Readers' Letters: Dig deep to find answer to Scotland's energy needs

I have been watching the energy debate withnote-0 ever-mountingnote-1 exasperation. On the one hand, we have the Government trying to persuade us to “invest” in noisy, inefficient heat pumps and, on the other, the SNP trying to cover Scotland with Chinese-built wind turbines, which are also vastly expensive, blotting the landscape, killing wildlife and requiring a subsidy when it’s too windy for them to operate.

Wind turbines are unsightly and inefficient, says reader (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)

What are we to do? Simple. I have more than once advocated using our technical know-how gained in the oil industry to drill down to the hotter regions in the earth’s crust for geothermal power, as the Icelanders do. This is the cleanest source of power imaginable. Indeed, recently, a friend in Aberdeenshire found that a neighbour who is ex-oil industry had powered his entire house by just those means.

The trouble is that the very people who could start trialling this are totally focused on unsightly, inefficient wind turbines. They have no vision.

Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh

Strive for peace

I wholeheartedly agree with Hugh Kerr’s plea concerning the escalation of the war in Ukraine, with the UK government adding cruise missiles to the dangerous cocktail (Letters, 17 May). Why, in an increasingly unwinnable war, act in a way that moves us further from peace, and all at the horrific and unacceptable cost of so much young human life on both sides and, in Ukraine, also civilians of all ages?

I do disagree, though, with Mr Kerr’s support for Alba’s suggestion that an independent Scotland should not join Nato but, as he says, work for peace, which surely is – or should be – Nato’s purpose. I really wish that as much effort and enthusiasm could go towards the provision for peace, as for weapons. Perhaps the time will come when both Russia and Ukraine can be part of Nato.

Ian Petrie, Edinburgh

Slow going

This week the Royal Mail brought out commemorative postage stamps, 40 years after the BBC sitcom Blackadder began. There is a classic Great War scene in which General Melchett (Stephen Fry) examines a model of land won in a terrible battle just one day previously. What is the scale, he asks Captain Darling (Tim McInnery)? One to one, comes the reply.

In your article (13 May), “Ukraine makes logistical gain In long-running battle for Bakhmut” you report the Ukrainians proudly announcing they have retaken 1.2 miles of territory.

John V Lloyd, Inverkeithing, Fife

Divisive ruler

The erstwhile First Minister Nicola Sturgeon laments her frustration at being unable to “broker the common ground necessary to advance difficult or controversial policy changes”.

What an astonishingly self-centred observation. Perhaps her comment made in October 2022 that “I detest the Tories and everything they stand for” might begin to explain the difficulty in “brokering the common ground”. During the passage of the hugely controversial Gender Reform Recognition Bill, she ventured that opponents to the Bill “are transphobic, deeply misogynist, often homophobic and possibly some of them racist as well”.

It is frankly beyond reality that she surmises she had “concerns about the part I might be playing, however unwittingly, in the polarisation of our politics”. It is without question that history will conclude that Nicola Sturgeon was one of the most divisive politicians of her generation but it may to be too much to believe that one day she will realise that for herself.

Richard Allison, Edinburgh

Get real

So Nicola Sturgeon states she's surprised that politics in Scotland are so polarised. Seriously? She can't see that her obsession with taking Scotland out of the UK against the democratically expressed will of the majority is divisive? Honestly?

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire

Testing times

When Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov and his seniors talk about the Ukraine invading Russia we, unfortunately, have to laugh at how blatant a lie politicians are willing to tell. Now, the scale of the lie may be far less, but how can our Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary, Neil Gray, try to convince us that the Glen Sannox ferry-to-be has “met the value for money test”? I think it would be illuminating to hear details of the test. I suspect the Edinburgh trams would pass it too. What a joker – unfortunately.

Ken Currie, Edinburgh

Murky waters

We have a Children and Young People’s Commissioner! Who knew? Bruce Adamson, for it is he, has publicly pronounced that Nicola Sturgeon had “absolutely” failed to improve the condition of children in poor homes and of those in care during her time in office.

This is another example of people, and journalists, being prepared to criticise the Sturgeon regime now that it is over. Why were those in positions of influence not holding the SNP regime’s feet to the fire during the eight years of her rule when everything she touched, except election propaganda, turned to dust?

Ms Sturgeon’s regime was based on secrecy, control and patronage. The failure to keep records of important meetings and the now revealed practice of using laptops confined to government offices for meetings with even more or less trusted associates demonstrate that clearly.

Now that office holders and even a few nationalist politicians have been emboldened, can we expect more open government? I’m not inclined to hold my breath. The Holyrood system, with its absence of genuine accountability and cadres of ruling party hacks, will ensure that the waters close over our heads once again.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Failed experiment

The political scene in Scotland is one of complete uncertainty and incompetence. The SNP minority administration is in disarray in all of the devolved functional areas, Changes to the system are long overdue!

Unfortunately it seems that it is stated in the Scotland Act 2016 that the Scottish Parliament is a permanent part of the UK's Constitutional arrangement. It would require the people of Scotland, voting in a referendum, for the Scottish Parliament and Government to be abolished.

Since chaos reigns in almost all key devolved areas – education, health, public transport, roads, West Coast ferry services; police; welfare – the question which should be put to the Scottish electorate must surely be: “Should the Scottish Parliament be dissolved?” But to stalwarts of the SNP that would be like shooting themselves in the foot.

It is therefore imperative that for the sake of all Scots, and future generations, changes are put into effect now. We simply cannot let the present chaotic situation continue for the sake of ill-conceived romanticism on the part of SNP zealots. We live in a modern age in which economic strength, security and international relations are the key to our future.

Robert I G Scott, Ceres, Fife

Masking facts?

Mask wearing in Scottish health and social care settings is to be relaxed because we are told by Professor Jason Leitch, the national clinical director, that mortality in Scotland and worldwide from Covid has decreased.

According to the National Records of Scotland average weekly deaths involving Covid this year were 62 in the 18 weeks to week commencing 1 May, a total of 1,115. Over the previous 18-week period from the end of August until the end of last year the weekly figure was 45, a total of 810, an increase of 38 per cent on the average per week.

Prof Leitch needs to correct his statement that Covid mortality is declining in Scotland. Even by equally splitting the most recent 18 weeks, during the last 9 weeks, deaths involving Covid had risen to an average of 66 from 58 during the previous 9 weeks from the start of 2023, a rise of 14 per cent.

It is important to remember that every one of these numbers are real people with multiple family members affected.

All the more reason why we need to maintain our guard on Covid and be told an accurate story. Our senior clinicians need to do better if they are to retain our trust.

If the real reason to relax mask wearing is that it has little effect on infection levels they need to tell us that.

Neil Anderson, Edinburgh

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