Our letter writers continue the debate on wind power and evolution, while also making some sharp observations about the Scottish election and the Perth bridge project.
Surcharge Perth bridge proponents
Sir The best news I have heard this year is that the Perth Connect2 bridge proposal is going to be dropped. However, we will still have to pay for all the preparatory and consultancy work that has been undertaken.
Maybe those who pursued this project with such zeal should be surcharged for such a debacle.
I never met anyone who wanted the bridge in the first place.
Len Martin.17 King Street,Perth.
Eliminate this ballot confusion
Sir Having received my third SNP election leaflet this week, I feel it is time to set the record straight for the sake of the electorate of Mid Scotland and Fife who, like me, are being misled.
To publicise that a regional (peach ballot paper) vote will re-elect Alex Salmond insults and misleads the Scottish electorate. Alex Salmond is not standing for election in this region and re-electing him as First Minister is not up to the the ordinary people of Scotland. After May 5, it is the the newly-elected MSPs from all parties who will vote on who they want for First Minister.
The Scottish electorate deserve to be informed of the political process.
Maybe then more people will engage with this election.
Melinda Ruskell.Deanston,Doune.
Wind figures do not add up
Sir Rosie Vetter of Scottish Renewables (April 20) disputed points by the John Muir Trust regarding wind energy production.
Regarding SNH statistics, she wrote that, “the SNH report does not identify wind farm developments as the main impact on wild land in Scotland”.
However, SNH do identify wind as the primary impact on landscapes as confirmed by Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for Environment, in answer to Parliamentary Question S3W-38858, “This will confirm that the area of Scotland from which no built development is visible reduced from 31% in January 2008 to 28% in December 2009. This is in the main caused by wind turbine development.”
Ms Vetter stated that the figures I quoted from the UK Government on onshore wind production were incorrect. The figures I gave were from DECC for 2000 to 2010 and her figures, also from DECC, covered 1998 to 2009 and the “over 30%” load factor she mentioned happened in 1998 and 1999.
She goes on to talk about Scotland, whereas the DECC figures we quoted were for the UK.
This is all just distracting from the main issue. Scotland’s natural landscapes are under threat from the rapid expansion of onshore wind development that the evidence suggests has been oversold.
Helen McDade.Head of Policy,John Muir Trust,Station Road,Pitlochry.
Inefficiency uncovered
Sir Once again a Scottish Renewables spokesperson indulges in statistical manipulation in an attempt to hide the woeful performance of wind turbines (April 20).
The load factor calculated by Stuart Young, in a report issued by the John Muir Trust, used published National Grid data and showed a load factor for 2010 of 21.1%. The corresponding load factor reported by DECC for 2010 was 21.4%.
This remarkable alignment would suggest the figures by JMT to be considerably more reliable than the higher figures claimed by Scottish Renewables.
After reading the Scottish Renewables letter, I checked readily available data and found that on April 20, real-time data showed a forecast peak wind generation of 134 MW out of a total metered capacity of 3226 MW, giving a load factor of around 4%.
G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Evolutionary case advances
Sir I am glad Nigel Austin (April 20) picked up on George McMillan’s ridiculous comment (April 18) that the scientific account of our origins has not advanced since 1961.
The 1965 discovery of cosmic microwave radiation confirmed the Big Bang theory and led to the 1978 Nobel prize for Penzias and Wilson.
The discovery of the fossil “Lucy” in 1974, and many other hominids since, showed that “ape-men” did exist and got more “ape-like” further back in time.
Advances in genetics independently confirm the human-ape connection.
The 1994 discovery of glycine in outer space and the 1995 discovery of “left-handed” amino acids in a meteorite confirm that the building blocks for life are widespread.
Perhaps Mr McMillan can tell us what advances his account has made since 1961, how many scientific papers, which Nobel prizes and what new research it has led to?
(Dr) Stephen Moreton.33 Marina Avenue,Warrington.