Sir, How can the public, local councillors and even Scottish Ministers, be so gullible as to thank power companies such as SSE for the so-called “grants” from their so-called “community investment funds”, the whole cost of which is simply repaid by additional increases to everybody’s electricity bills? (Local groups get windfall of £1 million, Courier, July 15).
Are they so brainwashed by this brilliant propaganda as to imagine that such so-called “benefits” result from the power companies’ philanthropy?
Are would-be recipients merely selfish or stupid or cynical when applying for a contribution of £5,000 or £50,000 towards their pet project, knowing (as they must) that they and every other consumer will have to reimburse it over the years?
Don’t they realise that in 20 or at most 25 years’ time, when their windfarms reach the end of their economic life, the developers having made fortunes at our expense will simply walk away, leaving our landscapes littered with thousands of rusting wrecks and massive concrete foundations, scarred by hundreds of miles of useless roads and the precious peatlands destroyed for centuries?
Worst of all, how can our governments at both central and local levels encourage this knowing not only that its real motive is to induce a more favourable climate of opinion towards current and future development applications but also that normal planning procedures can instead be applied which require a developer to provide some specific community benefit as a special condition of granting consent?
Vivian Linacre. 21 Marshall Place, Perth.
Atheism an act of faith too
Sir, I share Alister Rankin’s fascination (Letters, July 8), with the BBC programmes that outline scientific evidence for hypotheses about the development of the geological and biological features of our present world.
However, in my opinion his implication that “religionists” dispute that evidence is wrong. He apparently follows the practice of many atheists of assuming that the beliefs of part of the population of believers represent those of the whole.
Theologian L E P Erith wrote in 1951: “The Old Testament is not a treatise on physical science or a textbook on the history of mankind …any attempts to harmonise earlier chapters of Genesis with the scientific knowledge of today start from a false premise, depend on a forced and artificial interpretation and satisfy no serious enquirer.”
That, certainly, is my perception and I suspect it is also the case of most believers.
On a BBC programme, Prof Brian Cox indicated that scientists have no idea what preceded the Big Bang. He said it may have been the start of time presumably meaning the start of everything.
Logically, physical matter and the rules of nature had to be created by a force external to the universe. The bible attributes creation to a force called God, which Christians and some other faiths believe is a continuing force.
Alister asks for proof of our hypothesis. We have no scientific proof. Similarly, there is no proof that God did not create the universe and does not still exist. As a senior scientist once told me, atheism is as much an act of faith as is religious belief.
John Grinyer. 81 Dundee Road, Broughty Ferry.
Scotland is leading way
Sir, I am extremely disappointed that the Government at Westminster has not followed Scotland’s lead and has abandoned its commitment to introduce minimum pricing in England.
The evidence is clear that minimum pricing will reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions, cut crime and save lives. Thankfully the Scottish Parliament listened to the evidence and voted to introduce this ground breaking measure, although it is currently delayed by the legal challenge led by the Scotch Whisky Association. We would urge the Scottish Parliament to continue to lead the way and press ahead with this effective public health policy.
Unlike minimum pricing, a ban on “below-cost” selling, will have almost no impact on the cheap, strong alcohol which is so damaging to individuals, families and society.
The global alcohol producers have opposed minimum pricing from the outset, precisely because they know it will be effective. Just like the tobacco industry, the power they have over policy makers should be of concern to us all.
Dr Evelyn Gillan. Chief Executive, Alcohol Focus Scotland, 166 Buchanan Street, Glasgow.
Priorities are all wrong, Alex
Sir, First Minister Alex Salmond, it would seem, deems female membership of a golf club a more important issue than the protection of the many girls in Scotland who are the victims of female genital mutilation. Not a single prosecution has been brought in Scotland against those who carry out this barbaric practice on innocent girls.
Serious violence against females in Scotland goes totally unpunished whilst Alex Salmond has attracted worldwide media attention to the membership rules of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
Of course there was zero chance that Alex Salmond would have used the media attention on Muirfield to draw attention to the fact that despite years of SNP rule female genital mutilation is routinely carried out in Scotland with impunity.
Ian Stewart. Convener, Atheist Scotland. 33 Park Avenue, Dundee.