CLLR Baugh's letter (Messenger Jan 30) reminds me somewhat of the concern of a few scientists during the Manhattan Project that a nuclear explosion could result in the burning up of all the oxygen in the atmosphere, which might be considered as being rather more serious than some earth tremors.

Science tends to work on the balance of probabilities rather than gut – feeling panic – and as the Manhattan Project was of national importance, it went ahead with not quite all of the disastrous consequences envisaged.

No doubt had Cllr Baugh been around in the 18th century, she would have opposed industrialisation, and in the 19th century. She would have opposed the expansion of the railways as causing catastrophic damage to the environment.

Much of the opposition to fracking comes from hearsay and bad science.

If Cllr Baugh wants some serious input on the concerns that she has, a short distance away is Manchester University, which has a large geology department, and world renowned chemistry and physics departments.

It would be better she got information from there, rather than Wikipedia, or the Internet, or fellow politicians.

With her concern for the environment, why does she not turn her attention to the proliferation of off-shore wind turbines and wave machines?

These are horrendously expensive to install and maintain, as are the land based turbines.

Money has been wasted by paying land owners rental for these eyesores.

The electricity, when produced, costs three times as that generated from fossil fuels.

Far better to invest in modern power stations which do not produce carbon dioxide and investigate fracking in a serious manner.

David Olliver, address supplied