Turning around

Published on 22/08/2012 00:00

I was pleased to read that Christine Jardine of the Liberal Democrats seems to be having doubts about land-based wind power (Perspective, 21 August).Just because it is possible to
invest vast sums in wind energy it does not mean it is a good thing to do, particularly as the ordinary Scot will have to pay for this folly for the rest of their lives.

She is glad that she can’t see any wind generators from the West Highland way at Crianlarich, but let me assure her that if she climbs to the top of the hills of Scotland she will see that the industrialisation of our landscape is steadily encroaching on many of the most beautiful parts of our wild lands.

Alan Black

Camus Avenue

Edinburgh

I welcome Christine Jardine’s contribution to the debate surrounding wind farms. To destroy our iconic and internationally renowned landscapes to no good purpose is outrageous.

I am not a climatologist and thus not in a position to speak with any degree of confidence on the issues surrounding the
climate change debate.

However, I am impressed by the overwhelming body of expert opinion which states the case for anthropogenic climate change. As far as I can see they have no axe to grind, unlike the scientists employed by the oil companies. Even if I were to accept for the sake of argument that the case either way is not proven, my
absolute conviction is that, for the sake of our grandchildren and great grandchildren, we must not take the risk.

Hence my total opposition to the wind farm lobby and its political and environmentalist backers who are putting the future of my children’s children at risk by attempting to fool us into believing that their contribution to addressing the challenge is anything other than expensively
futile.

In doing so, they seek to convince us there is no need to search for radically effective solutions.

John Milne

Ardgowan Drive

Uddingston, Lanarkshire

I am not sure where Christine Jardine found her wind output statistics but even the tub-thumping Scottish Renewables does not dare to quote such high figures.

A recent two-year UK analysis revealed our grossly unreliable turbines, including those on off-shore sites, produce not much more than 20 per cent of rated capacity.

The on-shore variety are little better than the Continental average of 17 per cent and they run at less than 10 per cent for well over one third of the time. They deliver virtually nothing during our coldest, anti-cyclonic winter periods and time and again we are only saved from black-outs by the French nuclear reactors.

Alex Salmond’s dogma-driven dash for wind is not as green a 
solution as exploiting our shale gas reserves and will bring us nothing but fuel poverty and 
economic decline.

(Dr) John Cameron

Howard Place

St Andrews