Letter: An ill wind

Published on Sunday 26 September 2010 15:17

If only the wind was as constant as the bloody-minded obduracy of those proponents of wind energy, who may be able to act as polemicists for their cause, but cannot - or rather, will not - engage with the facts.

Your letters section on 25 September was more than usually replete with rational arguments pointing out the inadequacies of wind energy and other renewable energy sources, in providing dependable supplies of electricity in the large amounts required.

This followed weeks of other similar letters presenting the facts of the situation. These facts, as the old Doric expression tells, "are chiels that winnae ding".

Yet neither the Scottish Government, the RSPB, FOE, WWF nor Renewable Scotland has engaged with the desperate energy situation that Denmark finds herself in, after massive investment in wind power - an investment that has not secured dependable energy, has cost a fortune and has not reduced carbon emissions.

Further, despite multiple references to it, none of the above has engaged with the information presented in the Neta website and the reality of what amount of energy is actually being derived from wind, hydro and pump storage.

They are also silent about the minuscule part Scotland plays in the overall carbon emission "problem". This silence is as chilling as the silence on a 20 below zero windless day at a wind farm. I challenge them to end it.

Ron Greer

Blair Atholl

Perthshire

Having had long experience of the Scottish coast, I can say that on many occasions though it may be calm at St Abbs the wind may well be blowing quite briskly at Buchan Ness or on Lewis.

With tides there are about four hours in the day when there is slack water. The tide round our coast never stops though; slack water in the Pentland Firth does not mean slack water in the Sound of Luing, or at Rattray Head.

Wind power will be producing some electricity most of the time; tidal power will produce electricity all the time, as will hydro.

I am not a scientist, but is it not possible to use the more intermittent power of the wind to generate hydrogen to fuel backup power stations? Your correspondents seem to write on the assumption that technology will not be improving over the years.

(Captain) R Mill Irving

Station Road

Gifford, East Lothian

I have a dream - that one day I will turn to The Scotsman letters page and there will not be a single letter about wind farms.

Harry D Watson

Braehead Grove

Edinburgh