Only tiny minority of public against having wind turbines

CLARK Cross (The Yorkshire Post, May 6) doubts public support for wind turbines because he thinks the survey was commissioned by vested interests.

Maybe he will be more confident in the UK Government survey based on 3,700 people.

The most recent concluded that 80 per cent of people were supportive of onshore wind with only four per cent opposed, the rest undecided.

Renewable energy in general does even better, with 86 per cent support, with solar the most popular at 90 per cent.

The surveys are conducted quarterly and give consistent results, ruling out sampling errors.

Since that survey, the UK, along with 195 counties, has signed off the latest IPCC report agreeing that averting climate change is possible, that acting urgently is required, that delay will be more expensive and that halving emissions by 2030 is achievable and necessary.

What has also changed is that, due to the lift in Government price caps on energy, the financial case for renewables has never been more important.

The criticality of dealing with climate change on future generations is being overshadowed by other events.

Public support for more energy-saving measures and renewables could be even stronger if the consequences of inaction were more evident.

From: Justin Beament,

Down St Mary, Crediton, Devon.

WE must move faster to combat global warming. The Cop26 conference was nearly seven months ago. It gave us a strategy on most but not all agreements and targets to alleviate the global-warming crisis that will do much to destroy our planet and the living conditions of our grandchildren and those generations that follow.

We hear today there is only a 50-50 chance that global warming can be held to a 1.5C increase within the next five years. This alarming fact brings into focus that we must act more quickly to avoid missing these important Government targets. It is our responsibility, as well as the Government’s, that we must act immediately to rapidly increase tree planting, reduce meat consumption and switch to renewable energy where possible in our day-to-day living.

Home insulation is also a vital step that will yield quick results and reduce energy bills.

We have come some way recently but we must re-double our efforts for the sake of the planet and future generations – and we must do it urgently.