Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, In his letter of December 21, Graham Brown of Burcote Wind accuses those who disagree with him of being “a vociferous but ill-informed minority”.
Let me assure Mr Brown that I am far from being “ill-informed”. I am an engineering graduate who openly challenges his assertion that the 25% loss of generating capacity, through the closure of nuclear and coal-fired generating plants within the next few years, can be replaced by wind turbine electricity generation.
That claim is absurd nonsense even the renewables lobby organisation, Scottish Renewables, does not make such a ludicrous claim. Where I do agree with him is in the fact that the “UK is facing an energy crisis” a result of governments focusing entirely on renewables as our sole environmental saviour and ignoring sensible and pragmatic alternatives aided and encouraged by the likes of Mr Brown, who has an obvious and vested interest.
It is long past time when we should be investing in shorter term gas-fired generation (fuelled by shale gas) and longer term nuclear (of the more modern and less waste producing type) and, more importantly, accepting that wind energy, and similar renewables, can only be a marginal contributor to overall electricity generation.(Dr) G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Profit the main motive
Sir, I read with interest Mr Graham Brown’s theories on renewable energy and climate change. If it takes more fossil fuel to manufacture, transport and install wind turbines than we get in energy returns how can they be classed as a renewable energy resource? We must also take account of maintenance time, plus no wind/too strong wind and the limited life of the turbines.
He states wind farms can be built relatively quickly with “no fuel input”. How does he propose to manufacture them? At least when a nuclear or fossil-fuelled fired plant is installed it carries on running regardless of the weather.
If Germany, The Netherlands and Denmark have realised the folly of pursuing this intermittent and costly energy source why have we not followed suit? Maybe Burcote Wind and like companies are more interested in the huge subsidies and resultant profits than “saving the planet”.
Maybe it is time the government set up an unbiased group comprising of engineers to do a complete study of this vast expenditure on unreliable energy sources instead of listening to biased companies who are only in it for profit.Charles Henderson.5 High Street,Auchtermuchty.
They write such rubbish
Sir, The usual suspects, Alistair McBay and Alan Hinnrichs, have emerged from the woodwork yet again to attack the Christian religion. I notice they reserve their bile for Christians, not Moslems. I wonder why?
Both of our anti-Christian lobbyists list crimes perpetrated by Christians as their reasons for attacking Christianity itself. There are criminals and evil-doers in all walks of life; the crimes of individuals do not detract from the fundamental truths of the Christian religion.
No society, no country, no individual can choose to follow a better, fairer and more humane and caring code of behaviour than that set out in the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is also so easy to sneer at the details of Christian festivals such as Christmas. Christianity is a faith, not an exact science. The accuracy or otherwise of the details of Christ’s birth and life matter little to Christians compared with the wonderful message of his teaching.
Alistair McBay and Alan Hinnrichs can vituperate to their heart’s content. Their vicious attacks cannot alter the fact that the Christian way of life as set out in the Bible is the very highest to which humankind can aspire.
The knowledge that the early Church adapted pagan festivals and chose earlier religious sites for their first churches is not new to most readers. It does not mean that the Christian festivals, including Christmas, are themselves pagan. What rubbish these enemies of Christianity write!George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.
Strengthened by these attacks
Sir, I see that representatives of your regular group of atheist correspondents have come roaring to the attack probably provoked by the word ‘Christ’ in Christmas.
Not that there’s anything new in that, nor in the implication that those of us who think differently are feeble-minded.
I’m well acquainted with the arguments of atheist as well as Christian philosophers, and have more than a passing knowledge of the celebrated atheists of today, including Dawkins and the now late Hitchens not that I would class either as a philosopher.
They write well and interestingly, propound views which seem on the surface to be cogent and I would not dream of caricaturing those arguments or beliefs. I am content to disagree with them, without regarding them as either fools or charlatans.
What atheistic theory, rather than simple anti-religious rant, does achieve, is to make Christians re-examine their faith. For my part, a long life of such continual re-examination leaves me a more convinced Christian than ever. Maybe I would not have reached that position without the attacks of the atheists.James Thomson.14 Vardon Drive,Glenrothes.Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL.