A storm has been brewing, over why in Britain women are more opposed to fracking than men.  Whether it is simply a storm in a teacup, or a mighty tornado, time will tell.  Here are three articles in succession, two from the Telegraph:

Women ‘don’t understand’ fracking, leading scientist claims

Averil Macdonald, chairwoman of UK Onshore Oil and Gas, says women lack scientific understanding so follow their ‘gut instinct’.

Women can’t understand scientific facts. Are you fracking kidding me?

Leading female British scientist Averil Macdonald has suggested women ‘don’t understand’ the science behind fracking and only oppose it based on ‘gut feeling’. Claire Cohen begs to differ.

and a reply from the source of the storm, in the Guardian:

It’s true women don’t like fracking. I want to change that | Averil Macdonald

I was criticised for my comments saying women react differently to men because of their understanding of science. Here’s what we should do.

Certainly, the numerical disparity in attitude seems to be genuine.  But:



is the reason simply one of ‘understanding’ versus ‘gut feeling’, or something much more profound?

(As the Foolhardy Mouse said to the Cautious Cat,

“You’d make wonderful violin strings, if you had any guts”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Thurber, Further Fables For Our Time )