Oban Times Letters to the Editor - 4.4.24

’Inflammatory language’ on wind farms is not helpful 

I was quite saddened by the inflammatory language used in your piece regarding wind turbines.  Can we not be more mature when discussing such an important topic?

Statements such as "significant amount of energy to build and install" and "limited  lifespan" were used without any quantification. Even in the most extreme case the energy payback period for an onshore wind turbine is less than a year (often significantly less) with a standard life expectancy a minimum of 25 years, however it is very rare for a wind farm to have a life this short. It is in the owners interest to keep the turbines operational for as long as possible given planning and engineering constraints, with life extension to 30 or even 40 years becoming the norm.

The amount of energy they generate is not "debatable".  From 2024 onwards, every year we can expect to generate at least 25 per cent of our electricity from wind turbines in the UK, on a windy day we can already generate well over 50 per cent of the UK’s demand from the wind.

It is sad that the community feels they have not been engaged with, listened to and given the opportunity to share the benefits of the development they are upset with. I would hope this is the exception rather than the rule, and would encourage them to reach out to the windfarm company to try and improve things.

I do not advocate for the blanket covering of hillsides with wind turbines, each proposal should be thoroughly examined, challenged and rejected if there is not sufficient benefit for the environmental impact they will have, but let’s please be adult about it and not use inflammatory language and terms with no evidence or quantification.
Oli Warlow, Corpach.

Marie Curie thank you 

We want to thank everyone for taking part in Marie Curie’s Great Daffodil Appeal and supporting us across the month of March.

Whether it was volunteering a few hours of your time, donating, fundraising for the charity, or wearing our iconic daffodil pin badge, all will help us deliver expert end-of-life care to those people with any illness they are likely to die from and those close to them. Our wonderful volunteer collectors were out and about in their big yellow hats to encourage people to wear the charity’s daffodil pin and donate.

Marie Curie is celebrating our 75th year as the UK’s leading end of life charity, which wouldn’t be possible without the continued generosity and kindness from our supporters, so thank you.

Ashley Thomson, head of fundraising, Marie Curie Scotland.