IT has been easy but justifiable to get angry at the insensitivity of Lord Howell of Guildford this week over his calling the north east of England - and then the north west - desolate.

And it has been easy and very satisfying to snigger at the former Government energy policy advisor's putting his metaphorical foot in it not once but twice.

But his stated preference for packing the frackers off to the 'desolate' north opens up the prospect of a dizzying panorama of conflict and nimbyism, not just in England but in the rest of the UK.

We have seen it with windfarms - and just as Wales has not escaped the deep feelings inspired by that particular environmental issue, it is unlikely to avoid having to face the issues thrown up by fracking.

Mmmmm, fracking... an unlovely word for an unlovely process, pumping high pressure liquid deep underground to split shale rock and release gas supplies.

Lord Howell of Guildford clearly thinks so. He can't wait to rid the beautiful south of fracking, and see it concentrated in the north.

At first he said the "desolate" north east, but after a barrage of criticism admitted to "a stupid error" and a slip of the tongue, explaining that he meant that drilling should go on in places like "off the Lancashire coast."

On both occasions, he said he wanted fracking to happen in "unloved places that are not environmentally sensitive."

Worrying statements all. But the one that grates the most is his declaration that "beautiful rural areas" in the south (of England) should be spared.

These are not just the utterances of someone fitting the cliche of the rambling, past-his/her-sell-by-date old peer.

Until the spring, Lord Howell was that aforementioned Government energy policy advisor, presumably with some sort of grasp of the subject of fracking, its potential, its risks, its boundless capacity for inspiring opposition and discord.

In other words, it is politically a very hot potato, and with frackers currently carrying out exploratory drilling in deepest West Sussex - presumably one of Lord Howells' "beautiful rural areas" - he probably thought it was imperative to widen the debate.

If fracking is the key to unlocking cheap, safe energy, then we all need to face up to what that might mean in terms of the environmental impact of enabling it.

And just as the north does indeed have "unloved places that are not environmentally sensitive" - though what the latter term means exactly, is open to interpretation - so too does the south. And the east. And the west. And those places do not stop at the borders of Wales and Scotland.

I am no expert, but I understand that an area needs to be shale-rich in order to be a contender for fracking. And I do not know where the UK's shale-rich areas are. If they are predominantly in the south, then the term 'desolate' may have to be geographically redefined in the interests of long term energy policy.

Maybe it is also worth bearing in mind that Lord Howell of Guildford is the father-in-law of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne who in 2010, concerning the austerity measures required to solve the financial crisis, famously and contentiously declared "we are all in this together."

Despite his verbal mishaps this week, perhaps it is only when Lord Howell adopts his son-in-law's saying in relation to fracking, that we should be really worried.

County set for next great adventure

THE preparations are complete, and today sees the start of Newport County's next great adventure.

The history and symbolism of the visit of Accrington Stanley - another back-from-the-dead club - to Rodney Parade this afternoon has been pored over so much by various media in the last few days, that it will be a relief to hear the referee's whistle at 3pm.

County of course, earned promotion back into the Football League three months ago, but the summer is a strange limbo for football fans. The reality of the club's achievement will for many, only hit home when the teams kick off.

I got a flutter of excitement just from picking up my tickets at the ground this week and seeing the Football League logo on them, and I'm sure there are plenty of other people who felt like that.

And while family commitments mean the opportunities to attend matches this season will be few and far between, I cannot miss this one.

Bring it on.