Lizzie, some "desperate" villagers in Balcombe are reported to have complained that" professional activists and celebrity campaigners have hi-jacked the cause, creating more disruption than intended".(Telegraph, July 31st). They, unfortunately, by their presence, give sincere demonstrations a bad name.

         As regards water pollution and earthquakes no greater than these islands regularly experience, the jury is still out. Both sides of the argument in the U.S. cannot provide facts to bolster their case; also scientific opinions there do accept that water from below can, by virtue of its ability to dissolve certain of the materials in which is stored, contain natural chemical particles that do us no harm whatever, "fracking" or not.