The report published by the Scottish Parliament's Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee into the achievability of the Government's energy targets is a disappointment ("New green energy dispute", The Herald, November 24).
Of course it concluded the targets were achievable. How could it do otherwise when two-thirds of its members are from the SNP and Green party?
More important is what it didn't look at. To consider only energy production and not efficient energy use is to look at only half the story.
Our household domestic energy consumption in the last 12 months has been just over half of the Scottish average: 11,400 kWh for gas and electricity combined compared with 20,800 kWh. Our detached house is above average size and is usually occupied all day. We have achieved low consumption by a mixture of technology and behaviour.
Our car (Ford Fusion) rarely returns less than 60mpg with emissions of 119g CO2/km. According to recent figures from Transform Scotland only 12% of cars in Scotland emit less than 130 g/km. Again, we achieve our results through technology and behaviour.
Unfortunately for climate change, we now undo all this good by flying abroad for our main annual holiday to enjoy wild landscapes unspoiled by wind power turbines.
If we were really committed as a country and individually, energy use could be slashed by applying existing technology and making simple changes in behaviour. Planning to meet demand would then be a much easier task and might even leave enough of our landscape undamaged to tempt us to holiday here again.
Dave and Kathryn Gordon,
60 Bonhard Road,
Scone.
There is no evidence in the recent report from the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee that the current wind-based energy strategy is the most cost-effective way of tackling climate change.
I continue to believe that our wild land, communities and local democracy are being damaged to no useful end whatsoever.
It is from a left-wing and green perspective that I oppose wind farms, the aforementioned strategy being nothing more than another neoliberal mechanism for transferring wealth to the already rich without having any regard for the impact on those who bear the costs.
John Milne,
9 Ardgowan Drive,
Uddingston.
How extraordinary that a Government-funded inquiry, staffed by a majority of SNP members, decides that wind farms do not damage tourism.
Contrast that delusion with a recent poll. Should munros and corbetts be protected from wind-farm development? The reply was 90% said yes and 10% said no.
To quote the American photographer and environmentalist Ansel Adams: "It is horrifying that we have to fight our own Government to save the environment."
George Herraghty,
Lothlorien,
Lhanbryde, Moray.
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