It’s time to prioritise clean, renewable energy rather than dig for more fossil fuels

Tuesday’s charm offensive by bosses from fossil fuel giants Ineos will have done little to win over politicians concerned about the safety of fracking. Further still, it will have done nothing to alleviate the concerns of the growing number of communities, like those around the Falkirk area, opposed to onshore and nearshore Unconventional Oil and Gas development.

The inability of the so-called “Dragon” ship to dock in Scotland because of high winds was a form of poetic justice that showed the magnificent wind energy potential in Scotland. Unfortunately, as well as shale gas, the ship also brought with it a renewed and deliberate campaign for fracking to be given the go-ahead.

Now is the time to be investing in clean, renewable energy sources, not digging for more fossil fuels. It was reported that on one windy day last month, wind turbines covered all of our electricity needs and we already know that Scotland is the undisputed world leader in tidal energy.

We already have much more gas and oil than we can afford to burn if we are to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of global climate change, and fracking comes with the added risk of leakage of methane. The truth is, we cannot say for certain that fracking is safe. As Ineos chief Jim Ratcliffe says himself, “however hard you try things go wrong”.

The Scottish Government must legislate for an outright ban on fracking because its vague “moratorium” policy is clearly giving hope to fossil fuel giants intent on digging up Scotland. MARK RUSKELL MSP

Scottish Greens climate, energy and environment

spokesperson The Scottish Parliament

Edinburgh Lets weigh this up... Ship tonnes of gas from the US to Scotland at cost with no income to the country Vs Drill offshore within 25 miles of Grangemouth and employ locals.

Umm, dont rush me. JOHN CUTLAND Montgomery Street

Kirkcaldy By importing ethane shale gas from the US, Ineos at Grangemouth is doing more to protect jobs in the oil industry than a Scottish Government more concerned with social trivia such as the Named Person Scheme. But perhaps this direct action – necessary because of refusal to allow fracking here – is to become merely another of those “passing fads,” as Scotland’s £15 billion annual deficit was so memorably dismissed? MALCOLM PARKIN

Gamekeepers Road Kinnesswood, Kinross Andrew Macgregor finds it ironic that the shale gas shipment could not be unloaded at a time that “the ever-growing battery of wind turbines were burling around merrily and keeping Scotland’s lights on” (Letters 29 September). Perhaps it is more ironic that on the same day his letter was published we learnt from The Scotsman’s Business section that SSE “will be hit by a fall in renewable electricity generated during the first half of the year”. Such reports confirm yet again that no matter how many wind farms you build no electricity will be produced if the wind does not blow.

I wonder how ironic Mr Macgregor would find it if Grangemouth had been forced to rely on “burling” wind turbines to generate its power and had closed years ago with the loss of thousands of jobs. ALAN BLACK Camus Avenue

Edinburgh The debate on fracking goes on and there are even strident calls for the Scottish Government to withdraw support for the shipping of shale gas from America.

These anti-frackers, if they are so against fossil fuels, should shut off their electricity one day in every five days. Why? Well Scotland has to regularly import “tainted” electricity from England produced from coal, gas, nuclear and diesel.

To show commitment they could also refuse to buy or use all plastic products since shale gas is a main component in their manufacture.

If hospitals have to use backup diesel generators if the wind does not blow, will they refuse medical treatment?

Mexico is to open its huge shale fields to US drillers early next year so perhaps the anti-frackers can leave Ineos Grangemouth alone and set off for Mexico? CLARK CROSS Springfield Road

Linlithgow Emperors and clothes came to mind, as I saw the gas-flaring at Mossmorran amid the Green hullabaloo about importing shale gas to supply Grangemouth. The irony is not only that the plant is so environmentally backward that burning off tonnes of gas and dumping tonnes of pollutants into the atmosphere for weeks on end is a standard part of its operations, Mossmorran is also in line to receive US ethane from shale gas via the new import terminal at Ineos Grangemouth.

Worse than the Scottish Government’s fear of offending the sensibilities of a few noisy Green stuntmen is its complete lack of an industrial policy for Scotland. Prime Minister Theresa May has made it a priority for the UK, and it is clear shale gas has a major role to play as a feedstock for the petrochemical industry and as a reliable, affordable source of home-grown energy.

With North Sea oil running out, Alex Salmond’s alternative, the Saudi Arabia of Renewables, has only spawned thousands of wind turbines, and nothing else of economic significance is in prospect. Unfortunately, wind energy has proved to be a flop, raising electricity prices, blighting the landscape for visitors and costing more jobs than it creates.

Apart from that, the SNP has been essentially reactive and negative, blaming the country’s continuing industrial decline and job losses on Westminster and the Union. How many more factories and businesses have to close, how many more P45s have to be handed out, before the First Minister realises her magic independence wand is broken?

Hand-in-hand with developing a grown-up industrial policy, the SNP could try prioritising environmental damage which is occurring in its own backyard over scare stories about shale gas in the US. The government agencies, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency are starved of the power and resources to protect the environment in many instances.

Come to that, Friends of the Earth has been conspicuous by its absence in the areas, and issues, around Mossmorran (are the people too poor? The issues too human?), even though their Scottish Director, Dr Richard Dixon, has a seat on the board of SEPA. Instead, professional agitators employed by Friends of the Earth frolic in the media and monster politicians to ban shale gas, hoping no one notices their energy policy will destroy thousands of jobs even more quickly than the SNP’S dithering.

LINDA HOLT Dreel House, Pittenweem

Anstruther, Fife It is excellent to see the Dalzell Steel Mill reopening in Motherwell, with 120 jobs now and more hoped for later. The First Minister attended the event, welcoming the return of Scotland’s last steel mill providing critical employment, noting that jobs might double over the next year or two.

Yet because of the Scottish Government’s stubborn stance against fracking, none of its ministers were in evidence the day before at the event to welcome the arrival of the first shale gas shipment at Grangemouth.

This important source of energy will become increasingly critical to the 10,000 jobs dependent on the refinery and associated processing plant over coming years. Who will replace these jobs if the SNP decide to give in to pressure from their hardline supporters and ban fracking whatever the balance of scientific evidence about this technology might show?

KEITH HOWELL West Linton, Peeblesshire