YOUR VIEWS: Turbines are vital to local economy and for environment
Dave Morris is disappointed that so few people turned up to discuss the Highland Wind Farm proposal to install 19 wind turbines plus associated battery storage units between the rivers Findhorn and Dulnain (Letters, Strathy 22 nd May).
This is further away from the Cairngorms National Park boundary than the Allt Duine wind farm proposal, that was in an area identified as suitable for wind generation in the Highland Council’s Renewable Energy Strategy.
The Highland Council planners supported the Allt Duine proposal but it was opposed by some Highland Councillors and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.
A Public Inquiry was held in October 2012, the Inquiry Reporter recommended approval of the application. After a delay of over two years, in July 2015 the Scottish Government decided to overturn the recommendation of their Reporter and the Highland Council planners by refusing the application.
Since 2015, the move away from dependence on fossil fuels has resulted in the UK increasing imports of energy.
Britain’s reliance on imported energy has doubled in the last decade.
Our nation is less secure and more reliant on energy from overseas than at any time since the 19th Century.
If we are to continue to reduce our contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, we need to increase our renewable energy capacity here in the UK or reduce our energy consumption.
To mitigate the adverse impact of wind turbines on the local population, they are best located in areas where human habitation is minimal.
Dave Morris is concerned about the height of the proposed turbines.
There is a trade off between the number of turbines and their size to generate the electricity required.
There is research by Myriad Wind based in Stirling into multi-rotor designs requiring lower turbine heights, but this is at an early stage.
The proposed location of the Highland Wind Farm in the Monadhliath hills is on moorland that has been grazed by domestic, feral and wild herbivores over the previous 500 years.
In recent years almost all the cattle, horses and goats have gone. Sheep numbers grazing these hills has declined.Deer reduction culls, a collapse in the mountain hare population and a reduction in management of vegetation by controlled burning is resulting in a build-up of fuel loads that will increase the extent and intensity of wildfires if they occur.
Wildfires globally are now second only to the burning of fossil fuels in contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere.
The wildfire in the Flow Country in 2019 burnt down into the underlying peat putting an estimated 700,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere.
The wildfire at Corrimony near Cannich in May 2023 was more extensive than the 2019 wildfire in the Flow Country.
This wind farm proposal will provide access to an area that will make growing trees for timber production financially viable.
It will facilitate establishing riparian woodlands and biodiversity gain.
Jamie Williamson
Alvie Estate Office
Kincraig.
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Labour has failed to deliver on pledges since return to power
Clearly after nearly a year in office Labour’s betrayal is obvious, as like the Tories, the poor and vulnerable are again targeted.
From the winter heating debacle and failure to protect the Grangemouth refinery, to the plight of the Waspi women and the war on claimants along with the fishing industry, this UK Labour government is faltering.
With fuel bills soaring, especially in Scotland and more people going hungry, the cost of living is leaving many families unable to afford the basics.
Surely any Labour government should be targeting the billions lost, each year, in corporate tax avoidance and fraud.
Indeed instead of stealth taxes, a penny rise in Income Tax would bring in billions for the NHS, rail and roads; along with abandoning Trident, Britain’s broken down American owned so called independent nuclear deterrent.
Furthermore it’s actively rumoured that the UK fleet of Vanguard submarines, which carry the outdated Trident nuclear missile system only 20 minutes from Glasgow, is falling apart!
These weapons of mass destruction, at huge expense, do not protect us but actually make us a target!!
In truth, only a richly endowed independent Scotland (in line with happy and prosperous Nordic countries) in full control of all its assets, can progress towards a fairer, greener and prosperous nation; working with the other nations of the British Isles, Europe and the world.
Grant Frazer
Newtonmore.
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Some easy tips to stay safe from being hacked
Having recently been to St Andrews University’s computing department, where there is some really ‘cool’ stuff being done, I had the pleasure in attending a short participation lecture on how the internet and company computing systems are leaving customers and even users behind.
This was seen to be down to poor customer profiling and a lack of knowledge by those designing systems.
It was good to see that they are taking a lead on this problem that affects everyone.
Currently there are about 1700 websites weekly being put up and down, relating to internet fraud.
Here in the strath we have just seen only too clearly the damage that a hack can do to M&S and the Co-op, the big companies.
Cyber security is important and is most important on the personal level. So here is some simple advice:
Computers - change your passwords regularly and make them random, not the name of your cat! Keep a copy of them safe at home, just in case. Regularly means every three to six months
Never open an email or link from an unknown source. When in doubt delete it, block it, spam or report it.
Run a proprietary computer cookie cleaner regularly. The safest computer is one that has the wi-fi and Bluetooth off, shutdown when not in use and unplugged from the wall, which is the scary bit.
Phone calls from a ‘security dept’ or the like never happen. Companies no longer do this as a matter of course.
When in doubt, be polite and hang up. Watch out for those with the local number tags - you can buy them on the internet so that it looks right but they are not.
Never download ‘apps’ that give access to your phone or computer by a third party...ever. Try and clean up the apps on your phone and computer regularly, deleting unused ones.
When you are away from home switch your Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, as they can also give access to you mobile device. I saw that happen in a motorway services area…nightmare!
If you have an online account and like to keep it open for ease of use, shut it down as it’s like leaving your front door open. Remember a person’s details can be bought from as little as £10 and that will include your inside leg measurements.
This small list is recommended by most companies.
But as extra encouragement if you do get hacked you will have to delete all your email accounts and set up new ones, and also get a new phone number. Then you will have to change email, phone number and passwords details for all your online and offline accounts.
Remember to stay safe always ask for advice - you don’t know everything!
Mark Duncan
Aviemore
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A price we have to pay
Birds today or people tomorrow Charles Wardrop (Strathy, May 16) does well in identifying an important dilemma, whether or not we should continue with renewable energy that ‘cost vast areas of land and seascape, and kill avian wildlife’.
This is a choice between preserving our natural environment now, or risking catastrophic climate change.
This choice rests on belief whether local and global climate change is a serious risk or should be dismissed as, in his words, ‘hypothetical’.
On the one hand, the world is warming: annual average global temperature is now almost 1.6 C warmer than before the Industrial Revolution (Copernicus, ‘Second-warmest April globally’).
Much scientific opinion fears that it could reach at least 3 C of warming this century (Guardian ‘World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5 C target’).
That would lead to vastly greater storms, wildfires, floods and drought, with risks of severe economic downturn, mass migration, deaths and conflict than the world suffers now (Institute & Faculty of Actuaries ‘Planetary solvency’).
On the other hand, birds are now being killed by wind turbines, but far fewer than killed by cats (BBC Science ‘How many birds are killed by wind turbines in the UK?’).
Wind farms are visible in an increasing proportion of our beautiful Scottish landscape. These are facts now, not future risks.The dilemma is how much we should sacrifice today, in order to avoid a likely catastrophic future affecting most human livelihoods and many lives, as well as bird populations.
Dermot Williamson
Kincraig.
