Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – George Osborne announced that the Treasury is to consult on a ”generous new tax regime” to boost the country’s shale gas industry.
He wants to ensure that Britain is not left behind as gas prices tumble on the other side of the Atlantic.
Shale gas has transformed the American economy and electricity prices are half of what they were four years ago.
European electricity costs are double that of America.
Gas power plants emit 49% less CO2 than coal and can be built in 18 months.
Meanwhile, countries which account for 85.7% of world emissions and 92% of world population increase their CO2 emissions.
Friends of the Earth and the usual suspects are already complaining to George Osborne and issuing scare stories about fracking.
These Green Luddites are trying to stop a process which will let British households benefit from cheaper gas and cheaper electricity produced from shale gas.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road,Linlithgow.
Not swatting Scotland aside
Sir, – I always read Jim Crumley’s weekly article with interest, particularly when he strays from roaming the hills and into politics.
This week’s was a classic. It was a masterly and witty debunking of that appalling time of year, the party political conference season, added to which Jim gave us a fairly accurate summary of what most of us think about our current crop of politicians.
He fell at the final hurdle, however, and gave us a rare glimpse of the classic Scottish chip on the shoulder.
I must declare myself a proud Yorkshireman who has been happily welcomed and adopted as a citizen of Dundee since 1965.
Forget politicians and I wish we could the feeling towards the Scots could never be higher.
The BBC has been dominated by the Scots ever since Lord Reith. British politics in Westminster has rarely been without very prominent Scots, not to mention quite a number of Premiers and it was a Scottish Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, who was largely responsible for the abdication of Edward VIII.
If it were not for the inventiveness and industry of the Scots the industrial revolution might well have had a different outcome for Britain and the world.
Even today The Courier announced the expansion on an international scale of Dundee University’s life sciences programme, and world medicine owes so much to the input of Scottish researchers.
England is not swatting Scotland aside like a fly. It loves Scotland and is grateful for all it has achieved.
Robert Lightband.Clepington Court,Dundee.
It just didn’t feel right
Sir, – Jennifer Cosgrove made some interesting points in her article about the pros and cons of e-book readers. Not being of the Luddite persuasion, but still needing a good reason to buy into new technology, I went to a well-known electronics store to try out e-book readers.
They do have the advantage of complete portability of a sizeable library, hence my interest. There was, however, a feature that completely put me off buying one. It just didn’t feel right.
A book opens up to two pages facing each other, while the e-book reader has only the one page, is thin and insubstantial and feels totally alien in the hands.
There is also the problem of second-hand e-books. One never sees them for sale. Is it even possible to sell them on? In this case what will happen to books when they go out of print? Will they become completely unobtainable?
In the meantime I will be sticking with the original, but if they were to bring out an e-reader that opens out to two pages like a book and has leather covers that feel so right in the hands, I doubt I would be able to stand firm against the temptation.
(Captain) Ian F. McRae.17 Broomwell Gardens,Monikie.
New signage would help
Sir, – The plans for the new Dock Street/Nethergate road system, when studied on the drawings, may indicate a more efficient movement of traffic, however the practicalities involved in actually driving along the system requires familiarisation of the road signs and, as the critical signs showing the correct lanes for specific destinations are painted on the road surface, a stranger has got little chance of anticipating the correct lane.
There are some signs on posts adjacent to slip roads but these are placed too close to the slip road. Overhead lane instructions spanning the roads, well in advance of the situations indicated, would greatly enhance the safety of the road system.
John Macmillan.40 Ferry Road,Monifieth.
New signage would help
Sir, – In my letter, Experiment was only excitement (October 4), I did not write the self-evident ”the real problem (with League Cup football) is poor attendances at the games.”
What I did write was: ”the problem is the large number of so-called fans who are quite willing to pay a few pounds for each game and sit back in their armchairs watching televised games at home, rather than being out on the terraces giving the players the support and encouragement they deserve.”
John Crichton.Northampton Place,Forfar.
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.