Vision on energy has become short-circuited

UNTIL very recently, the message was to stop chopping down the rainforests (the lungs of the planet), stop pillaging the precious reserves of non-renewable fossil fuels, stop burning them in power stations and producing carbon dioxide because that causes global warming (Alan Simson, Yorkshire Post, August 26).

And now? Harvest the free and unlimited power of the wind to make electricity. Run the remaining power stations on imported biomass (wood!) instead of the unspeakable coal, gas or oil.

Capture the carbon dioxide emissions and bury them hopefully for ever under the 
sea (leakage could be up to 100 per cent, but not clearly noticeable).

Subsidise many thousands of privately-owned generators to fill in the gaps when the wind is too light or too strong.

Support the extraction of 
shale gas. Nuclear power is okay but the Liberal Democrats don’t like it.

On no account acknowledge that shale gas is another non-renewable fossil fuel, or that generators run on diesel oil. Never mention the carbon footprint.

It’s progress, but not as we know it.