Sir, Dan Arnott has a point when he questions the Highland and Islands Enterprise putting £30m into renewable energies (Letters, December 24). We are far better served by the better, big-picture Westminster view of energy requirements. On December 19 the UK Government announced a subsidy to the energy companies to ensure that electricity was available in 2018.
That subsidy is £1,000m. Of that subsidy, 19% will be going to companies using coal-fired power stations.
A further 16% will be given to a French company to use nuclear power.
Scotland has no say over energy policy as it is one of the areas where Westminster is confident that it knows best.
Westminster’s view seems to be that coal-burning with its global warming implications, and nuclear with its estimated £100,000m decommissioning costs are far better options than investing in tide and wind.
We are fortunate to live in a time where electricity is so readily available, from so many fuel sources.
Future generations will look back at us and wonder why we so greedily poisoned their atmosphere and their land just to keep our lights on.
Ian Ferguson. Blackwood Way, Dunfermline.
Oil price costof living boon
Sir Hooray for Saudi Arabia! Whatever the impact on Scotland’s oilfield development, the almost halving of the price of crude oil has also cut Scottish families’ cost of living and given a boost to national incomes all around the globe.
The Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi says: “It is not in the interest of OPEC producers to cut their production.” Others interpret his explanation as a radical change of policy to defend the share of oil sales coming from the 12-member OPEC cartel, no matter what lower price of oil that may provoke.
It is a timely reminder that, in our interdependent world, our own personal prosperity often depends upon decisions of others who may well be thousands of miles away.
For government in the UK, there’s the smaller problem of how to cope with a dramatic fall in tax revenues from the oil industry and for how long? Fortunately, large economies such as the UK have more widely dispersed sources of income. Which is a consolation of a kind.
Perhaps a prolonged reduction in austerity caused by the fall in fuel prices will lead to higher consumer spending and to more orders for suppliers? That’s what happened around the world and in the past when the Saudis decided to boost their output. There will also be hits to the prices of other fuels and chemicals too.
After all, it’s not in the interest of low-cost producers to protect the interests of their high-cost competitors.
This is a reminder to us that the remedy against a prolonged high price of oil is available amongst the world’s low-cost producers. And there are many more of them nowadays, thank goodness.
Andrew Dundas. 34 Ross Avenue, Perth.
Nothing to do with price of oil
Sir, In response to Councillor Roberts (Courier, December 27), while the Yes campaign is indeed to close, I should point out to the councillor that it has nothing to do with the price of oil, which will recover to previous levels by 2016, before the Scottish Government would have been accountable for such.
Meanwhile, the devised low price currently being experienced is a direct result of global financial vandalism inflicted by America and Saudi Arabia, who refuse to cut production despite a global reduction in the need for such.
The reason for over production, is primarily an attempt to seriously damage Russian interests and economy as more than 60% of their foreign currency is generated by the sale of oil.
While I hold no favour with the Russians the current situation, I suspect, is political and economic warfare upon a sovereign state, and amounts to an act of war in my view. The seriousness of the current situation obviously has not occurred to Councillor Roberts, when he uses such to score cheap political points.
Alec Harvey. 24 Braeside Road, Ballinluig.
Charitable works?
Sir, The Tuesday before Christmas Scouts were packing grocery bags in Marks & Spencer in the Seagate in return for donations to charity. When I inquired which charity was being supported the young person told me it was for her and her colleagues “to go to Florida next year”.
I had a quiet word with the adult who seemed to be in charge and his position was that they were not raising money for their own holidays as they would be attending a jamboree.
I don’t grudge the weans their jaunt to Florida and I’m sure they’ll have fun, but I do wonder if Marks & Spencer aren’t in danger of bringing their so-called charitable work into disrepute?
Brian Dempsey. 7 Balmore Street, Dundee.
Potato shaws puzzler
Sir, I was fascinated by the photograph in The Courier’s Farming section yesterday captioned “potatoes ready for harvesting”. A good row of Kerr’s Pinks, or more likely, Roosters, lying between two whatsits furrows/drills or whatever with the “shaws” still in the ground.
How on earth is this achieved? I have to dig mine out of the ground, check them for worm holes and then put them in a container.
My wife still writes “Roosters” on her shopping list, which annoys me somewhat. However, earlier this year I planted some cucumber in a large pot and my reward was a tall sunflower, so maybe she has a point.
A T Geddie. 68 Carleton Avenue, Glenrothes.