, recognising that fossil fuel

extraction companies can play no productive role in solving the climate crisis.

Thanks are due to the student group, People and Planet, whose tireless work has resulted in the majority of UK universities ditching investments in an industry which is destroying people’s lives and the planet.

The financial sector in general is “not moving fast enough” to divest from fossil fuel according to Mark Carney, former governor of the Bank of England who warned recently that climate breakdown could render assets worthless.

Let us hope that 2020 will see companies at the forefront of efforts to curb emissions being justly rewarded.

Josephine Downs, Swinton

A foolish idea

IT is said that TransPennine Express are going to charge anyone found on their trains without a ticket £20.

This is a truly impudent decision, clearly made by a management which has no concern for service to their long suffering customer. This foolish idea could be somewhat ameliorated if the company paid the same sum to those passengers whose trains are cancelled or run late.

Let’s hope the company is nationalised, with a complete change in the senior management.

Michael Benson, Westow