Woodland view

While replacing fossil fuels with greener renewable energy is broadly welcome, a case-by-case approach to such initiatives is needed.

Extensive compensatory tree-planting is crucial, and we must also protect our special wild places and remarkable biodiversity.

In the face of climate change, deforestation and biodiversity loss – and tree diseases such as ash dieback and red band needle blight, a potential threat to the iconic Scots pine – net losses of trees cannot be acceptable.

On the contrary, concerted action to conserve and regenerate Scotland’s native woodlands is more important than ever before.

In Scotland, we have the space to plant huge numbers of trees and many opportunities for people and companies to get involved with ensuring a renaissance for Scotland’s beleaguered forests.

Our own project, for example, is restoring the ancient Caledonian Forest following a legacy of centuries of deforestation.

Thanks to thousands of volunteers, we have already planted one million native trees and are now working to establish one million more by 2018.

Alan Watson  Featherstone

Trees for Life

Findhorn Bay

Forres, Moray

The “green madness” (your report, 6 January) doesn’t seem quite so crazy when we find that wind farms were producing up to 6.6 gigawatts a day during the recent storms.

This is double the output of the proposed Hinkley Point C nuclear plant and at lower cost (around £40-60 per megawatt hour) than the government has guaranteed EDF – £92 per MWh for 40 years.

It takes a lot of oil to produce 6GW.

A green approach will seem even more convincing once we have begun to exploit wave power effectively and extensively.

Removing energy from waves is a no-brainer if it can also curtail the damage which the sea might otherwise cause to Britain’s shorelines.

Barry Hughes

Comiston Drive

Edinburgh