Letters / Who’s bleating?
Mr Tinkler, I feel far from bitten, I can ensure you (Sorry, if you feel bitten; SN 26/5/13).
If we look at the word ‘bleat’ meaning – “foolish, complaining talk; babble: I listened to their inane bleat all evening” – who is “bleating”?
After all, SCT have a 45 per cent share and they continue with the VE project. I have no reason to complain.
I agree with Mr Goodlad (Neither for nor against; SN 22/5/13), I see both the pros and cons of this project, but it is my opinion that the pros outweigh the cons as far as the benefits to Shetland’s communities are concerned, especially the younger generations.
It is also my opinion that the government will be forced to make the project viable due to the abundance of the natural resource to meet the targets that have been set.
Regarding your points, which I did not ignore, I just simply did not see the point of replying to you because as far as I can see you radically object to the project (Full facts were not known; SN 24/5/13).
Since you have asked for a reply, I will express my personal views on them.
1) It does not surprise me one bit that SSE have been caught mis-selling, as have the banks, supermarkets and now oil companies. They have been caught, they have been fined, they are not the first and won’t be the last. But you only target SSE, why not target the rest? This is simple cherry picking. If you have a problem with one then I believe you should have a problem with the rest.
2) Carbon dioxide emissions per head of population in Shetland are among the highest in Britain and almost double the Scottish average, according to figures published by the UK government. The Shetland tally is not skewed by emissions from Sullom Voe, which were effectively spread throughout the country and beyond in the survey because it looked only at the end use of products like oil and gas.
So the government survey did not taken into account Sullom Voe and defiantly doesn’t take into consideration Total’s new gas plant. And you are complaining about placing windmills on peat that is already releasing C02 due to the surface being broken by erosion?
On top of all this we have 15 oil platforms 50 miles to the east of us? Where is the consistency? You are cherry picking to suit and ignoring the hard facts of our C02 emission discharges.
3) This point is up in the air on both sides of the discussion and, yes the transmission charges need to come down, but I always find it funny that there are things the against campaign never mentions. In 2009 governments provided subsidies worth between $43bn (£27bn) and $46bn to renewable energy and biofuel industries, including support provided through feed-in tariffs, renewable energy credits, tax credits, cash grants and other direct subsidies.
In contrast, estimates from the International Energy Agency (IEA) released in June showed that $557bn was spent by governments during 2008 to subsidise the fossil fuel industry.
So SUS and yourself are okay with billions upon billions being thrown at fossil fuel companies who belch out C02, but you do not believe the likes of VE should receive anything and that the government will stop subsidies renewables all together?
On top of all this, consider the billions alone Dounreay has taken to be built and now clean up. I believe renewables and the likes of VE will get their fair share especially when we have so much wind.
4) £1 billion to lay an interconnector or £4 billion and increasing to build a gas terminal and subsea completion to feed the UK mainland with gas? I’m not sure what your point is, because these things cost money and my point is that estimates are estimates, as Total are now finding.
They are running behind time and way over estimated budgets. This is a company that receive tax breaks from the government, so at the end of the day are subsided by the public’s pockets, but again SUS and yourself have not breathed a word about this. On top of all this there has been no mention of Shetland receiving gas; so by the looks of it very little benefits other than jobs.
5) I simply do not understand how you feel SCT have lost anything? I can only guess you are either very short-sighted, pessimistic, scare mongering or not an investor. As technology advances and the government review their transmission charges, VE have a 45 per cent share in a renewable energy hot spot. VE simply have to continue to record data while the five existing windmills continue to break records and the government will come knocking.
To summarise, SUS and yourself continue to contradict, cherry pick and scrape the barrel for anything to stop VE, and one wonders why.
I will leave with a question. Will you and SUS be campaigning against the community group of Cullivoe and their windmill project? Or can you not see them from your sitting room window.
Craig Johnson
Northmavine
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