Wind farm jobs are only short term

YOUR reporter Alexandra Wood (Yorkshire Post, May 8) quotes Government sources claiming on-shore wind farms have created thousands of jobs and generated millions of pounds for the economy.

No mention is made that successive governments have shovelled even more public money into the same wind farm projects than will ever emerge.

Most of the jobs created are in construction of the wind farms and are short-term. They will not replace the many long-term jobs lost as artificially high energy costs created by these subsidies/ taxes force the closure of Alcan and other manufacturers who can no longer compete with global competitors because of high energy costs.

From: John Watson, Hutton Hill, Leyburn.

WITH regard to your report (Yorkshire Post, May 7) on wind farms, this country must be in dire straits if it has to pollute the countryside with windmills in order to create jobs.

By all means put them out to sea, but not in some of our beauty spots. I see permission has been given to create a large wind farm in the Welsh hills. Have local people no say in the matter? I have read reports that they make a noise and in some causes affect property values.

I have never read a report anywhere in the press about their efficiency, only that they are going to supply 15 per cent of our energy needs. Would all the so-called experts like to put their shirts on that figure?

I think the whole scare about climate change is being overdone. I have never seen it mentioned for ages in my newspaper. Are the boffins having second thoughts? Has it been proved beyond doubt that this phenomenon exists?

It has been said that the carbon emission in this country are only 1.7 per cent of the world total. It seems futile to me that we are nearly bankrupting ourselves trying to reduce this when the figure for China is 23 per cent, for the United States 18 per cent and several developing countries more than five per cent, and they don’t seem to be doing much about it. Are we being the mugs once again. It looks like it.

Is Murdoch fit to run firm?

From: Roger Bellamy, Eastgate, North Newbald, East Yorkshire.

RICHARD Hopwood (Yorkshire Post, May 8) lambasts MP Tom Watson for daring to suggest that Rupert Murdoch is “unfit to be in charge of a major international company”.

This verdict was supported by the Labour members, and the Lib Dem member of the Commons Select Committee investigating News International’s operations, but not by the Conservatives, who presumably believe Rupert Murdoch is fit to run such a company.

Does Mr Hopwood believe Mr Murdoch is fit and proper to run a major international company?

Blair caused this danger

From: Trev Bromby, Sculcoates Lane, Hull.

I HAVE just had the misfortune to watch the evening news. Troops and missiles deployed throughout London to guard against imminent Olympic Games terror attacks.

The 2012 Olympics will be the first to host female boxers. The other new event is radicals out to avenge the atrocities.

While I agree with and support what should be a politics-free world sporting event, common sense dictated that Tony Blair should not have vied for them to be held in Britain after his crusades. His bid puts us all in danger.

Lesson in democracy

From: William Snowden, Butterbowl Gardens, Ring Road, Leeds.

THE Argentinian ambassador to the UK, Alicia Castro, describes the Falkland Islands as a “colonial enclave” which must be “given back to Latin America” as a whole. Furthermore, that “her government would send teachers to the islands to teach Spanish”.

Ah yes, the native tongue of the Conquistadors, those arch-colonialists who invaded, slaughtered and subjugated the Aztecs, the Incas and other “Amerindians”. By the same token, therefore, is it not time for these “colonialist enclaves” that now constitute “Latin” America to be handed back to the displaced natives of that beleaguered land ... no?

In stark contrast, the Falkland Islands are and remain British sovereign territory, not by diktat but by choice. It is called democracy, Ms Castro. And truly democratic countries accept the will of the people, and abide by the principles and precepts of international law. As for diplomacy ... back to the classroom Ms Castro.

Hollande will not help UK

From: Ivor Jones, Shireoaks, near Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

SO Denis MacShane in his article (Yorkshire Post, May 8) thinks the French election result heralds a new start for Britain. I sometimes wonder where politicians like him come from. Another planet I think.

Will the new president Francois Hollande go out of his way to help Britain? No he will not, none of the presidents have since we have been a member EU.

The only French president to help this country was de Gaulle.

Denis MacShane does not seem to grasp what is happening in Europe – the euro is going bust (it is only now being propped up by Germany for selfish reasons) and then the over-bureaucratic European state will implode, no matter who is president of France.