The fracking companies in the UK aren't going to speak because there isn't any point. Just look at the microcosm here. The first few posts were conspiracy heaven - "it's all ben sorted out behind closed doors; bribes you know" - oh, sorry, I should have said greased palms, a much nicer description.

That's aside from the knee-jerk enviromentalist "It'll bring on Doomsday!" reaction. Don't get me wrong. I'm mostly green inclined & I've no opinion on fracking either way. I do know what people are like, though. Quick to label things, especially if said things will affect themselves. Slow to listen to anything that might force them to embarassingly have to change their mind. And very vocal on very little information...

Fracking in the US has no more influence on UK fracking than, for example, US employment law (which is far less generous to the employee than the employer) has on UK employment law (which is the opposite). So there is no reason to link US fracking practice to what might happen in the UK. Fracking might be a disaster in the UK, but it's more likely to be better regulated (note: I do not say "well regulated"; only "better").

What will be a disaster will be running out of energy or having to pay extortionate prices for it. Green energy, alas, remains comparitively expensive. Nuclear & fossil are castigated & reviled for a variety of reasons.

The fundamental question is do you want your freezer defrosting overnight, to be fumbling for your matches & candles in the evening & morning?

It's not a question people like asking. Even less do they want an answer. The reason the fracking companies don't answer is not because they're scared, but because they see no advantage in doing so. If everything they say will be buried in an avalanche of NIMBYism (which it will be), they might just as well wait for a better time to state their case. Though I do agree that saying you'll turn up & then failing to do so is shite!