When it comes to dangerous technology in my opinion nuclear energy comes out top. If an accident like Chernobyl or Fukushima happened in our nearest nuclear power station no one would be able to live in the Dales for centuries. That seems like too big a risk to take. Especially when the cost of cleaning up and closing down nuclear power stations is so high that no private sector firm will take on the risk without hefty state guarantees. Fracking in a landscape filled with fault lines and old mine sites also seems a particularly dangerous strategy.
Fortunately there is some excellent new technology which helps us reduce our energy consumption. New insulation wallpapers and paints along with improvements to energy consuming products like cars and washing machines could achieve wonders - provided that we put proper investment and secure incentives behind them. Even more promising for the future are exciting cutting edge technologies such as developing clean hydrogen fuel via graphine. This would produce extemely cheap energy along with one by product - water.
Why aren't we putting serious investment into research and development of products like these? Instead the Chancellor is trying to bribe the people of the Dales to put up with fracking in return for a dodgy promise that sometime in the future one of his successors might deploy some small part of the profits.
If you want investment in useful technology - vote Green.
Andy Brown
Green Party Candidate for Skipton and Ripon