Letters: Nuclear response to blast from Donald Trump

The fact he has an offshore wind farm in sight of his luxurious Aberdeenshire golf resort is the obvious driver behind this and will, no doubt, provoke howls of mirth and derision from the usual anti-Trump suspects.

However, if he is serious and determined to put his considerable resources and cash at the back of this, then perhaps, irrespective where it comes from, he serves a useful purpose in drawing attention to the SNP government’s reckless and dogmatic determination to make Scotland’s energy supplies reliant on an intrusive and unreliable source at all costs.

Strange to think that only a few years ago “The Donald” and Alex Salmond were best buddies, as his plans for the resort were rubber stamped and pushed through the planning process with a minimum of delay.

The only sensible way to guarantee “on tap” energy supplies for the foreseeable future is through nuclear energy and as long as the scaremongering, anti-nuclear SNP is in charge, this will never happen.

Brian Allan

Keith Street

Kincardine-on-Forth

Clackmannanshire

DONALD Trump’s unrestrained attack on Scottish offshore wind farms is short-sighted and does not take account of the technological development process that made his own country so prosperous (your report, 10 February).

Did George Stephenson listen to his critics in 1829 when they said his new Rocket steam locomotive was noisy, slow, obtrusive, and inefficient? Sound familiar?

I do not believe that the Scottish Government will give in to the critics and Nimbys of renewable energy as this would send out a very negative message to the market. But there is a risk that Mr Trump’s outburst will boost the anti-wind lobby.

If we consider that the current generation of wind turbines is probably equivalent to the 1976 Apple 1 computer, we can just imagine how this technology will develop and grow in years to come. This will result in renewable energy having as much impact on our lives as the computer age did over the past three decades.

Of course, there needs to be robust measures to protect the Scottish natural environment, but we must not stop technological evolution.

Brian Pope

Beechgrove

Lockerbie

I WAS astounded to see that Donald Trump is objecting to the possible erection of a “monstrous” wind farm near to his new Aberdeenshire golf course. His claim that our First Minister is “hell-bent on destroying Scotland’s coastline and, therefore, Scotland itself” reminds me of the remarks made by the many Nimby locals who unreasonably objected to his golf course in the first place.

Mr Salmond’s government was quite right to reject this kind of argument then and should do so in this case where the possible economic benefits far outweigh a few small changes to rather indifferent scenery.

Mr Trump’s golfing customers are, in any case, likely to keep their eyes on the ball and will be unlikely even to register the distant sight of essential green generating infrastructure designed to benefit all the people of Scotland.

John Eoin Douglas

Spey Terrace

Edinburgh

WILL Trump ever fulfil the dream of a billionaire in the “elephant question”? “Where does an elephant sit in the room?” Answer: “Anywhere it likes!” Only time will tell!

Gavin Cargill

Edinburgh Road

Linlithgow