Letters September 30: Black days as coal scheme is ditched

From: Matthew Shaw, Golcar, Huddersfield.

DR Bev Wilkinson’s excellent letter “Madness to ditch coal” (The Yorkshire Post, September 21) pointed out the folly of hastily abandoning coal-fired power generation.

EU eco-bureaucrats have decided that coal is filthy black stuff that should be left in the ground.

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The stark facts are that our population and its demand for electricity grow ever upwards. Aging nuclear and fossil fuel plants are being taken offline faster than they can be replaced. The principles of supply and demand mean that higher prices are inevitable.

In the meantime, we have to rely on dodgy Russian gas, South American coal and North American wood chip to provide base load power. Despite the “green revolution”, renewables aren’t really the answer. Luckily we have banks of diesel generators to make up the difference during the cold, dark months to prevent the lights from going out.

The galling thing is that we sit on vast reserves of coal which could be safely extracted and burnt cleanly, using carbon capture technology, in local power stations.

From: Ron Firth, Campsall.

YOUR front page story about Drax (The Yorkshire Post, September 26) is confirmation that none of our political parties has a clue about establishing a balanced, sustainable and secure energy policy. Almost three years ago (October 16, 2012), your Editorial highlighted the huge potential of a CCS scheme based on Hatfield Colliery using the expertise available at Don Valley Power Project through 2CO Energy.

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The scheme, regarded as the best and most advanced in Europe, was offered a grant from the EU of 400m euros in a “match funding” scheme. You reported the potential inward investment of a further £11bn and a further 11,000 spin-off jobs to add to the initial 4,000 jobs created.

Party politicians of all colours showed little interest, presumably as they could not be sure what political advantage or disadvantage this would provide for them. Now, of course, Hatfield Colliery is closed, it did not stand a chance of surviving massive carbon levies in trying to compete with imports, and the decision to turn down CCS was the final nail in the coffin.

We will wait and see if the CCS based on gas in the Hatfield area comes to fruition although, presumably, there will need to be another CCS in the area to justify the pipeline to the North Sea.

Given HS2 will be obsolete by the time it is operational, we should use these funds to ensure that the Drax scheme goes ahead and use the balance to improve on the already excellent East Coast Main line railway service.

From: Graham Lund, Girvan.

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DRAX power station is to pull out of the proposed carbon capture scheme. The very idea is bizarre. We can cut carbon emissions by switching to various forms of hydro electric production and by reducing consumption.

Restoring woodland is a safe, tried and tested, low cost alternative to this bizarre idea of storage of a waste product which should be seen as a resource. More trees please!

Miliband gall over refugees

From: Jack Coley, Leadwell Lane, Robin Hood, Wakefield,

SO David Miliband has decided that Britain is failing in its duty regarding the refugee problem. In his infinite wisdom, he suggests the number proposed by the Government (20,000) is a drop in the ocean and that the number should be much higher.

Remind me, isn’t this the man who served as a Cabinet minister in the last Labour government, and who played a role in bringing this country to its knees? After losing the Labour leadership to his sibling, is this the same man who decided to jump ship and scuttle off to secure a plum job in the USA? Yes, I thought it was the same Mr Miliband. Is there no limit to the gall of this man?

From: Samuel Moore, Todmorden.

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DON’T you realise that allowing over-immigration creates a huge supply of workers willing to labour for next to no pay?

Debt to our Armed Forces

From: Elisabeth Baker, Leeds.

A SERGEANT in the RAF Regiment is injured and is taken to hospital in Margate. He is moved twice so as to be out of sight of other patients who might be offended by his uniform.

The hospital apologises, saying that members of the Armed Forces should be treated in the same way as anyone else.

I disagree. We owe our freedoms to such people. In these days of myriad problems within the NHS, they should be treated better than anyone else.

Apocalypse not quite now

From: Hugh Rogers, Ashby.

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HAS anyone noticed that despite Volkswagen reportedly fiddling their emissions, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of allegedly “dirty” VWs (and, who knows, maybe other makes of car) are still trundling around, merrily belching out fumes like there’s no tomorrow?

But, surprise, surprise, the world hasn’t ended, or at least not yet. Doesn’t this demonstrate what a load of apocalyptic tosh is being spouted on a tiresomely daily basis by the “green” lobby?

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