EVER since drilling companies suggested that trillions of cubic feet of shale gas might be recoverable from underneath parts of northern England, the word "fracking" has become a fixture of the political lexicon.
And it is a controversial one. For many, particularly in the Conservative Party, fracking – the process of injecting high-pressure water, sand and chemicals into shale rock in order to release gases – offers a cheap, domestic solution to the UK's future energy needs.
But to opponents, the technique has cons as well as pros.
Environmental campaigners point to the United States, where fracking has revolutionised the energy industry but also given rise to concerns about contamination of water supplies and even minor tremors.
That may sound far fetched but in 2011, Blackpool experienced two small earthquakes measuring 1.5 and 2.2 on the Richter Scale following local fracking.
Drillers claim this is due to bad practice rather than the process itself.
Nevertheless, fracking is firmly on the UK political agenda.
Earlier this month the Prime Minister said the process could result in cheaper energy bills, thousands of jobs and windfalls for communities affected.
He also pledged that fracking would not damage the British countryside and would only result in a "very minor change to the landscape".
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers is one of those "generally" in favour of exploring the potential of fracking.
"Clearly tests have got to be made and I'm mindful of potential hazards," he said, "but I have seen no evidence it's excessively dangerous.
"Because of our energy needs it's something any sensible government should explore."
Although much speculation has focused on sites in the north of England – described as "desolate" by the Tory peer Lord Howell – none of the geological surveys have indicated that North East Lincolnshire would be directly affected by fracking activity.
"I have seen maps which shows it extending into Lincolnshire, but not necessarily into my constituency," Mr Vickers continued.
"Obviously the energy companies are focusing on large reserves, and that's not this area."
But Dr Vicky Dunn, co-ordinator of the Green Party in North East Lincolnshire and a candidate in next year's European Parliament elections, believes fracking is distracting energy firms and the Governments from investing in renewable sources of energy.
"We don't want to drain any public support from renewables," she said, "while there are a lot of worries about it and we don't want to be chasing off in wrong direction; renewables are a lot more certain.
"Now it may be at some point fracking can deliver something, but we're worried about water contamination and safety – it seems like a pretty dodgy avenue to go down when we have other options."
Dr Dunn also rejects the US analogy used by many supportive MPs.
"It simply is not going to be like it is in America, where they've got big open spaces; it's more difficult here," she said.
It might also lead to US-style anti-fracking protests.
For the last few weeks the West Sussex village of Balcombe has found itself at the centre of noisy demonstrations near a test-drilling site.
Policing it is costing millions, while the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas was even arrested.
This week, meanwhile, George Hollingbery, a Parliamentary Private Secretary to Home Secretary Theresa May became the first Conservative MP to break ranks, warning that fracking could be "disastrous" in the part of Hampshire he represents.
There are also concerns about the extent to which local authorities will benefit from fracking deals. Lancaster and Wyre MP Ben Wallace believes the one per cent of revenues agreed between the industry and Government is "risible", particularly as only a third of that figure will actually end up in council coffers.
Mr Vickers accepts there are details that need to be ironed out, but he still thinks fracking "is a must".
"We have energy cost problems," he said.
"And we've got to consider every option as we can't end up being reliant on gas reserves under Russian control.
"Fracking is essentially an opportunity to – in effect – replace North Sea gas, and so we've just got to bite the bullet."
In fact, the bullet was bitten some time ago.
Over the past few decades more than 2,000 onshore wells have been drilled in the UK, approximately 200 of which have used techniques similar to fracking. But what is new is the political controversy surrounding the technique.
In that sense, although Government ministers may have thrown their weight behind fracking, the hard part is just about to begin.
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