Potent, profitable way to spend way out of recession

As the deregulated financial markets have revealed themselves to be ethically and morally bankrupt, the tenets of Keynesian economics are making a comeback. With Gordon Brown talking about the government spending its way out of economic recession, it begs the question: spending on what?

Surely the other crisis – global warming/carbon emissions/energy security – must be top of the list. An immediate programme of home improvement grants, targeted at energy-reduction measures and domestic and community-scale sustainable energy generation, would fit the bill and have the added benefits of tackling fuel poverty and generating a high level of employment using existing building skills.

In the longer term, if we really want to release national assets in the manner of a "New Deal" for Scotland, a focus on marine generation technologies may be the answer. Bringing together the natural assets of tidal flows and wave power, the existing infrastructure of harbours and construction yards, and the country's engineering and marine expertise in a government-led joint venture could be a potent and profitable initiative. Let us not waste any more government subsidy on inefficient and superfluous wind farms.

DAVE LOCHHEAD

Cranshaws

Duns, Berwickshire

Good to see that, due to the efficiency of all these nice wind-farm builders, and the 1 billion a year Scotland subsidises them by, it will be possible to cut the price from 9p to 8p a kilowatt hour (your report, 22 October).

Compare this with nasty French nuclear power, whose price is staying at 1.3p per kwh.

NEIL CRAIG

Woodlands Road

Glasgow