IN addition to my business duties I now edit our paper’s monthly round-up of regional green stories, called Northern Eco.

Balancing the often wildly opposing views of the green lobby with business will be interesting.

Is it possible to be an eco warrior and also see things from a commercially-driven point of view?

Fracking has become one of the battle grounds where the interests of companies trying to source cheaper and reliable sources of energy, and conservationists fearful of its impact on our environment, have clashed.

Do scary stories about fracking causing earthquakes and polluted water bother you when it could mean lower gas bills, or even help to protect jobs in our region?

It emerged last week that part of the Sabic plant on Teesside is being converted so that it can take ethane as a feedstock instead of the more costly naptha.

Like most of the European chemicals industry, Sabic has been cutting costs in recent years to combat fierce competition from Asia and the US, as well as the impact of the recession.

The long term future of the site was uncertain.

Plant bosses predict that regular shipments of ethane from the shale gas fields of the US will help to extend the plant’s life for years and safeguard some of the 600 direct jobs, and thousands of supply chain jobs, the Sabic plant supports.

Eco campaigners back in the US fear that fracking involves lots of noise, lights, flaring of gas and heavy vehicle traffic operating around the clock. In other words, the kind of things that people close to Teesside’s chemicals industry have been putting up with for generations. Like it or not, it’s one of the prices you pay for industry.

The next edition of Northern Eco is due out on September 11 – don’t miss it.

YOU must either be very wealthy or very lucky if your life hasn’t been touched by the NHS.

I have never been much of a flag waving nationalist, but the health service is one British institution we should all treasure.

Congratulations to the North-East women marching to London because they couldn't "passively watch the rapid dismantling, privatisation and destruction" of the NHS.

Their recreation of the 1936 Jarrow March is taking place over the next three weeks to show support for the beleaguered service

To sign their petition calling Parliament for a public debate about the future of the NHS, go to: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64908

Follow me on Twitter @bizecho