Your editorial (14 October) agrees with the First Minister’s warning that Scotland must both ensure “people and communities are not left behind” in the rapid 24-year transition from fossil fuels and at the same time provide energy to heat our homes, run our hospitals, get us to work and drive industry.
Where is this reliable, affordable non-fossil fuel energy going to come from? If we don’t use gas, coal, oil and nuclear that only leaves hydro, solar and wind.
Hydro is obviously limited, the sun doesn’t shine at night and is much reduced during winter months, especially in Scotland, and wind is anything but reliable. Technology for storing electricity is progressing but we’re nowhere near there yet.
Is it not time for a little reality in the debate or will editors and politicians just continue to bang on about racing to zero carbon while we rush headlong to zero energy?
Alastair McCulloch Dunblane
Sending an SOS
The easiest way for an individual to contribute to the fight against climate change is to switch off something (SOS). This advertising campaign was very successful in conserving energy during the three-day week of the 1970s.
People needlessly use domestic lighting for example, often leaving it on in unused rooms. The illumination of public buildings and shop windows at night could also be stopped.
Such steps taken now might remove the need for smart meters, whose unspoken future purpose is to ration or disconnect.
Malcolm Parkin, Kinross
Bubble will burst
At some point, and soon, the bubble must burst. We cannot go on shutting down and cancelling our oil and gas production – as well as continuing a bar on nuclear power.
It is irresponsible in the extreme to do this in the present state of uncertainty. To do it while being fully aware of the inability of renewables at this stage – or indeed at any foreseeable stage – is close to criminal. At some point all hell will break loose.
A Scotland in the grip of winter trying to keep up with dwindling and shut-off supplies is unthinkable. But that is exactly the path on which the Greens/SNP have set us – and all to make futile gestures. Thank the Lord we remain connected to the UK.
We were once, very recently, virtually free from the vagaries of the world’s energy markets and close to self-sufficient. But those with no technical expertise and even less good sense have indulged in extreme gesture politics and banned new production and nuclear development to the point that in the not-too-distant future, lives will be put at risk.
I spent most of my working life in the oil exploration and production industry and have at least a basic working knowledge of the subject but even that is infinitely more than those making the decisions these days.
Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

SAS Volunteer

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