In its annual review for 2006, Halifax Bank of Scotland (HBOS) stated: "We signed a new two-year contract for 100 per cent renewable electricity ..." In its 2007 review, the company stated: "We were the first UK bank to purchase 100 per cent renewable energy to power our entire estate ..."
There is currently a great deal of commercial and political propaganda in favour of renewables. But renewable energy sources are, for the time being at least, incapable of providing a reliable, continuous supply of power, such as is essential to mee
t the 24/7 requirements of an organisation such as HBOS.
My wife, who has a small shareholding in HBOS, has written to the company four times to seek clarification of how the arrangement will work. Apart from a rather superficial response to her first letter, she has received no reply. We are left with the impression that its claim is suspect.
J KEITH FARQUHARSON
Torbreck Road
Inverness We are continually harangued in regard to the rising cost of energy and its environmental impact. All are aware that the majority of electrical power in Canada and the Scandinavian countries is obtained from hydro-electric schemes.
Immediately after the Second World War, the United Kingdom embarked upon a number of hydro electric projects, all, to my knowledge, were highly productive and still are. For some reason, never explained to the nation, the creation of further such schemes was put into abeyance and, to date, there has been no revision of this.
It causes me to wonder if hydro electric power is too cheap, clean, simple and straightforward, therefore not welcome in this country.
JAMES BOWMAN
Viewforth Place
Pittenweem, FifeDear, oh dear. Jason Ormiston of Scottish Renewables still thinks windmills will alter the weather (Burning Issue, 20 May).
The UK government's 2010 target for carbon dioxide abatement by all renewable electricity generation amounts to only a minute 0.04 per cent of global man-made emissions – insufficient to be instrumentally detectable, let alone affect climate change.
On top of this, the British Wind Energy Association has been forced to admit that it has allowed its members to exaggerate abatement by wind power. The saving tumbles from ineffectually minute to perhaps half of ineffectual.
(DR) JOHN ETHERINGTON
Llanhowell
Solva, PembrokeshireThe full article contains 381 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
