LETTER: We are all surely friends of the earth

So we were given some thoughts from my Labour County Council candidate regarding Labour policy regarding fracking, but still not sure if it was county-wide policy or personal thoughts.

Then we had the Friends of the Earth spokesperson. I hardly think there is anyone who is not a friend of the earth – how we observe that friendship is open to much interpretation and action.

Common sense management of our valuable resources above and under our Earthly home is my philosophy.

We find minerals and useful items within our earth and plants and animals covering wide areas. Some parts are rich in variety, some poor, some easy to obtain,and some very difficult, so how and why we attempt to use them, effects us all, not just where we happen to live or the technical skills we have to use.

Fishing is a case in point. Technical advances mean we are able to catch an indiscriminate amount of fish without rules, leading to future stocks being at risk.

Trees and plants once cut down have to be replaced and it takes time to maintain a natural cycle. Animals we eat require sensible humane management and minerals we mine and use are very precious.

Science has given us the power to extract gas, science tells us it is safe to do so.

Lancashire, we are told, has plentiful supplies so I see no reason not to explore the possibilities of extraction.

Science can however get it wrong. Unseen problems occur. So if science, industry and government do, then full compensation must be guaranteed for any private, public or environmental mistakes. This is more than a local decision it has to be on National criteria.

My second matter from last week was from Eric Greenwood and his usual gripe about Selrap.

Eric, if the campaign was only about restoring the Colne to Skipton line, it would have folded years ago!

No, the whole point is to rejoin us to the thousands of miles of the national rail network, because without it we stand to lose our line from Rose Grove to Colne.

That is why I have made it a major plank of my county council policy and will if elected make sure the county council, government, business and education are of its vital importance and put money behind the verbal support freely given.

DEREK MANN

Independent Candidate,

Brierfield and Nelson North, LCC 2013