Concerned local environmentalists and residents, who oppose unconventional forms of gas extraction (UGE) and fracking, commented on energy giant Ineos’ recent announcement of an information programme on shale gas.

Walter Attwood, co-ordinator of Friends of the Earth Stirling, told the Advertiser: “The Ineos plan to hold roadshows promoting fracking of shale in the UK and in particular Scotland are not unexpected.

“The local communities, despite their very small budgets, will fight this multi-billion pound company’s proposals.

"Fracking has been banned in a number of countries around the world and states in the USA, including New York and parts of Texas.

"The objections in these places have mainly been about health risks to their populations.

“The world must dramatically cut back on the use of fossil fuels if we are going to hold the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius by the end of this century.

"There is already more than sufficient known reserves of fossil fuels without exploring for more.

"Over 50 per cent of the known reserves of gas, oil and coal have to be left in the ground if global temperature is to be kept below two degrees Celsius.

“Far from cutting greenhouse gas emissions Scotland’s emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent, in the latest figures released by the Government, show a 5.3 per cent increase, a backward step.” A spokesperson for local Clacks Against Unconventional Gas Extraction (CAUGE), also blasted the energy giant.

They told the Advertiser: “We are very disappointed, but not altogether surprised by this latest ploy by the UGE industries and Ineos in particular.

“Although we are waiting for the Scottish Government to announce the public consultation and have a full investigation of the impact of UGE in Scotland, they believe they have the right to commence test drilling during this moratorium period.

“They skate over questions regarding their recorded 34 health and safety breaches in the last four years [at Grangemouth].

“They fail to state that the water used for drilling is radioactive when it is removed from site and has to be treated, not recycled.

“They also downplay the chemicals used in the fracking process referring them to the same chemicals that are found in household products, which environmental experts have confirmed is not the case, some of them are highly dangerous, toxic and carcinogenic in the volumes released during the extraction process.

“If you analyse the honey pot of money they are offering it roughly equates to around 57 pence per head of the population using 2004 census figures.

"Would the promise of an extra four per cent of this revenue if you live ‘over’ a fracking site help you sleep at night?

“Local communities don’t have the resources of the Ineos PR spin, but we’re not going to lie down and let them destroy our environment.

"We’ve witnessed the tragic results of UGE, fracking, shale gas extraction in other countries and the USA in particular.

“If New York health chiefs have banned it after extensive investigation, why would we accept it in our small country for a pittance of a bribe?”