Wind turbines a welcome alternative as part of the flight from fossil fuels

DR COLMÁN ETCHINGHAM (Irish Examiner letters, November 18) seeks to take issue with Tim Cowhig’s assertion (Irish Examiner, November 6) that wind power is the only option to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Wind turbines a welcome alternative as part of the flight from fossil fuels

However, the examples he chooses actually back up Mr Cowhig’s assertion. In his reference to the German wind turbine industry, Dr Etchingham says the turbines “must be supplemented by fossil fuels”.

This does not contradict Mr Cowhig’s statement, but agrees with it. He also claims, wrongly, that the turbines “only benefit investors and industry-friendly politicians”. I would respectfully suggest that even Dr Etchingham benefits from the German turbines, as they generate electricity without the emission of carbon dioxide which is commonly held to add to global warming. He claims that 6,000 Danish turbines did not lead to the closure of a single conventional power plant. This assertion neither proves nor disproves anything.

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