Time we had hard facts on claims by wind farm developers 

The wailing has begun regarding RSPB continuing with its battle to stop three huge offshore wind farms because of concerns the sea bird populations could be decimated (“RSPB in Supreme Court move in bid to halt wind farm development”, The Herald, August 16). The suggestion that the wind farms are “environmentally important” is laughable, and as usual we also have wild unsubstantiated claims about jobs created, homes powered, money into the economy and CO2 displaced.

Is anyone aware of a single follow-up study to establish if any of these promises by wind developers to get approval for their rotating cash machines ever come to fruition? Do the jobs promised actually equate to those created? Are the jobs for locals or jobs for those from overseas? Are those hundreds of thousands of homes actually powered after all? Is all that money really pouring into the Scottish economy or flowing out of the country? What about the thousands of tonnes of CO2 displaced? The reality with that is almost certainly not.

The calculations do not include grid connection, foreign workers and machinery, the pollution created in other countries for turbine components or decommissioning. How about telling us how much in support we will be paying? How many more millions in constraints to turn turbines off because of over-deployment of wind on the grid? Let’s have a bit of honesty about this. There have been too many years of treating the public like idiots and hoping to get away with plucking figures from the nearest fairy dust tree with no accountability or delivering on promises made or what it will cost us on our energy bills.

Lyndsey Ward,

Darach Brae, Beauly.

I AM delighted that RSPB Scotland is seeking a Supreme Court appeal of the decision by the Scottish Government to allow four major wind farms in the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Tay in 2014.

I am not surprised by the new tactic of the wind industry to create a coalition of suppliers to try to bring pressure to bear on the decision. I hope all those who appreciate how lucky we are to have 60 per cent of the world’s gannets, puffins and razorbills around Bass Rock will applaud the RSPB and support its efforts to do its job of protecting bird life.

Think how many jobs in the fishing and tourism sectors are dependent on a flourishing marine and bird population. Let the coalition build elsewhere where less environmental damage would be done.

Celia Hobbs,

Dykeneuk, Peebles Road, Penicuik.

I RINGED a fulmar chick on the Isle of May more than 25 years ago. That same bird was recently killed by an offshore wind farm in Holland. Sadly it probably had another 25 years to live. Think of the spectacular seabird colonies such as the Isle of May and Bass Rock, gradually having their seabirds killed off over a long time span.

When Lord Carloway overturned the original offshore wind farm ban I am sure he did not consider in the slightest that he was de facto lifting the legal protection of our seabird as denoted in the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981..

We are constantly being told that such wind farms as those on the Forth and Tay will power so many thousands of homes, when in fact, in calm weather, they will power nothing, and the homes they say they will supply, already have more electricity than they require. Given the usual East Coast haar the wind farms at the Forth and Tay will be nothing more than a perpetual seabird abattoir.

Bernard Zonfrillo,

28 Brodie Road, Glasgow.