Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – What a load of utter nonsense trying to blame whale strandings on offshore surveys for windfarms. The people saying that do not understand the technology.
Sonar is a mapping tool and displays only the seabed. Due to the frequency used it is very limited in its range. It is in the same frequency band as normal echo sounders used on every vessel. Therefore sonar cannot be deemed to be the guilty party.
If you look at seismic, then deep seismic has been used for years in the North Sea with no adverse effects on marine mammals.
Shallow seismic which is used for windfarm site surveys is a low-power system.
I personally conducted a shallow seismic survey in the Firth of Forth for the National Coal Board back in the 1970s. No marine mammals were found harmed.
Strandings have occurred worldwide for aeons and no explanation has ever been forthcoming. Why jump on the anti-windfarm bandwagon?
Surveys have nothing to do with these sad strandings.
Eric Swinney.101 Creekwood Drive,Lafayette, USA.
London gains at Scotland’s expense
Sir, – Your correspondent Joseph G Miller makes a relevant point about Westminster doing absolutely nothing about clearing up radioactive waste on Dalgety Bay’s foreshore.
Compare such political inaction to the £50,000 appointment by UK Treasury Minister Danny Alexander of someone tasked to do analytical work on the benefits to Scotland of being part of the UK in the run-up to the 2014 referendum on Scottish independence.
It would seem that unionist politicians are more than happy to continue to appoint jobs in London at our expense whilst again ignoring real Scottish concerns that Scotland continues to be the UK’s nuclear dumping ground.
If we are all Better Together as unionists claim perhaps the first task of this new ”Head of Scotland Analysis and Stakeholder Engagement” person is to be given a geiger counter, a bucket and spade and directed to search, dig, collect and take back to Westminster every radioactive particle found on Scotland’s beaches.
It seems only fair.
Malcolm McCandless.40 Muirfield Crescent,Dundee.
No logic in plan to close court
Sir, – I cannot believe that there are plans to close Cupar Sheriff Court and can see no logic to support such an action.
It cannot be on the grounds of cost as the costs will merely be transferred and come out of other budgets. All still from the public purse.
In all probability the costs will increase as travel will be involved for those accused, witnesses, police and solicitors.
It cannot be to create the possibility of more refined judgments as those reported from Cupar Sheriff Court seem eminently fair and not subject to any headline treatment.
It cannot be to assist those accused in attending a court and is more likely to lead to genuine travel difficulties. Every accused has the right to be represented by a local solicitor which will create further costs.
This all smacks of judgments from the ”Land of Make Believe” where, for example, we are asked to accept that every new supermarket creates new jobs.
Of course, they don’t as people do not eat more food etc. and job losses are simply created elsewhere. Local outlets close and our carbon footprint increases.
When I was growing up and someone came out with such unbelievable tales the common reply was ”pull the other one”.
Tom Cook.15 Whitecraig Road,Newburgh.
Lack of a level playing field
Sir, – There have been complaints about Royal Mail’s performance but the problem is they are not allowed to operate on a level playing field.
Since private firms were allowed to deliver mail they skim off the cream by only delivering to profitable populous areas.
They are required to deliver to the whole country but get round this by posting mail for the less populous areas with Royal Mail.
Royal Mail have nobody they can offload unprofitable mail on to.
This leads to a delay for the mail which is posted twice and where one has to reply by a certain date, that can mean very little time left to do so.
Public utilities and large firms are the biggest users of the private companies.
The logo of the private companies are printed on the top right corner of the envelopes so you know the companies who are using private mail firms.
John Haliburton.21 Bolam Drive,Burntisland.
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. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.