Madam, - Charles Hazell (December 12th) seems to think that, if other countries have poor environmental track records, then we owe it to our economy to pollute our environment as well.
May I offer an alternative viewpoint: that if we don't address the frightening prospect of runaway global warming, future generations won't have an economy to worry about. While our total greenhouse gas emissions may be low compared with those of the People's Republic of China, in terms of emissions per head of population we produce approximately 10 times as much carbon dioxide as the average Chinese citizen.
Neither should we forget that much of the pollution in China is produced by factories running flat-out round the clock to produce consumer goods for countries such as ours.
May I suggest that, for the first time since Ireland came of age and began to call itself a sovereign state, we show a bit of real political leadership and try to get our own house in order before looking over our shoulder at what other countries are doing?
Finally, may I point out to Mr Hazell that the contribution made by wind power towards our total electricity requirements is calculated not on the basis of what the maximum output might be on the windiest day of the year, as seems to be implied by Minister Noel Dempsey in his many press releases on the subject, but on the total output over the whole year.
The combined contribution from renewable sources stands at about 7 per cent of our total electricity requirements, well short of our target of 13.2 per cent by 2010.
While I agree that wind on its own is not the answer, perhaps we should acknowledge that we are using far more than our fair share of the world's diminishing resourses, and try cutting down a little?
- Yours, etc,
ANDY WILSON, Westport, Co Mayo.
Madam, - Why should we continue to be lumbered with the fossil-fuelled electricity generators that Charles Hazell suggests would be needed for days when the wind doesn't blow?
This is the ideal situation for some medium-sized nuclear power stations, which provide steady, secure, safe and cheap electricity.
- Yours, etc,
DAVID SOWBY, Knocksinna Crescent, Dublin 18.