22 December 2005

Congratulations

AS THIS year closes, I would like to congratulate Hans and Pete on continuing to provide us all with up-to-date news of a consistent high standard, covering nearly everything of note happening in and affecting Shetland, on a daily basis.

They also venture into corners that other news reporters in Shetland hardly ever venture into, which often are the very places where the most interesting stories are found.

Having spent quite a lot of my life in newsrooms, I can assure readers that providing this service with just two people is not easy. Managing it without access to a decent news budget is remarkable. I have made a New Year resolution to donate to the News voluntary appeal in 2006 and I would urge other readers who appreciate and value this service as I do, to do the same.

Thank you Hans and Pete for all your hard work. Respect. Long live the Shetland News.

I would also like to congratulate www.visitShetland.com for their new 2006 tourist brochure. I have only seen the on-line version, which is accessible from the www.visitShetland.com webpage, but it is a visual feast without zooming in on the images and very cleverly supports the distinctive and unique qualities of this community that Corporate Edge identified as Shetland's strongest marketing assets.

It is upmarket advertising and promotion aimed at people seeking something special for a holiday destination, whatever their level of budget. What we need to do now surely, is make Shetland more easily affordable as a destination than it is now.

With Tavish Scott, we have a transport minister who is more aware than most how costly travel to and from Shetland can be, helping make this more achievable. The signs are, at least one of his resolutions is to do all he can to get those costs down. Please do that Tavish.

It is in the national interest that a strategically important community like Shetland is strong and has a secure future, not one with penal charges paid by anyone arriving or leaving. The Old Rock we may be, but we don't want to become an Alcatraz that people never leave and which no one wants to visit. I think we could all of us resolve this New Year, to try and do something about that.

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous 2006.

Leslie Lowes
Kirkidale
Walls
leslielowes@supanet.com




21 December 2005

Let's deal with drug issues

I WAS delighted with the response to my letter "Fund drug centre, not dogs". Although nobody seems to agree with the main point that I raised, I have obviously touched a nerve and maybe some good will come from opening this debate.

I feel I must deal with some of the points raised in reply.

I know that the people involved in tackling Shetlands' drug problems are serious about their work and are taking what they believe to be the right approach, but I think the fact that drug use is increasing shows that it is a flawed approach.

The main problem is the fact that drug use is seen by politicians and society at large as a criminal issue rather than a health issue which puts the police at the forefront rather than health professionals, and prevents users getting the help that they need.

I see the funding of Dogs Against Drugs by the SIC as just another step in the wrong direction. The charity's main focus is to stop drugs arriving in Shetland so that drug users can't take drugs and to catch drug dealers.

The police and customs have been seizing large quantities of drugs for years but drug use continues to be an increasing problem. Whenever there are record drug hauls it's not because the police have suddenly become more effective but because there are more drugs being bought and sold.

Drug dealers exist because people want to take drugs. The image of dealers deliberately trying to get people hooked on drugs may be true in some cases but is far from the norm. People take drugs because they want to. The most obvious case where people are encouraged to take drugs is the advertising of legal drugs which is seen by everybody including young children, especially at Christmas.

Education is an important part of the strategy to address drug issues and I can find little to fault here although I don't agree with using reformed drug addicts in schools to try to frighten children away from drugs. It just doesn't work.

I am pleased that the residential service on Papa Stour is being supported, despite the "Nimbyist" attitude from some of the local residents. I think the isolation that Papa provides is very important for this service. Culture change is important although trying to change culture so that people don't want to take drugs is nearly impossible. What people need to realise is that drug taking is a completely normal and natural thing to do. Humans have always done it and will continue do it.

So if we are to change the problem perhaps, it's the perception of the problem that needs to change first so that we can view it in a new light. I'm not talking about a new drug policy from Holyrood or Westminster, or even from the SIC. No I am talking about a paradigm shift within society, which I know is a tall order but until it happens I can see no escape from the status quo.

Of course it won't happen overnight but a gradual unpicking of flawed ideas could result in a different outlook, for the benefit of the community as a whole

yours sincerely
Alan Robertson
alanrobertson@dsl.pipex.com




21 December 2005

More heat from GENTEC

ALMOST a year ago a Tony Erwood MIEE wrote to the SN pointing out that marine turbines, including GENTEC venturi, could not generate anything during the "null points that occur twice a day" (its actually nearly four times).

I actually agree with him. Any scheme that generates power from tidal flow is by definition intermittent.

But GENTEC venturi does not generate grid electricity from tidal flow. Where, in all my correspondence, or on my website, do I say that it does?

What I do say, however, is that I use tidal stream energy to heat water in one process and that, in another separate thermal process GENTEC venturi generates, simultaneously, grid quality, synchronous, electricity at full capacity 24/7.

Perhaps Tony can tell us all why water heated by tidal stream energy will not generate electricity but water heated to the same temperature by fossil fuels and nuclear fission will?

It is generally around this point that some Member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers or some other august body will make a sucking noise, perfected by car mechanics world-wide before they tell you some bad and expensive news, and say that that the system efficiency is about two thirds less efficient than their system.

I agree, my system is indeed a lot less efficient in one sense, but despite this, it will generate over 30 times more electricity per square metre of the swept inlet area.

It is here that you need to clear your mind of conventional "inside the box" thinking. Mathematically, the amount of mechanical power available in six hours and 25 minutes when a tidal stream peaks at 100MW is 408MWh. This is an incontrovertible mathematical calculation. Over the same period, while almost all of this power is being converted to heat in GENTEC's thermal
store, a conventional 1MW generator may have generated about 3MWh of grid electricity.

In order to maintain temperature in the thermal store GENTEC venturi steam turbines must take 408MWh out of the store over the same time frame. Assuming a thermal efficiency of just 40 per cent the steam turbines running off the heat source will have generated 163MWh of synchronous electricity at a capacity of 25.5MW. That is 54 times more electricity that their conventional machine can ever generate in the same tidal stream regime.

Perhaps if you had bothered to read the contents of my website before declaring "there seems to be a huge gap between the scientific and engineering reality of his scheme and his rather rosy and simplistic presentation of it," this explanation again would not have been necessary.

Your suggestion that I "need to get others in the industry on my side" is just not going to happen. I am not prepared to fraternise with the true enemy of Planet Earth. It is the issue of robotic thinkers from their Alma Maters world-wide that is holding up progress in reducing the effects of global warming. Accept that the scientific community has got it wrong and move on.

It is getting late for a bit of Neroesque fiddling while our planet burns.

Kind regards,
Andrew H Mackay
Greenheat Systems Limited
Causewayside
Glenaldie
TAIN
07720 141 332
www.greenheating.com




19 December 2005

Let's support the dogs

IN REPLY to the recent letter regarding funding for Dogs Against Drugs, I do agree that the addicts and users need help, but I feel that is a separate issue. It is the dealers who need to be caught, hence the dogs. They play a big part in tracing the sources of supply.

You can help as many addicts as you like, but there are always new users arriving on the scene. Surely the priority must be to catch the dealers. I would have thought any possible means of achieving this should be a priority, after all aren't most of the users responsible adults?

They can be addicts if they want, it's the up and coming we need to protect. The only way to do this is to stop the drugs being delivered.

I for one would support the dogs and any other means that would prohibit any drugs coming into Shetland. My sentiments lie with parents who are having to deal with their children, who probably think it's cool to try something at the weekend. We know where that leads.

Let's support the dogs and whatever else it takes to make Shetland drug free, probably impossible, but worth the effort.

Carole Radford
carole.radford@tiscali.co.uk



17 December 2005

Dogs are crucial

I WOULD like to respond to some of the points raised by Alan Robertson in his recent letter.

Firstly, I have to reassure him that not only the SIC, but all the other agencies in Shetland with an interest in tackling problem drug and alcohol use in the islands are indeed serious about it. Shetland has a well established Alcohol and Drug Action Team [SADAT] comprising senior representatives from NHS Shetland, Northern Constabulary, Highland and Islands Fire Brigade and the SIC as well as a number of voluntary organisations, one of which is Shetland Community Drugs Team who provide a variety of drug treatment services.

The SADAT has a four-pronged strategy addressing the following areas:
· Culture Change and Communities
· Prevention, Education and Young People
· Provision of Support and Treatment Services
· Protection, Controls and Availability.

These issues are all interlinked and we cannot afford to concentrate on one part of the strategy at the expense of another. As a team, we work hard to ensure a balance in what we do and what we fund and our strategy is consistent with the approach elsewhere in Scotland.

Dogs Against Drugs is just one of the range of initiatives supported by the SADAT. The project is a crucial plank in the overall strategy because it aims not only to stem the flow of illegal drugs into Shetland but also to educate children and young people about drugs.

The charity's hugely successful schools programme has worked with around 600 pupils this year. Furthermore the project is not expensive to maintain and provides good value for money, but there is a limit to the number of grant awarding bodies that can be approached for funding (the people of Shetland give and continue to give generously but their donations are only a proportion of the money needed to run the project) and that is the reason that we're keen to obtain 'mainstream' funding.

I believe that the SADAT's approach is not only realistic but also innovative. I agree with Mr Robertson that misuse of alcohol is a major concern and that is why we recruited a Specialist Nurse in Alcohol Misuse for the islands this year and are already looking at ways of extending this service.

We've also just received a sizeable grant from the Scottish Executive to develop a project using youth theatre to work with young people on the topic of drugs and alcohol and are continuing to invest to strengthen the local residential service on Papa Stour and augment the budget for off-island treatment.

These are only some of the initiatives in the SADAT's current action plan and I hope they illustrate the breadth of work undertaken by the team and where Dogs Against Drugs fit in. I would be happy to discuss further any aspect of the SADAT's work with Mr Robertson and anyone else with an interest in our activities.

Yours faithfully

Catriona Oxley
Alcohol and Drug Development Officer
Shetland Alcohol and Drug Action Team
catriona.oxley@shb.shetland.scot.nhs.uk




17 December 2005

I'll keep funding dogs

READING Alan Robertson's letter re. funding for Dogs Against Drugs, I have a feeling he's missed the point of having the dogs in Shetland in the first place. My understanding is that the dogs will help to stop drugs entering Shetland and allowing dealers (who in my opinion are the criminals ) to encourage vulnerable people into habits they will find difficult to get out of easily.

Sorry, Alan my limited funds will continue to go into Dogs Against Drugs collecting boxes.

All forms of drugs, alcohol, nicotine etc. which are misused are a detriment to all society, and anything which can be used as a preventative measure is better than none at all.

Sincerely

Susanne Willshaw
susanne.willshaw@btinternet.com




17 December 2005

Try being constructive

17 December, 2005

HOW not to sell an idea.

Mr. MacKay's letter of 5 December seems to be a depressing combination of attacking anyone/anything that differs from his "Gentec Venturi" view of renewable energy generation together with some scarcely believable figures for its efficiency and cost.

While I can't fault Mr. Mackay's enthusiasm, I do have a problem with his approach to selling his ideas. I doubt that his "Gentec Venturi" will work or at least not in the way that he thinks it will. There seems to be a huge gap between the scientific and engineering reality of his scheme and his rather rosy and simplistic presentation of it. Consequently, the economics of what he is proposing are likely to be very different from what he states.

What perhaps surprises me the most is that Mr. Mackay surely needs to get others in the industry on his side yet he has spent some time not only knocking wind power, which at the moment is probably the most economic of the renewable energy schemes, but also the proponents of wind power and the scientific and engineering community at large. Isn't he just shooting himself in the foot!? If he were to engage the scientific and engineering community in a positive way, he would find that those involved in renewable energy have a well balanced approach to the subject and he might even find some who would be able to help him to properly assess his scheme.

I happen to think that generation from tidal flow does have its part to play in the overall energy equation. The fact that the flow of power from such systems is not continuous need not be that important given the context of a variety of power generation sources. In Shetland, as elsewhere, many people use storage heaters that are controlled by remotely programmed (by radio) time switches. It would be very easy to arrange that these heaters were switched on to charge up when tidal flow energy was available. Such a storage mechanism would be much more efficient than that proposed by Mr. MacKay and would have the advantage that to a significant extent, this part of the system is already in place.

To develop his Gentec Venturi, Mr. MacKay will have to attract significant amounts of money (tens of millions) from grants, venture capitalists, industry etc. and he will have to involve many others in the work. To this end, a more constructive and balanced approach by him to energy use and energy generation and to those in the scientific and engineering community would no doubt be helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Tony Erwood.
Embedded Signal Processing Ltd.
Lunna House,
Lunna,
Vidlin,
tony@lunnahouse.co.uk




16 December 2005

Fund drug centre, not dogs

I WAS not surprised to see that the charity Dogs Against Drugs were trying to secure council funding to enable them to continue serving the Shetland community. The project is expensive to maintain and training must require significant funds. It must be difficult to raise this money from community events and donations, the obvious place to go begging would be the SIC.

How could the council refuse to help a charity that claims to do positive work for the community? Well I would suggest that the very fact the they are asking for statutory funding shows that the people of Shetland are no longer convinced of the need for the service that the charity provides and would prefer to support more deserving causes.

It is after all a very negative remit to sniff out drugs on the person or in the property of drug users and or dealers so that these people can be criminalised and either fined or removed from the community of which they are a part.

Many people would say that this is a very positive undertaking but drug users and addicts are vulnerable members of society who are in many cases suffering the results of a traumatic event(s) in their lives and they need help not persecution.

At a time when the rest of Britain is becoming more realistic in its approach to the drug problem Shetland seems to be stepping backwards into more draconian times and the SIC seem to be keen to aid this transition. To incarcerate drug offenders very often brings them into contact with criminals more dangerous than they would have met in their own community and often people with social drug habits become addicted to harder drugs while they are in prison. They then bring their addiction and its associated problems with them when they are returned to society which does not help their local community.

The charity Dogs Against Drugs does little to help solve Shetland's drug problems nor does it help Shetlanders with drug problems, of which the most serious is alcohol abuse. So surely the most positive move would be to raise money either from the community or through statutory funding to set up a drug treatment centre in Shetland or to fund people to under go drug treatment elsewhere. Also more support for existing organisations to help people with their problems both during and after problem drug use would greatly benefit Shetland as a whole.

A change of attitude where drug abuse is viewed as a social and medical issue rather than a criminal act would help both users and the community. A realisation that many people who use illegal drugs are doing no more harm than someone who drinks "responsibly" or someone who smokes. In fact nicotine is the most poisonous and the most addictive drug in existence, but
because cigarettes are cheap and readily available there are not the same social problems associated with it as with other addictive drugs.

If the SIC is serious about tackling Shetlands' drug problems they might like to pay attention to some of the points I have made when deciding where to allocate funds. It is particularly important for Shetland to get this right as it has been economically successful, but most people agree that the economic future of Shetland is very uncertain and likely to be much less prosperous. When an area experiences economic decline it is usually coupled with increased social problems including more problem drug use.

Thank you for providing me the opportunity to air my views and thank you to anybody who reads my letter.

Your sincerely

Alan Robertson
alanrobertson@dsl.pipex.com




15 December 2005

What about Foula?

FAIR Isle National Park? Why not also Foula as a National Park with all the downfallen buildings fully reconstructed in the Hametoun's ruin park? Just as in the World Heritage spot of the Hebrides - St.Kilda's well kept main "street". What a touristic scope it would be, and a great injection for survival!!!

Has nobody thought of this?

Dag-Ivar Rognerød, Oslo
Visitor of 2001
drognerod@chello.no




15 December 2005

Makes my blood boil!

FIRST the announcement that there will be no more sailings to Shetland until 2006. Surprise, Surprise!

Then defence of the decision. There is no defence when Shetland finance is involved, as once again, the powers that be are still throwing our hard-earned money to ventures that are of no benefit to our isles.

It makes my blood boil to see Smyril making utter fools of us.

This year's advertising in all media forms did not mention Shetland and yet two vast sums of money were transferred into their coffers at the expense of more deserving causes e.g. our own struggling tourism folk some of whom have gone to the wall during 2005!!!!!!!

When are the caretakers of our money going to stand up and be counted, and encourage our own entrepreneurs to reap the benefit of unconditional funding?

In 2006 Smyril promise to mention Shetland in their advertising and ask us to look at the Faroe site. There are three words of English on that site, Welcome, Shetland and Peterhead, with no details to expand these words.

If that's their idea of advertising to encourage Europeans to use the Smyril routes, then we'll have our money back and put it to better use than Mr Goodlad, Mr Cluness and their cronies appear to be doing.

Sincerely
Susanne Willshaw
susanne.willshaw@btinternet.com


15 December 2005

Time to grow up

DEMOCRACY costs money, politicians cost money, but with MSPs, MPs and MEPs to pay for you can get too much of a good thing.

Free Scotland offers voters in Scotland an opportunity to cut out two tiers worth of politicians. Scotland independent of the UK and independent of the EU would lead to a cull of expensive, well-heeled politicians with the savings put to good use.

Grown up countries make their own decisions in their own country. Time for Scotland to grow up!

Your sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)
http://www.freescotlandparty.org




13 December, 2005

Surprised at the beauty

I READ your excellent website The Shetland News for two reasons, firstly as my brother in law lives in Lerwick so I visit quite often. Secondly as I give hour long slide talk shows to clubs all over Kent, England, it enables me to keep up with the news for my shows.

I have given thirty shows in five years to date to a total audience of 1556. I have taken all the slides myself and studied Shetland’s history. Some clubs have had groups visit and enjoyed the holiday very much. I find that people know very little about Shetland and are extremely surprised at the beauty of the islands from my slides.

So you see I am trying to help your tourism and at the same time enjoying talking about your beautiful islands.

Frank Smith

Rochester in Kent
franksmith@uphalling62.fsnet.co.uk




10 December 2005

Intensifying the process

IN RESPONSE to the attack on global warming "scaremongering"' on 5 December, I would say it is fair enough to evaluate the extent to which we are at fault for causing unnecessary changes to our earth's environment and the degree to which we should be responsible for preventing them. Indeed, there are some environmentalists out there who support your view.

However, there are many more who support what I am about to say.

I think the important thing that has to be noted is that global warming IS a natural process but it is the fact that mankind is ENHANCING global warming. You state that we are merely 'speeding up' the process but the more important angle to take on this is that we are INTENSIFYING this process - so much so that the world's natural repair system does not get a chance to repair.

This therefore brings out the concept and need for sustainability for future generations. I doubt very much that our descendants will view our sustainable development as denying them a "special planet".

What is more is you seem to view the human species as the focal point and the only thing of importance within the world. Evolution may stress the survival of the fittest but mankind's actions in the 21st century go way beyond 'surviving'. Natural changes of evolution will occur and some species will die out. But this is a process which should happen over thousands of years, not one century. This also minimises the opportunity for new species to be created over time.

So yes, there will be gradual changes to this world due to natural global warming but unless we change our ways, this will be blurred over with the enhancement of global warming due to mankind - something I do not believe can be considered natural evolution and something I and many others would not like to see happening.

MR
Stirling
miratter@yahoo.com




9 December, 2005

Not dragging our heels!

FURTHER to Leslie Lowes' letter earlier this week, I am delighted to be able to respond that plans for the cinema and music venue for Shetland are indeed progressing.

We are currently in the second stage of an application for funding from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Capital Fund, and have been offered matched funding from Shetland Islands Council.

Those who read the trade press will see that adverts will be going out this week and next week for expressions of interest in the project from quantity surveyors, architects etc, as we move towards that all-important design stage.

If all goes according to plan, the venue should open its doors in 2009, right next door to the new museum and archive, providing the residents of Shetland with a high quality venue in which to enjoy a wide range of music, films and related arts activities.

It will also provide a valuable resource for education, further education and economic and social regeneration, through developments in the music and media industries, and will enhance the visitor experience for tourists and business visitors.

Sorry if it seems that we have gone quiet recently, Leslie - but I can assure you that it's far more a case of catching our breath than dragging our heels!

Yours sincerely

Kathy Hubbard
Shetland Arts Trust, and member of the Cinema and Music Venue Project Management Group
Kathy.Hubbard@shetland-arts-trust.co.uk




9 December 2005

It may be too late

I WOULD like to say that I fully agree and support the views in John McClatchey's letter of 7 December.

The need for urgent action on reducing greenhouse emissions is imperative. In my view, agreement to reduce greenhouse emissions has to be a pre-requisite to all future discussions on energy production be it nuclear, clean coal, renewables etc. We have all to reduce consumption to have any chance of a sustainable future.

Without substantial emission reduction, the way we produce our energy in the future will be purely academic - in a few years time we could be in a world of spiralling temperatures with a climate completely out of control. Increasing temperature and an overheating planet will be of far greater danger to humankind than any radioactive waste from nuclear power stations.

I will reserve final judgement on the Montreal talks but from what little I can gather it appears to be a damp squib - a wasted opportunity. As far as I can ascertain we haven't even agreed just to stabilise emissions let alone reduce them.

In the early part of the year Tony Blair was adamant that tackling climate change was going to be the 'centrepiece' of the UK's presidency of the G8 and EU. Since then absolutely nothing has been achieved. Another wasted opportunity.

I really don't know how we are going to convince the politicians to take the issue seriously. Maybe the people have to be convinced first on the urgent need to reduce emissions but by that time it may just be too late.

We don't have much time.

Paul Featherstone
Kergord Hatchery
ssltd@zetnet.co.uk




 8 December, 2005

Global warming not natural

Recent and Predicted Global Warming - not Natural but caused by Human Activity

DBS (Global warming? It's evolution. 5 December) wrote suggesting that climate change is natural, is no fault of human activity and there is no need to worry about it.

As a practising climate scientist I can confirm that DBS is correct that climate change has occurred throughout the Earth's history and that in the most recent million years there have been periods of Ice Ages and of much warmer Interglacials.

Unfortunately while it is true that there is warming from an Ice Age into an Interglacial period, the majority of the warming takes place in the early part of the Interglacial with limited but observable fluctuations in climate after that.

Until the late 18th Century, the Earth was in one of those mid-Interglacial periods when only small fluctuations in climate would be expected either medium term, such as the so-called Little Ice Age in the 17th and 18th Centuries, or short term due, for example, to volcanic eruptions.

The next substantial change in climate that would be expected, if there was no change to the Earth-Atmosphere system would be a return to Ice Age conditions (but not for thousands of years).

Unfortunately, since the end of the 18th Century, human activity has been adding carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane to the atmosphere substantially increasing the concentrations of all of those gases.

Those three gases (and also the man-made chlorofluorocarbons and their HCFC replacements) are what is termed "radiatively active" that is, they absorb long-wave radiation emitted by the Earth's surface trapping extra energy within the Earth-Atmosphere system (the so-called greenhouse gases).

The trapping of energy increases the temperature of the lower atmosphere and this is observed as global warming. The observed warming since the end of the 18th Century is now greater than the likely level of natural fluctuation and that warming matches the estimated warming predicted by sophisticated ocean-atmosphere computer models.

There are a very few atmospheric scientists who remain sceptical about the actual level of future warming but even they generally concede that increasing the concentrations of greenhouse gases by burning fossil fuels and other human activities will trap extra energy within the Earth-Atmosphere system (they argue about the amount of energy trapped). The vast majority of scientists however agree that global warming is a real and major problem.

What is really alarming is that if no action is taken, the level of warming predicted over the next 100 years could be getting towards the amount of warming that took place from the last Ice Age to the present day.

The good news is that It is possible to make substantial cuts in our greenhouse gases without reducing economic growth as changing from a carbon-based fuel source (coal, oil and gas) will reduce the importance of the oil industry but lead to the growth of other industries.

The oil industry will not disappear for many years even if we stopped using fossil fuels entirely (which itself would take a long time) as it provides an important feedstock for the plastics and pharmaceutical industries.

DBS's views and those of any who remain sceptical about the effects of activity on climate change need to accept that climate change is already happening and that even if we do take action, all we can do is to slow the change and stabilise climate with the world being somewhat warmer that it is now. Without action the long-term consequences may well be catastrophic.

John McClatchey
Director
Shetland College
John.McClatchey@shetland.uhi.ac.uk




7 December 2005

Anyone know this Salmon?

7 December, 2005

I WAS surfing the web this morning, and found a link to your web page. My maternal family hails from the Shetlands, and I lived there until 1959, when we moved to South Africa. I was 11 yrs old. I have lived in USA since 1997.

My parents were Brien (Harry) and Leila Tandy. My grandparents were Alex and Leila Jean Laurenson. My grandmother was a Mouat. Her sisters were Jean & Kathleen.

We lived at 76 St Olaf St, my father was the borough surveyor. I am now 58 years old, do you think you may know anyone around that age that I may remember, or who may remember me or my siblings?

My name was Jean Tandy, now Salmon, and my brothers are Peter, Don and Mike. My sister is Valerie.

Would appreciate any information.

Sincerely,
Jean Salmon
jeanksalmon@aol.com





6 December, 2005

What happened to the cinema?

I'M PLEASED to see that a brand new cinema complex has been opened in Stornoway, a community which has not benefited substantially from oil revenues, but clearly sees cinema provision as an important cultural asset for the Western Isles.

The new cinema will be programmed by Edinburgh Filmhouse, which means it will have access to the same sort of film programme enjoyed by citizens of the nation's capital.

I seem to recall there was talk of a cinema and music venue for oil-rich Shetland being built in Lerwick. Whatever happened to it?

Yours sincerely

Leslie Lowes
Kirkidale
Walls
ZE2 9QX



 

5 December, 2005

Global warming? It’s evolution

FIRST things first, congratulations to the Shetland News team. I have been a regular reader for many years, and hope I have the pleasure of being one for many years to come. I haven't written a letter since the 22nd April 2003, but now...

No doubt a certain quantity of people reading this will interpret what I am saying as ignorance, but I have grown increasingly frustrated by what I see as ignorance regarding the current "fate of our planet" trends.

Global warming? Our fault?

No.

Its nature carrying on as it always has.

We are heading for the end of an ice age. Plain and simple. Are we, this generation of humanity, speeding up the process? Undoubtedly we are, but that is simply natural evolution.

In the same way that the minute a local fiddle tune is written down, and learned with precision, it has ceased to be traditional and is merely one persons interpretation of that tune captured for prosperity. Traditional music evolves, changes, that is what makes it so special.

To try to "halt" or "reverse" global warming is simply being selfish with our planet by wanting to keep it the way "we" like it. Therefore denying our descendants their own special planet.

Please do not interfere with nature, and let it continue to evolve as it has done for many millions of years.

I am not going to quote historical or scientific documents here, there are wealths of information to back this up to be found simply by entering "ice age cycles" into any library or internet search engine.

Do not destroy your own health and wellbeing by falling foul of the scaremongering of others. Already there are freephone numbers (and websites) where you can use your credit card to send vast amounts of money to various charities and research centres, none of which can halt evolution in its most primitive, and natural, form. But doing so may make you feel better. Until the bill comes in and the bairns are hungry.

I have no doubt by now many experts and those who's work and/or ego depends upon this subject are shaking their heads, or maybe banging them against something hard. Shame. But the latter may eventually do some good.

I'm goin ta stop knappin noo an relax. I keen dat dir a mair dan just a few oot dere wha agree wi me.

Yis, dunna laeve your car runnin if you dunna need tae, dunna fire your owld sweety papers oot da window or dump your owld oil idda burn, bit do it fur wis. Noo.

If wir aa clean livin fur wirsels an wir bairns, da planet will look efter itsell.

So lits welcome ony o da new forms o energy production wi open erms. Its wark ida place an good fur da economy o da Isles, an naebody can deny we need dat. Some fok will tell gluffin stories, some o dem da sam fok dat telt da gluffin stories aboot Sullom Voe. Afore it got underwaye an aabody forgot aboot it, until dey threatend tae close it...

So, dunna be faerd ta lit your lum reek, an dunna be faerd aboot aathing you read. Mind an apply a grain o midder wit, look efter yoursell an idders, an keep cheery.

Dats whit really metters.

DBS

Sandside,
Firth,
Shetland
spinner72@hotmail.co.uk




5 December 2005

Rejecting the rejecters

TONY Erwood's letter (1 December) typifies the lack of respect I get, and continue to get, from academia and Defenders of The Status Quo (DSQs). DSQs, too, are very good at sending out 'rejection slips' without even bothering to read the script. His recollection is a good one because, who knows, Snoopy's next never-to-be-read story may have been a best seller for another publisher.

Perhaps I should be sending out 'rejection slips' to the clowns that have given us daft ineffectual wind and marine turbines and think that burning trees is OK if you call them biomass.

The following example will put Mr Erwood's gas at a peep. Let's say an academic was presented with a tidal stream regime that was capable of generating a maximum of 100MW three hours after slack water and falling back to zero at six hours. Over the six hour period the area under the sinusoidal power curve works out at 381.9MWh (twice the rectangle divided by pi).

My approach is to convert all 381.9MWh to heat and store it. Six hours later another 381.9MWh is stored as heat and so on into infinity. In order to maintain temperature stability 381.9MWh of thermal energy must taken from the store every six hours in another independent and simultaneous process. It is from the thermal store that GENTEC venturi generates at its full
capacity of 31MW for every hour of the year (that is 186MWh of electricity going into the grid every six hours). One £6 million GENTEC venturi plant on Shetland would earn SIC a staggering £51.9 million every year making Shetland the richest place per capita on Earth!

The academic's approach will be to put a 1MW marine turbine in the same tidal stream to that, on a good day, it generates about 4MWh over the same six hour period.

Rather than admit that he does not 'get it' Tony will continue to stoutly defend the conventional marine turbine spawned by inside-the-box-thinking by 'the experts' that generates about 46 times less electricity than GENTEC venturi. He is welcome to contact me with any questions as are all Shetlanders. My mobile phone number is all over the Internet.

Now, where did I put those envelopes?

Kind regards,

Andrew H Mackay
Greenheat Systems Limited
Causewayside
Glenaldie
TAIN
Ross-shire
07720 141 332
www.greenheating.com





5 December 2005

In bed with an elephant

WEDNESDAY was St Andrews Day and how did you celebrate Scotland's national day?

Probably like most Scots the day passed you by. Scotland does not celebrate its own existence, unlike just about every country in the world, including our neighbours in the North Sea.

The Norwegians celebrate Constitution Day on 17 May as their national holiday, Iceland have their Independence Day on 17 June while the Faroe Islands celebrate Olavasoka on 29 July.

So why is Scotland different? Dennis Canavan, Independent MSP, has put forward a bill in the Scottish Parliament to celebrate St Andrews Day as a national holiday. Hardly a radical proposal you would have thought but the best that First Minister Jack McConnell can come up with is that he had "yet to be convinced" by the merits of the idea.

The denial of a case for a national holiday is one aspect of a political problem for the Unionist parties, having admitted that Scotland exists by setting up a devolved parliament, how do they keep a lid on the bottle of Scottish ambition.

Unionist politicians are always looking over their shoulders to Westminster to work out what will be acceptable to their political masters, they know their careers depend on it. Politicians in Scotland should represent Scottish interests and not the interests of another country.

Labour ran Scotland as their personal fiefdom from the 50s onwards. They were not interested in promoting Scotland among its own population. All Labour wanted and needed was subservient Labour voters at election time.

The lack of a St Andrews Day holiday is but a straw in the wind. Why do 500 members of the Literature Forum for Scotland feel the need to send a petition to the Scottish Parliament to ask that Scottish literature, history and language are taught in Scottish schools? Obviously, they feel that it is not happening currently and that is remarkable.

Peter Peacock, education minister, was suggesting last month that the teaching of history be removed from the curriculum completely. Is there any other country in the world that goes out of its way not to teach its literature, history and language? The Labour establishment in Scotland in charge of the school curriculum did just that, trying to eradicate any aspect of Scottish life, culture, history from the curriculum, a subtle formof ethnic cleansing. Don't take my word for it, ask the Literature Forum for Scotland.

Learning about your own area and country gives you a grounding to be able to appreciate and understand other countries and cultures.

Scotland's problem is that we are in bed with an elephant, England, and that we have to keep selling our own country short for our bigger neighbour and be thankful for getting the odd crumb.

Good luck to London on getting the Olympics but let us not pretend that this is a British event, it is an English event pure and simple. The offer of a football game at Hampden and some rowing at Strathclyde Park smacks of nothing more than beads for the natives. Scotland is being patronised but we will get the opportunity to partly fund the games by Scottish sports funding being cut.

The response of some to the Scottish Football Association's refusal to be part of a UK football team in the Olympics beggars belief. To some extent the Scottish football team has kept the name of Scotland in people's minds the world over. There is considerable pressure on FIFA to merge the UK football teams into one. If Scotland were to join a merged football team for the Olympics that would be like the proverbial turkey voting forChristmas.

Scotland should not be asked to lay down and die at every opportunity but should take every opportunity to promote itself on the world stage.

Why the hysterical response to asking that a Scottish team go to the Olympics? A painless campaign to support surely at
www.c-scot.org/SupporttheCampaign.htm but no, Unionist politicians were tripping over themselves to condemn such a move. If Hong Kong can go to the Olympics, why not Scotland?

Unionist politicians are trying to ride two horses at the one time, they are bound to fall off. It is a perverse career indeed that makes them want to denigrate Scotland, and argue against even the simplest acknowledgement that Scotland exists and to do it with such gusto.

All the best
Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)
www.freescotlandparty.org
Schoolhouse, Hamnavoe, Burra




2 December 2005

Isn't it illegal?

I HAVE just read the latest comments from the SIC regarding the traffic problem along Lochside, I note that they say one side of the road is residential and the other side apart from sports fields, the Clickimin Centre and car parking, is also used for people to sell their cars.

Was there not an article in the Shetland Times a few weeks ago saying that this was now illegal. If so, shouldn't they be addressing this problem also?

Carole Radford
carole.radford@tiscali.co.uk 




1 December 2005

Blowback

1 December, 2005

So, Mr Mackay says: "Graham Sinden, Aaron Priest and David Thomson protesteth too much? The reality is that I am right and they, including the scientific community at large, are just plain wrong". Oh really? I don't think so.

When I read Mr Mackay's letters, I am reminded of a Peanuts cartoon in which the hapless Snoopy is sitting by his typewriter reading a letter from a magazine editor and it says: "Dear Contributor, thank you for submitting your story to our magazine. To save time, we are enclosing two rejection slips, one for this story and one for the next story you send us."

Tony Erwood
Embedded Signal Processing Ltd,
Lunna House,
Lunna,
Vidlin
tony@lunnahouse.co.uk




1 December 2005

Help stop climate chaos…please

THE THREAT posed by climate change is the greatest crisis humanity has faced. If we let the average global temperature rise by more then 2ºC we will face the threat of devastating runaway climate change leading to extreme weather, crop failures, flooding and overall massive social, economic and environmental costs.

Already the WHO estimate that more than 400 people are dying every day because of climate change, most of them in developing countries. Without urgent action by this generation we are heading for a climate catastrophe.

In recognition of the urgency and seriousness of this issue, a coalition of environment and development groups have come together to form Stop Climate Chaos Scotland. We believe that we can make a difference by mobilising and working with people to take both personal and political action. We invite your readers, and the organisations they support, to join us.

Individuals and organisations can create an irresistible demand for government action to stop human induced climate change. By making changes in our own lives we can make a practical difference as well as demonstrating to our political leaders that the time for action is now.

Please go to our website at and find out more about how we can all help to Stop Climate Chaos.

Yours faithfully

Christian Aid,
FoE Scotland, Oxfam,
RSPB,
Scotland Campaign against Climate Change,
Scottish Environment Link,
SUSTRANS,
Tearfund,
WWF Scotland,
The Woodland Trust




22 November 2005

Can you help?

HELLO. I am Andrew White. I am 40 years of age. I live with my family of four in Hull East Yorkshire.

My own father Donald White died some years ago. I am currently trying to trace relatives I believe are from the Shetland Isles. My great, great, great grandfather Robinson I am told sailed on the famous whaling ship Diana.

I am told he sailed from the port of Dundee but lived on the Shetlands. He was employed as an long boat oarsman. The date now would be around the1870s although I cannot be exact.

I do not know his first name or for that matter when he arrived in Hull. I do know he had a son, my great, great grandfather Charles Lillis. Sometime during his life he served with the British Army in India during the Raj. He settled in Hull, had a family and settled down.

I am also aware that Charles was called up and served in the Great War. He later married a lady I do not know the name of.

My dear grandmother Harriet Robinson was born in Hull on 22 August 1900. In the 1920s she married my grandfather Sidney White. Sidney in turn served in the Great War and was sent home after being injured in France. My own father Donald was born in 1939.

As for great great grandfather Charles Robinson my understanding is that he took his own life after contracting throat cancer. He hung himself in Hull. I send this e mail in a hope that I can make contact with descendents still on the islands.

I am a level headed man who has served for my sins for many years as a policeman. I know it is asking a lot, however I would really like your paper to help me.

My telephone number is 01482 445 221. I would be grateful for a call.

Kind Regards

Andy White
nadia72@nadia72.karoo.co.uk





21 November 2005

Catherine knows her stuff

WITH regard to the scrap over the fight to retain the Shetland Box I remember hosting a meeting between Catherine Stihler MEP and local industry representatives when I stood as candidate for the Scottish Parliament. It was widely agreed that the discussion was useful and it was recognised that Catherine knows her stuff.

Whilst the box does provide a conservation benefit it does not operate to full effect. I advocated at the time that further restrictions on effort within the box could benefit our future fleet as well as those who are denied access. Indeed arguing to strengthen the benefit would strengthen the retention case.

The gradual move towards local inshore control and regional management, imperfect as these may be, should focus our minds on what kind of effort we wish to see in the future and it is that which should determine our stance. Any change in local effort will inevitably be supported by public funds and there are types of fishing the public won't support indefinitely. If Shetland could get ahead of the game and argue the case for restrictions which Shetland could in turn derive greater benefit from conservation bodies would line up to offer support.

Having also sat in on a meeting between the local fleet and the UK fishing minister I do appreciate the degree to which those remaining in the industry feel battered by change but we will only be able to seize opportunities if we actually know which direction we want to go in.

Peter Hamilton
4/8 Blacket Avenue
Edinburgh
EH9 1RS
warnerhamilton@btopenworld.com




21 November 2005

Save the Scottish Regiments

We only have until 29 November to sign up. This is the link if you wish to sign it:

www.petitiononline.com/P2P2005/petition.html

Would be very grateful if you can support this.

Brian Ware
lorconbew@yahoo.co.uk




18 November 2005

Love those regulations

AT LEAST some of the interference of the European Union (EU) in everyday Scottish life goes unnoticed but the news that SIC are planning to reform Shetland's ferries ahead of a possible, feared and EU forced tendering is closer to home.

And as we ratchet up the heating with winter on its way we can all look forward to paying VAT on heating. Remember the fuss when VAT was put on heating which led to it being reduced. We were told that VAT would be removed in due course. Well it will not. It is an EU regulation that once VAT is put on an item it can be reduced to 5 per cent but it can not be removed.

The EU and EU regulations, don't you just love them!

Yours Sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party
01595 859475
Mobile 077 71 724 362
http://www.freescotlandparty.org





16 November, 2005

More public scrutiny needed

WITH regard to a recent news item on the proposed new fish meal plant at Sullom, forgive me for being a bit slow on this one but I was under the impression that the proposal was dead in the water due to the higher fuel prices of late?

Whilst I accept that the fuel price has dropped a little in the last couple of weeks, surely the hovering high fuel price will remain in a state of upward flux for the forseeable future?

If the proposed development was temporarily halted due to this reason a few weeks ago (as reported) how commercially viable can it be to be so fragile on fuel costs alone? I really do wonder these days how so many commercial developments that require SIC financial support to succeed stand on such frail commercial foundations.

I really hope that the announced public meeting in Sullom next week set to discuss this proposal will have folk in attendance that can vigorously grill the representatives of the company and the SIC. As things stand there is far too much disregard for sound business principles. These types of development need far more public scrutiny than is apparent of late.

Vic Thomas
Sandwick
vic.thomas@btopenworld.com




16 November, 2005

11 in a row

THE EU has failed yet again to get its auditors to accept its accounts. Would you want to be a member of a social club that failed to get its accounts passed by its auditors?

It is not just that the European Court of Auditors have refused to sign off the EU's accounts that is astonishing, but that they have refused to sign the accounts off for the eleventh year in a row.

Who would join a social club on this basis? No one, and yet we all get the chance to pay tax to an organisation with a £68 billion budget that is corrupt to the hilt. Fraud is rife within the EU.

There are people being paid fancy salaries, responsible in the European Commission for beating corruption. The auditors have just told them that they are failing miserably. On an EU wish list there probably is a wish to eradicate corruption, but where is the political will?

The Court of Auditors say that 90 per cent of the £68 billion EU budget is open to fraud with "structural weaknesses" in accounting procedures and that internal policies "do not provide sufficient assurance as regards the legality and regularity of payments."

The European Court of Auditors issued its Annual Financial Report on the European Union's 2004 accounts on 14 November.

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)
http://www.freescotlandparty.org
Schoolhouse, Hamnavoe, Burra,
Shetland. ZE2 9LA




14 November, 2005

Fight for autism rights

I WISH to bring to the attention of your readers a new group called `Autism Rights` which has been formed to campaign for the human rights of people with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The founding members of `Autism Rights` are all parents and carers of people with an ASD and long-standing members of the Cross Party Group on Autistic Spectrum Disorder of the Scottish Parliament.

Full membership of `Autism Rights` is open to people with an ASD in Scotland and to their parents and carers who want to join our campaign to fight for the human rights of people with an ASD - specifically the right to appropriate health treatment, education, social welfare and justice.

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education has been commissioned by the Scottish Executive to evaluate educational provision for children with ASD throughout Scotland. This evaluation will be completed by the summer of next year.

Therefore, so that we can ensure that parental experiences are fully represented, one of our first actions as a group will be to conduct our own survey of parents with children with ASD about their experiences of school education, whether that be in special schools, mainstream units or in mainstream classrooms. This survey is currently available to complete online on our website - www.autismrights.org.uk  - and will be the first in a series on services for those with ASD.

We encourage people with an ASD and their parents and carers who are interested in becoming members of `Autism Rights` to visit our website for more information, and to contact us by email at:- contact@autismrights.org.uk

Yours sincerely,

Fiona Sinclair,
Convener,
Autism Rights




1 November 2005

Who wants a bridge?

A BRESSAY bridge. Always a contentious issue when living in a small community. Many people have opinions on whether it should be a bridge, tunnel or neither. The council have one mind set, the LPA another. What do the people of Bressay or indeed Shetland want?

The council would like us to believe that the people of Bressay want a bridge. If this is true without asking the people of Bressay, then the SIC need to be commended for having some sort of mystical powers that they can read our minds.

I have lived in Bressay now for almost five years and in that time I have listened to and have heard many opinions on the great debate – bridge, tunnel or ferry. I can see many benefits of a fixed link, but a bridge, I have to say, is not the way forward in my opinion.

I was brought up as a child in an area which (although not an island) had ferry links to the nearest town. The option was a ferry crossing or a couple of hours trip round the long way. There now are two bridges linking Ross-shire to Inverness. This is of benefit to the community as it means easier access to the shops, employment and entertainment.

However it comes at a price. It now means that the village has no sense of community. People have built houses there as a means to commute to work in Inverness. The cost of housing and car insurance has gone up. The crime rate has increased, no longer can you leave your car unlocked at night. What once was a small friendly village of about 600 residents has now grown to 1500 where neighbours don’t know each others names.

And as for no longer having to use the long route to Inverness? I am afraid that is just wishful thinking. On many occasions throughout the winter the Kessock bridge is closed due to high winds. I would like to point out that the Kessock bridge is nowhere near as high as the proposed Bressay bridge, which would be nearer the height of the Forth Road Bridge!

I would like to ask why the SIC is so opposed to the idea of considering a fixed link being a tunnel? Has it now become a war of egos between the SIC and LPA?

I feel that we have an excellent ferry service taking commuters from the centre of Bressay to the centre of Lerwick and feel that a fixed link is not necessary. However if faced with a forced choice of fixed links, I would choose a tunnel any day over a bridge.

The SIC have stated that a tunnel would be too expensive and that the Bressay project has been capped at £19 million, they then put out a full page advert in the Shetland Times stating that the estimated cost of the ridge will be £24 million.

No one batted an eyelid. Are we that used to the council overspending that we do not question it any longer? I would have thought that if the estimated cost is above the capped price then surely the project will not go ahead.

This matter of a fixed link, or no fixed link, is not just a matter for residents of Bressay. It involves all Shetland residents, as the cost of the fixed link will need to be met if the project ever starts. Should this cost be £19 million, £24 million, £30 million or more, this money will have to be found from another SIC budget and will affect everyone in Shetland for years to come.

Sincerely,

Sarah Black,
Creag Dubh,
South Beosetter,


29 October 2005

Don’t knock the staff

TRAVELLING all of Scotland in general and the Northern Isles in particular for now more than 30 years, the team of VisitShetland always was not the best, but on the "sunny side ...."

VisitShetland always reacted on the spot and with expertise as good as they could. I never had any problems on the phone nor at the desk. I am not a native English speaking person, but I tried ... I am not a tour operator but I had no problems to discuss my points of view as author of a tourist guide about Shetland - privately and off records - my (personal & published) recommendations far beyond the (official) gradings of VisitScotland.

As tourists, we should not complain about local staff who are (as far as the grading and publishing of brochures is concerned) bound to "dubious national" standards, we should not blame VisitShetland where it has to follow the boring rules and standards of VisitScotland.

Complaining as an individual about this or that, I do not expect (and want) any further reaction in form of " ... sorry ... but ... " by a standard e-mail or letter. I do trust in two things only: a proper information in the next brochure (where possible) or a trustworthy information and reaction at the desk. That's my view as tourist.

If I would be engaged in the business as tour operator or offering B&B or something else: sorry folks, you are professionals. Do blame those to whom you have addressed your complaints but not the staff in general.

Wolfgang Schlick
wfkschlick@compuserve.de




28 October 2005

No public debate

WIND FARM plans flying "blind" were the headlines on the Shetland News web site today and refer to the SIC's newly formed energy company Viking Energy, who are entering into secret negotiations, signing agreements and committing Shetland to as yet huge undisclosed sums of public finance for a massive wind farm, which could eventually cost over a billion pounds.

There is no problem with a wind farm in Shetland if this is what the Shetland community want. What is missing so far in this debate is a planning strategy that has been approved to guide us through this particular type of development. There is no public involvement in the debate on the agreements being signed up to and no public debate on the public funds being committed to this development prior to any planning application.

It may be appropriate in small or normal developments to consult the community at the planning stage but in massive projects like this, in a small community like Shetland - it is downright arrogant to push ahead with decisions, agreements and commitments to spend public funds without community involvement from day one. There are numerous examples of lost millions in the last few years and it is all very well Drew Ratter saying "we want the whole of the Shetland community to understand this project and to come along with us as willing and happy partners in the whole thing" but so far the public have been kept out of the debate.

Highland council who have at least 10 huge wind farm proposals in their area and in complete contrast to the SIC's way of working, have produced a blue print (strategy) for areas that might be suitable or areas that might not be suitable for wind farm development. They have published the document for consultation and are organising a series of public meetings throughout the affected areas in advance of any planning applications.

I leave it up to the folk of Shetland to make their own minds up about the inclusion, openness, honesty and financial integrity of the way things are done here in Shetland, but I really do think the headline Wind farm plans flying "blind" is bit of an understatement!

Vic Thomas
Sandwick
Shetland
vic.thomas@btinternet.com



27 October 2005

Get on with it!

SO, TAVISH Scott, transport minister in the Labour/Liberal Democrat Scottish Executive, is holding consultation on the new national scheme for free bus travel for old and disabled folk as well as two free return ferry trips a year.

A bit of spin here, surely. This is the same scheme that was first announced about a year ago.

How many times will the policy be announced before it is actually implemented? Why are old and disabled folk being made to wait while Tavish, yet again, milks the policy for all it is worth? Get on with it!

Talking about getting on with it, will the transport minister be doing anything about PSOs for islands flights? The islands have been waiting a long time for those. It is cold comfort to know that Tavish has been saying for the six years that he's been an MSP how vital PSOs are to island life. As transport minister and an MSP for an island constituency, it is time for Tavish to put up or shut up!

Yours Sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party
thescottishparty@hotmail.com




26 October 2005

Rubbish fines need rethinking

I AM all for punishing litter louts and those who gratuitously allow rubbish to spill from black bags. However, there are inevitably many circumstances where the householder would not be to blame and therefore should not be liable for a fine.

Those in town, temporarily without bruck boxes or those who's boxes are full and leave the remainder, adjacent, in black bin bags for collection could be targeted by vandals - what fun for those with moronic tendencies! Tear a black bag, scatter the rubbish and leave the householder to face the music. I would imagine that idea would take a while to catch on - oh within at least a day of the system of fines implementation.

Those of us in rural areas, who, when possible, to minimize the risk of wildlife bag attack, neatly stack the black bags for collection, usually, the morning of the day the refuse personnel are due, can still be subjected to the vigorous efforts of local animals and birds. True, my family has dealt with the offending rubbish ASAP but cannot be blamed for the activities of gulls, bonxies, polecats, feral cats etc. etc. and on that basis a fine is unacceptable, inappropriate and immoral.

My family recycle as much as possible, we have purchased five compost bins from the council this year to achieve minimizing waste and always deliver waste glass items to the local glass recycle bin. I note that while a fine is planned for spilt rubbish - there is no reward scheme for those who cut down refuse or are trying to do their bit for the planet. What irony!

I am not aware of any local bins for recyclable metals in the locality. It does grieve me to be forced to include cans and tins in the household 'rubbish'. Perhaps the council could give more thought to recycling possibilities as well as ensuring that those they try to 'fine', on what could be an unworkable scheme, are true 'offenders' and not victims of the actions of others - human or otherwise.

In terms of persons seen littering, those walking along the street who dump rubbish or those who delight in chucking fags out of cars and other debris should receive an immediate fine without a warning. There is no doubt, in those situations, that such actions are deliberate and should be dealt with accordingly, I do not consider it high-handed to do so as there are a plethora of bins sited around Shetland. It is very sad that the fag chuckers I have seen are often seen in cars with young children perhaps a fine for littering might benefit young lungs if it could discourage in-car smoking with the family...

Yours sincerely

Stella Winks
Svinborghus
Virkie
Stellawinks@aol.com




5 October 2005

Complaints fall on deaf ears

With reference to the letter from Ms Helen McDermott-Van Driessche, please don't feel that you are the only person who's complaints/concerns are ignored.

I have fed back visitor complaints for the last six years and have had a fair few myself. They all either fall on deaf ears or I am told I am the problem or I don't know what I am talking about or if the visitor doesn't put it down in writing they can't act on second hand complaints.

I have had comments from various other local people with the same experience as well.

Like politicians, our public servants swear black is white, they know best, we know nothing and we are all a nuisance. As I pointed out in my last correspondence when they have no one to represent (tourism providers) and no visitors to service their jobs will evaporate as well.

Regards
Sarah McBurnie
See Shetland Tours




30 September 2005

Take the lead on renewables

As New Orleans and the global oil industry recover from Hurricane Katrina and Tony Blair once again raises the spectre of more nuclear power in Britain, there is new legislation being proposed in Parliament that could help every household in Scotland access cheap, clean and reliable energy. Rather than rely on finite uranium and oil for our energy, Scotland can take the lead on renewables.

My colleague Green MSP Shiona Baird has recently proposed a bill that will help householders and communities make the most of the Scotland's renewable energy resources by making it easier for them to install their own devices such as solar roof panels and mini wind turbines - and we want readers' comments on how this legislation can be made to work to benefit everyone.

Greens suggest that the Executive and local authorities should set targets for micropower, reduce planning red tape, simplify rules to make it easier for householders to sell surplus energy to the grid, and also consider other incentives such as grants and one-off council tax rebates for those installing devices.

These are our suggestions - readers including householders, community groups and local businesses across Highlands & Islands, may also have some ideas on the kind of help they would like to produce clean, green energy whilst saving on their energy bills.

We would like to hear those ideas so we can make this proposed bill effective - for a copy of the consultation document please call 0131 348 6363.

Yours

Eleanor Scott
Green MSP for Highlands & Islands




29 September 2005

Many thanks to islanders

Last month my wife and I visited the islands and were unlucky enough to be camping on Fetlar during a rather strong gale (force 11 the weatherman had it).

I would like to thank the owner of the shop and B&B in Houbie for all his help in relocating our tandem and our entire luggage to his very comfortable and affordable lodgings.

We are also indebted to Angus the former salmon farmer who missed his ferry by stopping to pick us up near the Mid Yell turn (suffering the fourth of five punctures we had from Fetlar to Lerwick) and getting us to Voe.

There's not much that can carry a loaded tandem and luggage trailer, but a Volvo estate car and Ifor Williams trailer can!

Despite the setbacks we had a great week exploring the islands including Unst's famous bus stop.

If you can find a place to publish our thanks we would be grateful.

Faithfully
James & Ann Crosskell
Lincolnshire
JimCrosskell@bhss.co.uk




27 September 2005

Let common sense prevail

Once again some members of our council have jumped in with both feet into the mire.

When are they going to learn that making a fool of themselves in a goldfish bowl culture can only make the residents of Shetland question the validity of their antics!

Chris Hodge has invested money, time and boundless energy , never mind employment, in filling a niche in the market that has been needed for some time.

His products may not suit everyone, but there is great selection at reasonable prices to choose from, his staff are customer friendly and go out of their way to be helpful, which is more than I can say of some of the traders in Lerwick. Most importantly customers will spend in Shetland, not elsewhere because the prices or selection of goods is not available in the town.

Now the council are holding discussions behind closed doors to what? Try and save face in a laughable debacle? Try and find some more obstacles to put in Chris's way?

Come on, let common sense prevail; praise the foresight and effort; support, don’t undermine.

At least Chris and his family are not asking for public money to be thrown at him and his entrepreneurship is sustainable unlike some of the dying industries around Shetland at the moment.

We chose to live in Shetland fourteen years ago and are proud to tell folk where we come from, but sadly we're not so happy to see such an unnecessary mess develop in our community.

Susanne Willshaw
Susanne.willshaw@btinternet.com

 

27 September 2005

Unfriendly treatment

First of all I'd like to say that it's a great idea to refurbish the tourist office.

BUT! Instead of refurbishing the office, the tourist office might want to consider ‘refurbishing’ their staff!

Two years ago we put in an official complaint about a bad B&B in Sandwick. The staff assured us they would investigate the complaint and let us know the follow up.

What do you think? We haven't heard anything since and on top of the matter we found the same address again in the official accommodation guide of Shetland, even this year!

I'd like to say as well that the staff is very unfriendly with non-native English speaking people.

They should be thrilled that people from "the Continent" wish to visit the islands, even twice in the last two years. Shetland struggles as it is with tourism and an unfriendly service does not really help!

I wish you lots of success with the new office and hope to see Shetland again in a few years' time!

Helen McDermott- Van Driessche
Lokeren
Belgium
iain.mcdermott@pandora.be  




26 September 2005

Have a bridge and a tunnel

Why not have both; a bridge and a tunnel? This might please both the council and the port authority.

The bridge (or should it be called tunnel) between Sweden and Denmark goes under water to allow movement of ships.

In order for ships to pass, this bridge is half under the water.

Truly a marvellous piece of engineering! The picture was taken from the Swedish side.

Many thanks

A concerned local citizen
Name and address supplied








21 September 2005

What are they hiding?

AS A FOE Scotland activist & local environmental practitioner, I am appalled at the manner in which Shetland Aggregates have brought their latest plans for the Sullom Quarry to the public domain.

Making their plans known to a select (invited) band of local residents reeks of their fear of wider community interest in their proposals, Why? What have Shetland Aggregates got to hide by picking only a few (select) local residents?

This method of dealing with local folk will backfire on the company and its plans as folk can see they have things to hide!

If folk in the area feel concerned about this they should demand entry to this meeting!

Vic Thomas
vic.thomas@btinternet.com




16 September 2005

We'll join fish fight

ALTHOUGH we are currently working abroad we will be returning to Shetland.

We are concerned about reports of a fish factory at Scatness, as reported on your web site. We live in Ollaberry, opposite the oil terminal, and we already suffer, on windy days from the (sulphurous) smells from the flare stack. So we anticipate having to put up with fish smells now.

This factory will not be built in our area, but we will suffer the consequences. How long will "the powers that be" persist in supporting
schemes that put the one thing that Shetland does have in its favour - its environment - at risk. Even the most up to date technology cannot stop all smells...ask the residents of Lerwick.

Your Sincerely

Bob and Laura Jamieson
(of Nissetter, Ollaberry)
Hotel De la Paix
Champery
1874
Switzerland
bobandlaura@jmsn.wanadoo.co.uk




15 September 2005

Abdicating responsibility


TAVISH Scott, the transport minister in the Scottish Parliament, says Cal Mac must put their routes out to tender because of EU law. What EU law would that be? And when were voters in Scotland, never mind Britain, asked to vote on the ascendancy of EU law?

Voters are asked to vote for MEPs who do not have law making powers so where is the democracy in the EU? The EU Commission sends down law from on high, people on whom voters have no selection, or, more importantly, deselection rights. Scottish politicians at Holyrood or in Westminster can do no more than wring their hands in frustration.

How does the EU get away with it and why are Scottish politicians not protesting? The EU is deeply involved in the micro management of all aspects of life. Fishing has been decimated by the EU, VAT, once in place can only be reduced not replaced, for example on heating or building materials in renovation work, because of EU regulations.

The major problem is an abdication of responsibility by Scottish politicians. They accept that the EU has control and then they can sit at the sidelines blaming the EU. This is the ultimate in power without responsibility!

The Free Scotland party (www.freescotlandparty.org) would argue that only politicians elected by voters in Scotland should make decisions about Scotland in Scotland, Westminster and Brussels should have no input on Scottish life.

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Spokesperson
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)




13 September 2005

Give tourism a leg up

AMAZING isn't it that there is a possibility of another £5.5 million being invested in another fish meal factory (i.e. one business) that is already looking unsustainable.

You will notice that there is no intention of putting any real investment into tourism. £5.5 million invested in passing places, turning points, parking, small businesses, voluntary groups, crafts and all the small fry involved in servicing visitors would give the industry the leg up it needs.

It's fine for all the salaried people sitting around thinking up tourism strategies, you can have all the fancy ideas in the world but without the courage of private enterprise there will still be nothing.

This year has seen the demise of See Shetland Tours, reorganisation at Thordale Equestrian Centre (no more riding for visitors), struggling providers of one sort and another. It's no use encouraging more visitors if there isn't the infrastructure to enable them to enjoy Shetland when they get here.

As one visitor remarked to me this morning- the leaflets and info are fantastic but Shetland only seems to cater for a two month season, what about the rest of the year?

If even £1million was invested in 50 tourism providers i.e. small tour operators, craft producers, heritage centres etc it would make a vast difference to their ability to survive and expand.

Regards
Sarah McBurnie
Unst
seeshetland@seeshetland.free-online.co.uk




26 August 2005

Edinburgh's man

Joining up with the Highlands or going into an islands group to make transport policy for Shetland makes sense to no one other than Tavish Scott. SIC are right to push for a Shetland Transport authority. Tavish is putting the conclusions of his civil servants ahead of those who live in Shetland.The conclusion has to be that he is Edinburgh's man in Shetland rather than the other way around!

As Transport Minister, Tavish should have had PSOs in place long ago, having spent six years talking about them. Why are they not in place? Tavish is the only one flying in and out of Shetland on expenses, meanwhile the rest of us have to pay through the nose.

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Schoolhouse
Hamnavoe
Burra
freescotlandparty@hotmail.com


 

18 August 2005

Unbelievable pomposity!

I LISTENED with interest to Radio Orkney's Thursday morning broadcast regarding the possible changes to the Aberdeen ferry timetable and I could not believe the pomposity of Mr John Hinkley in claiming that it is in the best interests of "the masses" to move the departure time forward by two hours.

He has obviously not discussed this with any of the Orcadian public who use the ferry on regular basis and for whom the lifeline service is supposed to benefit the most!

Moving the time forward would only benefit the tourists travelling to Orkney and the owners of the Orkney b&bs/hotels etc who are receiving them. Not only that but the benefits are minor i.e. two hours extra in Orkney for the tourists and an earlier night in bed for the owners of the hostelries!

However, on the negative side moving the time forward would mean that a huge number of both ORCADIANS and SHETLANDERS (this is their lifeline service too after all!) would
a) not be able to compete in a number of competitive sports on the mainland,
b) only get half a day of shopping in Aberdeen and
c) any students coming home for the weekend from Edinburgh or Glasgow would have to get up to Aberdeen either the night before or leave at the crack of dawn to catch the boat!

He insinuated that it was time for the people of Shetland to stop expecting to get everything their own way and should put up with the two hour extension to their travel time as this was a minor inconvenience!

That is just ridiculous as they have the same sports people, shoppers and students that would be equally affected in a negative way by this change to the timetable as we do. If I was a Shetlander listening to the radio that morning I would have been seething at his tone let alone what he was saying!

If anything delaying the departure by an additional hour would mean that the football supporters would be able to go to Pittodrie to watch a match and get back home on the Saturday night. Orkney and Shetlands Aberdeen supporters clubs are the two largest in the country consisting on a couple of hundred members each, which would nearly fill the boat on its own!

Now Mr Hinkley, we all completely appreciate the income that Orkney receives from the tourism industry, but think about it sensibly and you will realise the number of ISLANDERS who benefit from, and the level of benefit they receive, from having a later departure is far greater than the number of TOURISTS that would benefit from a departure a mere two hours earlier than at present!

I think you would be wise to canvas opinion from "the masses" next time before speaking for them!

Yours,
Glen McLellan
glen@orkneyrfc.co.uk




16 August 2005

Dear Tavish

HAVING been made aware of the proposed changes to the ferry timetables, so that the ferry will depart at 3pm from Aberdeen at weekends, I feel compelled to voice my concerns.

For many people, myself included, the ability to go to Aberdeen for a full day of work or pleasure is a very useful option. It was bad enough when they moved the ferry forwards to a 5pm departure on some days, but to make it 3pm would be hopeless in many circumstances. I have seen me even go down on the boat, then take a car to Glasgow, do some business, drive back and be on
that night's boat again. Impossible with such a proposed change.

And I would also ask that you consider the very many people who take their cars and families south on holiday, driving from Aberdeen to all sorts of destinations, and only wanting to return to Aberdeen at the last possible moment to get the ferry back to Shetland. At present if the ferry leaves at say 5pm then at least they can spend the previous night a fair distance away, which lets them explore further destinations in the first place. A 3pm sailing will severely restrict previous night options.

Then what of the extra two hours stuck on the ferry if you are coming on to Shetland, and don't want to get off at Orkney. Shetland's tourism industry needs shortest possible time on the boat for visitors, otherwise we are going to discourage even more of them from travelling. Most people I have spoken to regard time on the boat as 'wasted' holiday/business time, and it should be cut down, not extended. Latest possible sailings from Aberdeen, and from Lerwick, and earliest possible arrival times are much more preferable, as then there is much more time to do worthwhile things whether on holiday or on business.

Orkney hoteliers may wish their customers there earlier, but what of the residents who travel all year round, and for whom the ferry is not an integral part of the holiday experience, it is more a necessary 'evil' which must be endured to simply get on the way to their real destination, and then 'suffered' again to return home.

For Shetland residents this would appear to be yet another example of erosion of the north boat service, in favour of Orkney residents, who already have another means of getting to the mainland with their vehicles. Granted, this is not to Aberdeen, but it still is better than no alternative whatsoever.

Regards
Graeme Storey
graeme@force10.co.uk




15 August 2005

Whose ferry anyway?

CAN anyone advise me just who the ferry link to and from Aberdeen is now meant to serve?

From your report on the tender document changing weekend departure times from Aberdeen, it appears to serve the Scottish Executive, who in their wisdom have decided times should be altered to improve convenience for visitors travelling to Orkney.

Doesn't Orkney have its own ferry service? Why does the executive want to give them what used be the Shetland ferry link? Of course perceptions change over time. With a head office in Stromness, it seems the Aberdeen link may now be Orcadian, viewed from the remoteness of Edinburgh, at any rate.

When returning home to Shetland I don't want to have to drive against the clock for hundreds of miles to catch the Aberdeen ferry in the early afternoon. Nor do I want to rise in the middle of the night to get to the ferry in time, nor do I want to curtail visits or holidays a day early.

I hope our Shetland MSP does not feel constrained to act in this matter by having become transport minister. Declare an interest as a ferry passenger by all means Tavish, but allow common sense and local knowledge to prevail.

And can we revert to calling this link the "Shetland" ferry?...Although we can be quite happy for Orcadians to share it, Shetland timetable permitting.

Yours sincerely
Les Lowes
leslielowes@supanet.com




12 August 2005

What a shabby saga

I read your latest article on this particular shabby saga with a degree of resigned disgust and weariness. I feel that it may now be time for someone to disclose exactly who stands to gain monetarily from the connection of Bressay and Lerwick, in order to better understand the resistance to tunnels versus bridges as the means to connect these two islands. As far as I see, a tunnel solution is completely logical; whereas a bridge solution is not, due to the known sudden (and dangerous) changeability of the weather in these parts.

I fully realise that an old-style cynical search for the shoddy motive might be out of step with these weak, gutless and politically-correct times - but I also feel very strongly indeed about the idea of wasting money on a potentially dangerous Bressay Bridge islands-connecting solution, when a potentially far safer and more efficient Bressay Tunnel solution might be on offer. In these soon-to-be cash-strapped times, I imagine that applying the wrong solution to problems such as these will simply exert a stronger pull on the plug, when it finally comes out of the hole as far as Shetland is concerned. Jeopardising the oil-rig decommissioning windfall for the sake of a few quid in someone's pocket would be quite criminal, I think most Shetlanders would agree.

Regards,
Philip Andrews
philipfaeunst@tiscali.co.uk




8 August 2005

Successful campaigning takes time

The recent announcement that Shetland is to attract substantial decommissioning work from the Frigg Field is the first concrete evidence that campaigning by KIMO and other green organisations to stop the dumping of the Brent Spar ten years ago has produced results for coastal communities in the long term. The Brent Spar was successfully removed and reused in Norway as a quay but the Frigg Field is the first North Sea major field to be decommissioned.

As a result of this successful campaign and subsequent lobbying since 1995, over North Sea 400 rigs will be removed and only 40 or so installations will be left in situ as a result of an international agreement negotiated in 1998. This means that these 400 will have to be removed and brought ashore where they can be responsibly, safely dismantled, and reused or recycled under strict environmental controls. This will not only protect the marine environment but will provide many opportunities for employment and developments for coastal communities.

This organisation and others came under a lot of criticism in 1995 for the stance taken to oppose the authorisation by the UK Government to allow Shell to dump its industrial waste in the form of the Brent Spar in the deep ocean west of the UK. The Brent Spar was the first major redundant offshore installation to be decommissioned and therefore if this dumping had been allowed would have set a precedent for all future disposal of redundant installations. Local companies and individuals would be prosecuted if caught dumping waste into the sea but the UK Government giving permission to a major international company to dispose of its waste irresponsibly was a double standard that was not acceptable.

Congratulations to the Shetland Decommissioning Company and SBS Logistics for their effective and forward approach in securing this work.

KIMO stands by the position it took in 1995 and is pleased that it can take some credit through its international lobbying which has provided the climate to enable Shetland to benefit from its efforts. This is a perfect example that, in attempting to influence and change policy at this level, results are not always immediate. KIMO will continue to actively act in the interest of the coastal communities it represents and will oppose any environmental pollution threats that may endanger the sustainability of these communities.

Rick Nickerson
International Secretariat
Lerwick
Shetland
kimo@zetnet.co.uk




7 August 2005

Sign the Met Office petition

I know that many people in the Isles are concerned about the proposals to close the Met Office in Aberdeen and the potential loss of the dedicated team of experienced forecasters from both Scottish and marine related forecasts.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has already spoken out re the safety issues involved any any loss of quality of these forecasts, availability of expert advice etc. I hope that everyone in the isles is making their concerns known to him.

However, I thought that your readers might also be interested in an online petition that has been set up to call for the retention of this essential service in Scotland. It can be found at www.petitiononline.com/SCOTMET 

Alison Swiffin
20 Canisp Crescent
Dundee
07734 467 163
Alison.Swiffin@blueyonder.co.uk




2 August 2005


Sad about Saxa Vord

I WAS saddened to hear of the future closure of RAF Saxa Vord as I know it will have a big impact on Unst as a whole. I lived on Unst in 1973/4 when my father was stationed there so I know what a big part the RAF play in the community.

I hope the MoD look after Unst as Unst has looked after them.

Russell Martin
Buckinghamshire




31 July 2005

Forget wind. Go tidal.

The dreams of Viking Energy's new wind farm project in Shetland are slowly ebbing away judging by the recent shift in attitude by the Scottish Executive.

The setting on the Wind Farm Rubber Stamping machine has been moved from 'Automatic' to 'For Occasional Use Only.' It is a Red Letter day when MSPs are starting to understand just how ineffectual wind turbines are and that they do not mitigate the effects of global warming one iota.

Shetland has done very well out of the 'black gold' that has passed through Sullom Voe and should capitalise now on lucrative seams of 'green gold' by using its enviable tidal energy resources. It should abandon all ideas of becoming a "Hub for the Energy Industry" by using unreliable wind energy as its prime mover.

If the majority shareholder, a community controlled body, holds a 60 per cent stake in Viking Energy then the population of Shetland may get about £1,000 each if they can get the hapless UK taxpayer to pick up the tab for the interconnector to the mainland of Scotland. £1,000 is not a lot of money when you consider the losses made by destroying part of the last great wilderness area in Western Europe.

I suspect that the large variations in the cost of the sub-sea cable means that my suggestion in the SN on 9 January of this year to build a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) line is being, at long last, considered. (Presumably, the consultancy fee is in the post!)

This SIC led project, worth more than £200 million, has come too late in the day now that the Scottish Parliament is veering away from on shore wind and shifting the emphasis onto marine energy systems and, irony notwithstanding, it is thanks to a few visionary Shetlanders, and others, I can report that the construction of the first ever GENTEC venturi plant begins this month.

With over a quarter of the shares already sold I am confident that the remainder of the share issue will be sold before the 19 August deadline.

It may be wise to spend some of the available £200 million on a feasibility study on all competing renewable energy systems, including GENTEC venturi, before committing any more money on obsolescent wind turbines. Eggs? Baskets?

Yours, etc.

Andrew H Mackay
MD Greenheat Systems Limited
Causewayside
Glenaldie
TAIN
Ross-shire
IV19 1NE
www.greenheating.com




27 July 2005

BT respond one month later

On 24 June Tony Erwood criticised BT's broadband proposals. We publish his original letter below yesterday's response from BT.

1) Although what the customer says is true, the chances of everyone downloading information at the same time is very slim. These contention ratios are the same for any customer buying the 512kbit/s Home product no matter where they live in the UK and whether or not they are on an Exchange Activate exchange or a full ADSL exchange. Therefore the customer is not being disadvantaged by this product.

2) ISPs must register their interest with BT Wholesale and are then allocated ports on the Exchange Activate modules. The customer will have to discuss their options with their ISP as it is they who will provide the broadband service.

3) Again, the customer will need to speak to their ISP about their availability.

4) BT is planning their 21CN programme which will upgrade all exchanges and customers in the next 15 years. The Scottish Executive is well aware of this programme and is fully supportive of BT's 21CN programme.

Debbie Storm
Media Relations Manager
debbie.storm@bt.com


Rural broadband not so great (24 June 2005)

THE PROVISION of broadband for rural communities has been heralded as a great step forward by BT and the Scottish Executive. However for those unlucky customers whose exchanges come under the BT "Exchange Activate" scheme (in Shetland these are Burravoe, Fetlar, Foula, Gutcher, North Roe, Out Skerries, Papa Stour, Uyeasound, Vidlin and West Sandwick), there are some unwelcome limitations.

1) The only service on offer is a domestic 512K Bits/sec asymmetric DSL (ADSL) with a contention ratio of 50:1. The link from the local exchange into the BT network will be at 2M bits/sec. Being generous to BT and assuming that the 50:1 contention ratio applies to the 2MB/s link and not the 512KB/sec local line, this means that at busy times the 2MB/s link could be shared by up to 50 users and that would result in 40KB/s each which is only about the same as could be expected from a typical dial-up analogue modem and two thirds the speed of the ISDN connection that we currently have.

2) The maximum number of different Internet Service Providers (ISP's) that each exchange will be able to connect to will be five. It is likely that even in small rural communities, the total number of different ISPs that customers are signed up to is significantly in excess of five. How will the five ISPs be chosen and who will do this? What will a customer do if their ISP is not one of the five? Will BT and the Scottish Executive pay them for the cost of cancelling their existing ISP contract and starting a new one and the consequential costs of moving email and web sites?

3) Some ISPs may not available on these exchanges because of the type of connection to the Internet that they employ.

4) The days of analogue telephone exchanges are numbered. It is now possible given a suitable broadband connection to make phone calls over the internet (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)). This trend is gathering pace especially in the business sector. In 10 to 15 years time, the number of calls via analogue exchanges will be in the minority. It is clear the Scottish Executive either don't understand this or don't realise the gathering momentum. BT do, but are cynically hanging on to their all important analogue customer base. As both business and domestic users, we would like to plan for the transition to VoIP but to do so we will need to
be certain of an adequate broadband connection and that is not what is on offer now.

Tony Erwood
Lunna House
Vidlin
Shetland




25 July 2005

Thanks from Åland

On behalf of Team Åland 2005 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the people of Shetland for organising a fantastic NatWest Island Games. The commitment of the staff directly involved and the friendliness shown to the visiting teams by the people of Shetland will be a challenge, difficult to surpass at future games.

Once again thanks to you all and for those who have been bitten by the games bug we extend a warm welcome to Åland and the 2009 Games.

Robert Mann
Team Åland
General Team Manager
robert.mann@pp.inet.fi




22 July 2005

Who will pay?

PUTTING 200 wind turbines down the Lang Kames is an interesting idea. When the deal's done and there's no going back re producing 22 per cent of Scotland's power and we are effectively just an off shore power station, what happens when the wind stops blowing maybe for weeks on end? What will the penalties amount to and how will we pay them?

When the bearings or any other parts break due to intermittent wind strengths and the beasts are motionless again, who will pay the penalties and who will provide the back up power?

A connector to the Scottish mainland for exporting said power is another interesting concept. Whilst all the electricity is travelling along it this wonderful immersion heater will be warming up our seas even faster. Fantastic for global warming. Maybe it could create another industry where we can harvest our fish ready cooked.

Shetland needs to be self sufficient in reliable power first and then look at possibilities of exports in the forms of hydrogen, vernadium pentoxide batteries and however else is possible to anywhere in the world.

Wind is a very unreliable source for power generation, water on the other hand is far more predictable. The Gentec Venturi Turbine sited in currents around Shetland would be far less intrusive and produce forecastable amounts of power all year round.

Come on let's get some people making the decisions who have some intelligence and knowledge not vested interests and secret agendas. If the wrong deals are made is anyone going to be answerable or are they all going to walk away into the sunsets with their pensions?

Regards,

Sarah McBurnie
Unst
sarah@seeshetland.free-online.co.uk




21 July 2005

Butt out, EU bureaucrats

Who do politicians answer to? Is it their electors or an unelected cabal in Brussels?

The Free Scotland party would argue that the politicians elected by voters in Scotland should make decisions about Scotland in Scotland. The politicians in the Scottish Parliament are answerable to Scottish voters, bureaucrats in Brussels are answerable to no one and should be cut out of the decision making loop.

The Scottish Parliament voted to put an end to Caledonian MacBrayne having to tender for the West Coast routes. Yet the Scottish Executive transport minister Tavish Scott has to meet with the EU's transport commissioner Jacques Barot to find out what the EU is going to allow him to do next.

Mr Scott has his instructions from the Scottish Parliament. He should get on with it but he says he has to consider the MSPs' views and the EU's position before presenting his findings to parliament.

The previous transport minister Nicol Stephen argued at the time of the vote that the Scottish Executive had no alternative but to obey the European Commission's legislation. EU interference in Scottish affairs is unacceptable but even worse is the acceptance by Scottish politicians of EU interference.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party
freescotlandparty@hotmail.com




21 July 2005

Well done Tavish

AT LAST. Tavish Scott has done his job properly and we should be proud of him. Instead of being brow beaten into pushing for what our officials want he has gone for what is best for Shetland's future.

When people who are on the board of directors think we should promote their business interests as opposed to everyone's interests, just because millions of public funds have already been ploughed in, it doesn't mean we should listen to them and keep on throwing good money after bad.

It's a bit like giving certain salmon farmers more millions and then being surprised when it all evaporates. Maybe if Smyril Line had acknowledged Shetland as a port of call in it's TV advertising it would have generated enough extra revenue to make it viable concerning the tendering.

Regards,
Sarah McBurnie
sarah@seeshetland.free-online.co.uk




20 July 2005

Dereliction of duty

WHILE some have paid tributes to former Prime Minster Edward Heath, I think we should never forget that Mr Heath is the man who led the UK into the EEC without even getting a translation of the then recently passed Common Fisheries Policy, such was his determination to get in.

Fishing for Mr Heath was a non issue; he should never be forgiven for this dereliction of duty. Fishermen and fishing communities have suffered since.

Quite how the Tories, in recent elections, have had the cheek to promote themselves as being pro fisheries is beyond me.

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Spokesperson
Free Scotland Party




17 July 2005

Searching for Spanish mother

MY NAME is Jose and I write to you from Spain. First of all, sorry for my English and thanks for your time.

I visit frequently your "Shetland News" hoping for a new image of the common living in the island. Sometimes I have luck, sometimes not, but I always enjoy the visit. Thanks for giving me a little window to look through at the island.

I write to you for a little help. Five years ago I visited Shetland in my motorhome and I met a nice Spanish woman living there. Unfortunately I lost her address. Two years ago I came back to Shetland again and tried to visit her but there was nobody at home.

Now I´m seriously thinking of moving the islands and I would like to connect with her to get information about this, maybe crazy, idea. I don´t remember the name of her, but I think she lives in Brae teaching at the school. She has two sons and lost one more in a traffic accident many years ago.

Thanks again for your time, thanks for your work (more photos also please) and have a nice year.

Jose de Angelitos
swk@theangelsgame.com




13 July 2005

Get tough on climate change

THE G8 summit in Gleneagles quite clearly failed to get to grips with climate change, despite the clamour for action and the direct link between more extreme, chaotic weather and poverty in developing countries. Now more than ever before we must keep up the pressure for change globally and locally here in Scotland.

The Greens recently proposed a bill that would require ministers by law to set an overall target for reducing climate changing pollution in all sectors and devolved areas, to produce an action plan towards meeting that target, and to report publicly on progress.

According to a parliamentary inquiry report published this year, Scotland pollutes way above its fair share and is set to fail existing targets with current policies. We know that Scots care deeply about global issues and the effect they have on the day to day lives of people around the world - and Greens want to ensure that Scotland goes the extra mile to make sure action is both urgent and serious.

The 'Big Ask' Climate Bill argues that with the technologies and policies available to reduce emissions by around three per cent every year, politicians should be legally accountable for making sure action is taken.

We are urging politicians, businesses, individuals and NGOs to put forward their ideas for toughening up action on climate change as part of the consultation process.

What better way for Scotland to prove we are sincere about preventing further poverty, chaos and conflict in the developing world than to support serious action on climate change. The G8 summit may be over but the issues still need our attention and action - let's keep up the momentum. To take part in this consultation, please see the "Big Ask" document at www.markruskellmsp.org

Yours sincerely
Eleanor Scott MSP




9 July 2005

Tilting at windmills

SHETLAND’S media have been reporting the news that the SIC owned Viking Energy Ltd has joined forces with Southern & Scottish Energy to create the worlds biggest community power project in the world - right here in Shetland. It is estimated to cost £500 million plus another £400 million for a sub-sea cable to send the power down to the mainland.

I do not feel this development is as good an idea as councillor Drew Ratter thinks and I would rather see smaller scale, integrated renewable projects scattered around Shetland that aim for a more sustainable local energy generation system.

However I offer a warning to Drew and his fellow councillors when they go behind closed doors or form secret little clusters to discuss this project. Tread carefully with openness, inclusion and honesty. This is such a huge development with massive costs involved that it is absolutely necessary and vitally important that the SIC involve the whole Shetland community in the discussions and decision making process associated with this project.

From where I stand the quality of the "consultation process" leaves a lot to be desired, ditto the SIC's financial investment track record. Perhaps what is called for on a project of this size is a referendum, possibly before any more work is done on this.

Vic Thomas
Sandwick
Shetland
vic.thomas@btinternet.com




8 July 2005

Wind farm warning

IT IS estimated that Scotland has up to 11.5 GW of onshore wind energy resources and up to 25 GW in offshore wind farming capacity. Assuming 3 MW per turbine, this equates to 1,200 dedicated turbines nationally, with 200 heading towards Shetland. (Pete Bevington, 5 July).

Now that Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) and Viking Energy Limited have a "understanding," the plan is to raise capital and win community support for their 600MW wind farm proposal.

Fat chance. Shetlanders are not that stupid. Scotland's wealthiest local authority will shortly become Scotland's poorest if they have to cough up for the interconnector cable to the Scottish mainland which, it is claimed, "could cost around £100 million". Dream on.

The proposed cable from Ullapool across the Minch to Lewis is estimated to cost £125 million and it can only be around 30 nautical miles as the crow flies. The distance from Dounreay to Shetland is four times that, so, pro rata, around £500 million would be a more realistic estimate.

The High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) interconnector subsea cable proposed by SSE, will lose most of the electricity as heat to the sea. The sea is warm enough as it is, due to global warming. The plankton are already heading north to cooler waters with shoals of sandeels not far behind. If only the plankton knew that 200 wind turbines are coming to Shetland they would be executing a U-turn which would be good news for Shetland's dwindling puffin population but bad news for the planet.

This extravagant wind farm will generate just 2.6TWh, at variable capacities per year. This represents 0.2 per cent of the UK's annual consumption of electricity. Potential investors in this scheme should consider buying very thick heat resistant gloves

Coincidentally, I am proposing building a 600MW GENTEC venturi plant on Shetland that uses tidal stream as its energy source. This will generate 5.2TWh at full capacity, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and turnover £468 million each and every year.

The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) freely admits that a wind derived MWh costs up to £40 -http://www.bwea.com/ref/faq.html#cost . GENTEC venturi, on the other hand will generate twice as much electricity per year
at less than £4 per MWh. (The wholesale price of synchronous electricity is about £45 per MWh or £90 per MWh with Renewable Obligation Certificate added - http://www.greenheating.com/page-1.html

You do not have to be a qualified accountant to see where the larger dividend cheques will come from. I also advocate laying a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) subsea cable from Shetland, 120 nautical miles long, to the mainland of Scotland at a cost of just £120 million.

Now that there is a renewable energy technology out there that can generate non-intermittently, it would be a very foolish investor who would willingly throw good money after bad supporting soon-to-obsolete wind turbine technology. Remember to get the gloves if you do!

Kind regards,

Andrew H Mackay
MD, Greenheat Systems Limited
Causewayside
Glenaldie
TAIN
Ross-shire
IV19 1NE
www.greenheating.com
01862 892777 or 07720 141 332



6 July 2005

Thanks for walking

SHETLAND Environmental Alliance would like to thank all the folk that supported or took part in the Make Poverty History, "Walk fir a Change" event in Lerwick last Saturday.

We were aware that many local people were concerned about the terrible plight of people living in what we would consider totally unacceptable living conditions, the disgraceful and unnecessary death of 30,000 children through poverty every day and all the terrible trading conditions the rich industrial nations inflict on the third world.

We were however, completely amazed at the number of folk who made banners, brought drums and joined in with bairns in push chairs, folk in wheelchairs, older folk, young people, kirk & charity groups, youth groups, health workers, union representatives, political parties, hippies, lawyers and a whole host of groups & individuals.

Thanks to all the shop, pub, hotel and office workers, shoppers, tourists and householders that cheered and gave their support as the walk passed their doors or windows. Thanks to the police for their friendly and respectful manner, thanks to all the individuals and organisations that worked to make the walk so successful and special thanks to Hillswick Wildflife Sanctuary for the drums, Michael Stout for the PA, Salvation Army for the drama group, St. John's Ambulance Volunteers, Sandy Cluness and the other speakers.

Vic Thomas
Chairman, Shetland Environmental Alliance
Westland
Sandwick



5 July 2005


The following is a short personal account from Colin Anderson, a Shetlander currently working for a Scottish oil company in India. Mr Anderson visited Tamil Nadu, the Indian region Shetland Islands Council wants to foster links with in a bid to help in the aftermath of the tsunami.

After the tsunami

I THINK what sums up the fishing community in Tamil Nadu for me was theplace I used to walk around.

It was a very hard working and poor community, and I used to enjoy watchingthe catch being landed. The village was a collection of coconut leaved huts with Hindu, Christian and Muslim huts serving as places of worship- it is common to find a Hindu worshipping in their friends' church or mosque. A lesson in tolerance.

The village was totally destroyed and is now slowly emerging.

I walked around the area a couple of days ago with my daughter who is visiting me, huts are being rebuilt but many people are still living in rudimentary shelters. I could see a young six year old lad whose temporary family home is a sheet of polythene weighed down by water filled oil cans, busy doing his school homework. This focus on education
sums up the community. Gradually children are being encouraged to stay at school up to 9 or 10 years old.

Best regards
Colin Anderson
AndersonC@cairn-energy.plc.uk




1 July 2005

Tavish and the PSOs

TAVISH Scott, MSP for Shetland and Edinburgh's man in Shetland, has moved up the career ladder once again and back into the Scottish government cabinet with his Labour colleagues.

As Minster for Transport, he will be in a position to implement PSOs, Public Service Obligations, on air routes in and out of Shetland to bring fares down. After all, he has spent 6 years talking about them.

The dilemma for Tavish is how close to the next Scottish Parliament election he leaves it before he brings in PSOs, too close and they will be seen as an obvious and crude election bribe.

In 2007, if PSOs are not in place, after 8 years of inflated air fares and Liberal representation, voters will wonder why they should support Tavish. Time for some pay back for Shetland from Tavish Scott!

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)
http://www.freescotlandparty.org
freescotlandparty@hotmail.com




28 June 2005

Come clean on CFP, Tavish

AS TAVISH Scott has now been elevated to full minister in the Scottish Executive, will he now clarify to myself and Shetland's fishing communities whether he supports withdrawal from the Common Fisheries Policy or whether he will continue to support the Executive's disastrous policy of remaining within the CFP?

Yours Sincerely

Jamie McGrigor MSP
The Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP




23 June 2005

Cheapskate rural broadband

THE PROVISION of broadband for rural communities has been heralded as a great step forward by BT and the Scottish Executive. However for those unlucky customers whose exchanges come under the BT "Exchange Activate" scheme (in Shetland these are Burravoe, Fetlar, Foula, Gutcher, North Roe, Out Skerries, Papa Stour, Uyeasound, Vidlin and West Sandwick), there are some unwelcome limitations.

1) The only service on offer is a domestic 512K Bits/sec asymmetric DSL (ADSL) with a contention ratio of 50:1. The link from the local exchange into the BT network will be at 2M bits/sec. Being generous to BT and assuming that the 50:1 contention ratio applies to the 2MB/s link and not the 512KB/sec local line, this means that at busy times the 2MB/s link could be shared by up to 50 users and that would result in 40KB/s each which is only about the same as could be expected from a typical dial-up analogue modem and two thirds the speed of the ISDN connection that we currently have.

2) The maximum number of different Internet Service Providers (ISP's) that each exchange will be able to connect to will be five. It is likely that even in small rural communities, the total number of different ISPs that customers are signed up to is significantly in excess of five. How will the five ISPs be chosen and who will do this? What will a customer do if their ISP is not one of the five? Will BT and the Scottish Executive pay them for the cost of cancelling their existing ISP contract and starting a new one and the consequential costs of moving email and web sites?

3) Some ISPs may not available on these exchanges because of the type of connection to the Internet that they employ.

4) The days of analogue telephone exchanges are numbered. It is now possible given a suitable broadband connection to make phone calls over the internet (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)). This trend is gathering pace especially in the business sector. In 10 to 15 years time, the number of calls via analogue exchanges will be in the minority. It is clear the Scottish Executive either don't understand this or don't realise the gathering momentum. BT do, but are cynically hanging on to their all important analogue customer base. As both business and domestic users, we would like to plan for the transition to VoIP but to do so we will need to be certain of an adequate broadband connection and that is not what is on offer now.

Tony Erwood
Lunna House
Vidlin
tony@lunnahouse.co.uk




 21 June 2005

Don't road charge isles

IT HAS been reportedly stated by Alistair Darling that "there will be a number of roads in rural Scotland where it may well be the case that we decided they are so uncongested that there will be no point in having any charges" (Daily Mail - 13th June 2005).

While having nothing to hide, I vehemently disagree with the 'Big Brother' concept of the tracking of any car journey I make, I believe there are serious liberty/privacy implications that should be considered, however, if the scheme does go ahead then the northern isles' roads should surely be charge free.

Before moving to the Shetland Islands my family lived in Essex, outside London, near the Lakeside Shopping Centre and the infamous designer car park, the M25. As a result we know congestion when we see it and are stuck in it.

Compare that to mainland Shetland where we now live - as hardened congestion experts we can certainly confirm that there is none here. (Although there is the odd delay at lambing time - non road wise newborns wandering in the road.....) What there is and has been for a many many years, however, is inflated fuel charges.

Given that we islanders have done and still do pay well over the top for fuel it is even more appropriate that we are spared the congestion charge.

There was a reference in the Daily Mail article of the 13th June that those in the heavily traffic congested South East would launch a furious backlash about their paying charges and us in the land of empty roads - not doing so.

Frankly we've well and truly paid our charges over the years - inflated fuel charges and the same road taxes as 'Down South' (No motorways here to upkeep!).

There's been no outcry that their friends in the very far North have been economically shafted for years so I can see no outcry is justified if we get a much earned and morally correct freedom from congestion charges.

I would urge all to lobby our MSPs, MPs et al to ensure that we are spared these charges. If Alistair Darling believes charges are not justified then let us encourage him to retain that view.

Regards

Stella Winks
Svinborghus
Virkie
Stellawinks@aol.com




17 June 2005

Nuclear dump risk still alive

YOUR story about the release of the secret list of potential radioactive waste dump sites was very timely. The Government's Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) is currently consulting the public on a proposed short-list of options for the management of nuclear waste, but regrettably its consultation ends on 27th June. (See www.corwm.org ) 

Although the nuclear waste agency, Nirex, says that any new search for a disposal site would not use this list as its starting point, it is quite likely that sites on the old list would also appear on a new list because the geology hasn't changed. Consequently, communities around the country living at or near the 537 sites on the list will want to have their say on the CoRWM consultation.

The Nuclear Free Local Authorities have demanded the consultation period be extended to give these communities a chance to respond. However CoRWM is under pressure from the government to make recommendations by July 2006.

The government has even said it will start planning what to do after CoRWM reports as early as next month, and this might well involve deciding how to select a site.

If local authorities, community councils, local organisations and individuals, who were surprised to learn that their local area was on the
secret list of potential dump sites, want to respond to the CoRWM consultation, but are unable to do so by 27th June, we recommend asking their MP to seek ministerial approval for an extension to the consultation deadline, but, in addition, we also suggest that submissions are made to CoRWM beyond the deadline. Further information is available from us on request.

Stewart Kemp
Secretary
Nuclear Free Local Authorities Secretariat,
Manchester City Council,
Town Hall,
Manchester, M60 3NY, UK
Tel.: +44 (0)161 234 3244
skemp@nuclearpolicy.info
 

2 June 2005

Referendum lesson?

THE RESULTS of the French and Dutch EU Constitution referendums are very pleasing for anyone against the imposition of the United States of Europe.

The French voted 55 per cent against and the Dutch 62 per cent against but what is more
striking is the turnout.

In the 2004 election of MEPs to the EU parliament in France and the Netherlands turnout was much lower than the turnout for the EU Constitution. In France 43.1 per cent voted for MEPs and in the Netherlands 39.1 per cent while on the Constitution there was a 70 per cent turnout in France and in the Netherlands 62 per cent.

It would seem that that French and Dutch voters are more enthusiastic about voting the EU down than voting for it. Is there a lesson there for Scottish and British parties that are members of the EU Supporters Club?

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party, spokesperson
thescottishparty@hotmail.com




29 May 2005

Trust the G8?

IT IS to be hoped that the G8 leaders meeting in July will not be distracted by the luxurious surroundings of Gleneagles - one of Scotland's major attractions as Tavish Scott pointed out in the Shetland Times last week - from the main task of discussing amongst other global issues, the stark reality of poverty rife in many parts of the world.

Without first-hand experience of what it feels like to starve on a daily basis or to watch family members die needlessly due to poverty, it is difficult for us to comprehend this harrowing and catastrophic issue. Harder still surely for Bush, Blair and their fellows in the power driven virtual reality world that they inhabit.

But two facts literally bring it home to us. We in the industrialised and wealthy 'north' are directly responsible for the poverty that is crippling so much of the 'south' through our history of excessive consumption, pollution, and exploitation, if not looting, of natural resources.

Forget the third world debt and its crazy notion that people living on hand-outs of rice actually still owe us yet more money. We owe them big time, an enormous ecological debt that we are under urgent obligation to repay with interest.

Secondly, study after study has shown that a major cause of environmental damage is the unfairness of global distribution of wealth. Climate change is going to affect us all, wherever we live, and have unpredictable and irreversible consequences for sustainable life in the not too distant future.

It is vital that we take this fully on board and realise the ways that we can fight global inequality on a personal level of daily choice rather than drift lazily on towards inevitable catastrophe.

And it is vital that leaders respond unitedly to the ecological debt created by the climate of greed and selfishness that has dominated political thought for the last century in the industrialised world.

Do we trust the eight leaders at Gleneagles to tackle this with the honesty and urgency that it needs? If not, what should we do?

Cathy Stout
Lerwick
falkner15@yahoo.co.uk




24 May 2005

VisitScotland's backyard

"Identity crisis" - a nice phrase to describe what actually is "a homemade mess".

It is obvious that Shetlanders do not refer to www.visitscotland.com to get some information about the islands - but the tourists do so. Under the headline "Scotland in Focus" they click on "Touring Scotland". Then they will follow the link to "Itineraries" -

Oh, fine, there is one for Shetland mixed up with Orkney.

Then they click on "Touring Packages" - just to get the information after some reading that none of the promoted tour operators covers such remote areas.

Then they click on "Discover the Essence of Scotland" - poor guys these stupid tourists. They did not know that Shetland is not part of "the Essence of Scotland"!

The message simply reads: Shetland is a "backyard destination" - at least in the view of VisitScotland - and that is how "backyard destinations" are dealt with by a "national body".

Wolfgang Schlick
wfkschlick@compuserve.de
 



24 May 2005

Keep Shetland’s identity

SHETLAND tourism is not only about tourism.

One asks if the new turn in the tourism organisation - Shetland vs. Scotland - is really an accident, or a conscious effort to get more control. It did not start with road signals. It started with the elections about access to the Scottish Parliament, twice - in 1979 and 1997. Since then this effort has been strengthened year by year. The strongest signal in this direction would be to fully disintegrate the SIC, which would be a real catastrophe to all the islands’ society and its vital culture - but for what reason?

One also has to ask, what kind of a world Scotland really does belong to, with its relatively newborn nationality. Do Scotsmen themselves have a sense of commitment to international law, the EU structural programs and other such considerations, such as respect for otherness and cultural distinction? If not, Shetlanders have to take up a judicial fight in an international body to get international acceptance for their rights as a national minority, with their proper rights to a certain amount of self-dependency. Would Scotland really go for this?

When it comes to the somewhat more positive cooperation vis a vis Orkney, this reminds my history-conscious mind of the fact, that while the churches were kept in Orkney during the medieval times, all Norse churches in Shetland were ruined (as was the Law book) - certainly no coincidence. No doubt, the fight for common signals is of course the final cultural struggle to integrate Shetland fully into Scotland. It is no coincidence, nowadays nor in the past. But a fully cultural integrated nation will be a less rich nation.

I also ask myself if the Scottish people have any interest in this centralising effort, and if the reform-eager "executives" (a well known phenomenon elsewhere) should have a reminder of their absolute cultural blindness, not least from Scotland itself. Because this might well awake a cultural struggle to transfer Shetland back to Britain, in a new answer to the "Shetland Movement" of the 70s! In decreasing economic times to come, this might be a more sharpened conflict than before.

As might be of no surprise to any of you, many Shetlanders, young and older, told me during my visits in 1998 and 2001, they were happy they had a British passport and not a Scottish one! In one of the mentioned elections, nine per cent of Shetlanders voted for a return to Norway, a surprisingly high amount after 500 years (without any foregoing election campaign)! This I have been told by a well informed person with tight contact with Scottish officials (but never read any place). There can be no doubt about the "ethnic resentment", and was even shown scientifically by British researchers some years ago (BBC’s Who were the Vikings research agenda): that 60 per cent of men in Shetland have the same genes as men on the western coast of Norway.

About these objective facts we already have international conventions and heavy judicial practice in international bodies, as in the Hague and UN. It’s only a matter of making manifest what is already latent. And it is not a matter of past, it’s about the future. To survive on the outskirts, Shetland has to cling to its separate identity to keep up its population and attract tourists. That is the whole point in tourism, as in product branding of many kinds as well, or the development will easily take the same disintegrating direction as in the Western Isles. One does not have to be a prophet to realise this.

If not, do the Scottish authorities have a better medicine!? Could any Scotsman please tell me what would be so tragic, if Shetland got a more separate legal status as the Faroes have vs. Denmark, if this resulted in economical growth, even after the Oil Age? Does anyone in Scotland really have a key to Shetland’s development and growth in the future, and what does it consist of, besides centralising? This Scottish Executive should be made responsible for this "moving of cultural borders" as soon as possible. If I get no good answer(s), I will do my utmost already this summer to get this vital discussion for Nordic identity and solidarity into the Norwegian newspapers during our 100 years celebrations for National sovereignty (1905).

We also take a responsibility for "that old pledge", that our Kings once did sign on both sides!

Dag-Ivar Rognerød
author, sociologist
Oslo, Norway
drognerod@chello.no


27 April 2005

BBC distorted hustings

Listeners to the BBC Radio Scotland hustings meeting held in Shetland Town Hall on Tuesday for the 12 to 2 programme will have got a distorted appreciation of what was going on.

Four candidates (Liberal, Tory, SNP, Labour) were on the platform with access to a microphone while three candidates (Free Scotland, Scottish Socialist, UKIP) were invited to speak on occasion.

Quite how the BBC justifies this as a fair method of holding a Hustings meeting is beyond me. What tended to happen was that the presenter focused on the four with the three being given a token number of chances to speak. This distorted the discussion unfairly with the three often having something to say but being ignored.

One person who had far too much to say was Richard Meade, the New Labour candidate, who used his access to a microphone to continually interrupt all the other speakers; what a rude, young man!

The BBC, effectively, decided what the election in Shetland is about, they imported an election that is taking place elsewhere.

BBC Radio Orkney held a hustings meeting on Thursday from which I was excluded. Unlike other candidates I am not on paid leave, I am working at Shetland College so cannot get to Orkney.

I offered to take part from the Radio Shetland premises but I was told no. When I found out the meeting was to be held in Orkney College I offered to take part via the Shetland College video conference facilities, again I was told no. I cannot understand why I was excluded from the meeting. BBC guidelines have been used as an excuse to hide behind.

On Tuesday, the Tories and the SNP, both, said they would withdraw from the CFP. Not possible technically and more importantly not possible politically, EU boats have easy access to Shetland and Scottish waters, why should they give that up? There is only one way to deal with the CFP and that is to withdraw from the EU and get local control of our fishing grounds.

Finally, if there is a case to be made for a cinema, then cinema supporters have to make it. I remain to be convinced that there is such a case and so, I suspect, do most folk in Shetland.

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Candidate
Schoolhouse
Hamnavoe
Burra
Shetland
thescottishparty@hotmail.com  




27 April 2005

Good news, but ...

What a pity Loganair don't offer similar times out from Shetland and back from Aberdeen.

Islanders, business users and the all important tourist would surely be very likely to find the reverse route as attractive as the incoming one.

The move is positive to get tourists here but to enjoy that cheap flight they have to wait around all day on the date of their return to get a flight back to Aberdeen. Not encouraging and effectively endorsing the idea of Shetland being remote and difficult in respect of travel.

If, as is likely, Tourists have to leave accommodation by morning then they have a long wait, with all their gear, (Or kids in tow!) before being able to leave Sumburgh. Then if they wanted to catch onward transport out of Aberdeen - their times/options are harshly restricted. However, if there was an early morning flight available to them (At a reasonable rate) they could find their journey home a lot easier.

Hanging around that extra day - effectively - might save money on their flights but would cost in terms of hassle and perhaps incurring another days car hire, eating out, amusing the kids. etc. etc. so a false economy in that sense and a very long and tiring day in another.

So while this scheme is halfway there - it is very much half and we need the balance.

I feel its at risk of giving the impression that Shetland makes the effort to get people here but doesn't really fuss too much once they've spent their money on the islands and need to get home........Not an impression that helps us, the islanders.

Regards

Stella Winks
Stellawinks@aol.com




27 April 2005

Air fares reasonable

I cannot entirely agree with the so called expensive fares to Shetland. We booked our travel to Shetland in December 2004 ( we go in July) and were quite pleased with the costs. We pay about 600 euro (about £450.00) for the both of us. This includes 3 flights which take us from Brussels via Manchester and Aberdeen to Sumburgh and back. It includes all taxes as well. I don't think it's fair to say this is expensive.

Of course one must book well in advance and plan carefully how to save some money. But in my opinion it's not a reason not to go to Shetland! Maybe one should take some serious information before planning travels to Britain and the continent.

Regards,
Helen McDermott- Van Driessche
Belgium
iain.mcdermott@pandora.be




25 April 2005

Constrained Broadband provision

Of the 378 small rural exchanges that are to be provided with ADSL broadband, 148 will be enabled within the BT Exchange Activate scheme.

I understand from Highland and Islands Enterprise that only a limited number of Internet Service Providers (ISP's) will be available in this scheme.

It is clear that if the ISP that a customer, be they domestic or business, uses is not on the list, then that's just tough, they will have to use one that is.

I find this quite unacceptable. BT will be telling me who the ISP's are that I can use (no doubt BT Internet will be one of them!).

Over to you Mr Wallace & Mr Downes; how many ISP's will be available on each exchange and who will they be? What other special terms and conditions have we not been told about?

Tony Erwood.
Lunna House,
Vidlin
tony@lunnahouse.co.uk 


Contacted by the Shetland News, a BT spokesman responded yesterday (Monday) afternoon as follows:

BT is not telling customers which ISP to use. Up to five ISPs can be accommodated at each exchange which is being enabled with Exchange Activate, which is four more than at previous exchanges which have been activated in this way. For example, on Fair Isle, people wanting broadband had to sign up with Zetnet and everyone there is delighted with the service.

The contract has been agreed with the Scottish Executive and it is the only way we can deliver to these exchanges within the terms and constraints of the tender. The executive chose BT's solution in an open public tender in which bids were received from a number of different companies.

BT is not restricting choice, instead it's helping to create a high-speed Scotland where every community will have access to broadband rather than narrowband, something that would not have happened without this contact.

Information about individual exchanges will be made public once dates have been agreed for the enablement of each exchange.




21st April 2005

Open letter from Richard Meade

THE LIBERAL Democrats flagship policy of a local income tax is a bad idea, according to Orkney and Shetland Labour candidate Richard Meade, who claimed a number of families in the isles shared his concerns.

He said: "Working families could be particularly at risk. A family of four with two or three earners would be expected to make two or three contributions through the local income tax.

"Whereas, a high earner in Edinburgh with a flat in Edinburgh and a house in the Highlands would only pay once and if that person earns more than £100,000 they would not pay any local income tax at all.

"Although the Lib Dems are saying this group will be taxed more with the higher rate of 50 per cent of income tax they will be getting a tax break locally, and not only that but a greater incentive to buy property, as no matter how many homes they own they won't pay any local tax on additional homes.

"The Lib Dems make reference to a site value rate for those second homes, but there are little details on this and how they will be set. However it is safe to assume that it will be at a much lower rate than the local income tax.

"The demand for second homes drives up house prices in rural areas, making it harder for first time buyers to purchase a home. The local income tax proposals would make this problem even more acute.

"The Lib Dems also say they will allow local authorities to vary the rate of local income tax. This will also cause problems. In areas of high deprivation where there are low incomes and a lower tax base the Lib Dems will have to set a high local income tax rate in order to raise the revenue necessary, whereas affluent areas will be able to afford lower levels of local income tax.

"Local authorities, such as Highland, with high levels of second homeownership will not be able to draw as much revenue, and so will also have to set high levels of local income tax.

"There is clearly a great deal of concern with regards to this proposed tax and people should be very cautious when considering it as a replacement to the council tax.

"However, council tax cannot be allowed to continue in its current form, everyone accepts that. That is why the Scottish Executive have set up the Local Government Finance Review Committee and I look forward to seeing what the experts have to say in how we can make local taxation fairer."

Richard Meade
<richardmeade13@hotmail.com>

14 April, 2005

Many green nurseries

NOTICED a slight error reading through the story on the Lerwick nursery this dennir Time. There are many private and local authority run nurseries here on the mainland that have been awarded Green Flags - we even have one in Edinburgh!

One nursery in particular was recently awarded permanent status. If successful, the nursery would certainly be the first nursery on Shetland to gain a flag (other than those who sit in primary schools that have gained awards).

Cheers

Jamie Pearson
Edinburgh

28 March 2005

Business solutions

THE RECENT appeal for information on what would promote business growth in the Shetland News interested me. My contribution is that two things are needed urgently on Shetland: (1) fixed links between the islands, and (2) the destruction of BT's de facto monopoly of the telephone service, and the provision of a replacement service that works properly in conjunction with the internet.

(1) Most people up here would agree that the biggest obstacle to business growth (and personal income) is the continued use of ferries to service the inter-island links. The provision of tunnels would resolve that problem for good - as far as it can be resolved - and would also be a major contribution to road safety, as the main temptation to speed ('chase the ferries') between ferry-terminals on the isles' unfenced, sheep-infested roads would finally be eliminated. (Personally, I like the ferries - they have great charm, but they don't make any kind of sense when business transportation is being discussed - and particularly not in bad weather.)

(2) The fact that BT are still incapable of supplying a faster dial-up data-transfer rate than 28kbps on Unst, Shetland's most northerly isle (at least, that's what's available from Belmont) means that any attempt to conduct business over the internet (beyond the most basic level) is more or less doomed to failure. BT's monopoly of the system works against its Shetland subscribers to exactly the same extent that it used to work against subscribers on the mainland. I noted that as soon as Yorkshire Cable and other alternative telephone-providers appeared in 1992, BT immediately lost 40 per cent of their customers - because the service was cheaper and of far better quality, based as it was on FIBRE OPTIC TECHNOLOGY (BT please note - you developed it, and yet persist in using conventional wire links). On the basis of what I've seen and observed here in the last two-and-a-half years, they deserve to lose all of their customers in a block - not least of all for putting my mother's life at risk by delaying correction of a line fault until nearly two weeks after she was moved into her new accommodation on Unst, but mainly for baulking and delaying on the provision of broadband internet connection on Shetland.

If BT can't be dislodged from their present position of being able to arbitrarily strangle Shetland business by any other means, I suggest that public money should be used to encourage Satellite Broadband companies such as Tariam - www.tariam.co.uk  - to tender for the provision of large-scale, high-speed broadband satellite internet facilities, and put BT out of business by that means. Shetland can easily find the means to do it - by ceasing to throw away money on propping-up suspect fisheries operations, and on funding uneconomically-run cruise-liner companies whose advertising is ashamed to admit that one of its boat's destinations is the port of Lerwick (Smyril Line please note).

Many thanks,

Philip Andrews
philipfaeunst@tiscali.co.uk




22 March 2005

How does your business grow?

THERE’S something going on in the Parliament which could affect every business, every community and every one of us - and I am writing to encourage people to make sure their voices are heard.

The Scottish Parliament’s Enterprise Committee is looking at what is needed to create sustainable business growth over the
next 10 years. With small businesses at the heart of the Scottish economy, and as a Green, I am very keen to support
their growth - what do you think?

Do you want more big supermarket developments, or local shops? Any old business, even if it pollutes, or greener cleaner
businesses? Should profits go to multi-nationals in far away places, or be kept in the community?

Over the last few years we have seen literally thousands of small shopkeepers driven out of business by the rise of the
superstores. A supermarket moves into town with initial offers of cheap fuel, and drives out all competition. But it is the small
retailer who pays the price with their livelihood. Farmers suffer too, faced with supermarkets using their huge buying
power and market domination to drive down farm-gate prices - sometimes, as for instance in the case of milk, below what it
actually costs farmers to produce.

I would like to encourage anyone who has experience of small business or co-operatives to share those experiences to the
Parliament Inquiry. Please consider writing in to say what would help to grow and protect your business or local economy;
what has helped your business establish itself; what you might require from central government to be sustainable and to thrive?

You can get details of the inquiry from the parliament’s website, or from my colleague Chris Ballance MSP on 0131 348 6373.

Responses can be sent to Enterprise Committee, Scottish Parliament, EH99 1SP, or to businessgrowth@scottish.parliament.uk by the end of this month.

Yours
Eleanor Scott MSP
eleanor.scott.msp@scottish.parliament.uk




20 March 2005

Limited efficiency

I WAS very interested to read that Seapower may link up with the PURE project on Unst to "run the first fully functional tidal power station in UK waters" (News, 18th March).

This certainly sounds good, but it really depends on how the term "fully functional" is interpreted. Seapower's EXIM marine turbine is a vertical axis 'windmill-under-the-sea' type device that will not generate anything up to three hours on both sides of slack water. This means that for about nine hours per day there is no electricity, and consequently, no hydrogen produced at all. Presumably, when the tide is running at, or above, this marine turbine's operating velocity all 1.2MW of electrical capacity will be devoted to making hydrogen. Assuming no conversion losses, this 1.2MW power station's maximum output will fall to just 750kW, based on 'time out' considerations alone.

However, "The round-trip efficiency (electricity to hydrogen and back to electricity) of such plants is between 30 and 40 per cent." (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_cell)

Realistically, despite having a 1.2MW turbine in the water the overall plant efficiency falls to 25 per cent generating about 300kW, at best.

Perhaps Sandy Macaulay from PURE will be more interested in making hydrogen using GENTEC venturi. One basic modular plant will generate electricity at full capacity for every hour of the year and use its spare capacity to make hydrogen. My submission on GENTEC venturi can be read at http://www.greenheating.com/page-1.html

Mr Pettersson, CEO Seapower, is right when he says that producing hydrogen for conversion to electricity keeps the money in Shetland. With that in mind I, too, wish to test a small 1MW GENTEC venturi plant in Bluemull Sound this summer but I will need help from Shetlanders to make this happen. Anyone who can help, either financially or in kind, will be handsomely rewarded with shares in the only renewable energy system in the world that can generate electricity AND desalinate water 24 hours per day.

One day all electricity will be generated this way.

Yours

Andrew H Mackay
Greenheat Systems Limited
Causewayside
Tain
AHMACKAY@aol.com




17 March 2005

Councillor’s comments misleading

BT DID not take part in the fibre optic cable project because it did not make commercial sense for us to do so. And Drew Ratter's comment that BT is "cobbling together another microwave link" is completely wrong.

BT is currently upgrading 40 core microwave radio links in the Highlands and Islands, following extensive planning work which began last summer. The two existing links serving Shetland will be upgraded by early summer as part of this £10 million programme.

The Shetland links will benefit from next generation radio equipment which is currently being built and commissioned in Japan before being flown to the UK.

The new radio system will be more resilient, with capacity on one link being doubled and the other tripled, with plenty of room for future expansion.

We're also upgrading existing radio links on the Shetland mainland and islands and building new switches in the Lerwick exchange to take broadband to an additional 10 Shetland exchanges on 27 July.

BT Scotland's rollout of broadband means that the technology is now available to more than 90 per cent of Scotland and will be available to 98 per cent by the end of July, when a further 10 Shetland exchanges are enabled. By then, BT will have invested £100 million in the technology north of the border.

That leaves just under 400 small exchanges in Scotland - including 11 in Shetland - where the populations are so small that commercial provision of the service is not viable. However, the Scottish Executive has made a commitment to extend connectivity to every community in the country, and has launched a public procurement initiative to ensure everyone is covered.

Brendan Dick
General manager
BT Scotland




17 March 2005

Wear your pride on the web

IN TODAY’S news ( 17/ 03) I read about the so called Shetland ID on the Visit Scotland tourist board. I think Shetland could do a lot more to improve its website and make it more accessible.

So often, when you try for example to find a place to stay, the pages do not open and you have to go via the site of VisitScotland. I cannot stress enough that it is a question of pride. If people are proud enough of their identity as Shetlanders, I think a lot could still change for the better. Shetland has so much to offer!!

You should learn to be more assertive towards the rest of Scotland; let them feel you are proud to live in the far North! There is nothing to be ashamed of, quite the contrary!

Helen McDermott- Van Driessche
Belgium




15 March 2005

Don’t lump them together

It is/was neither a "tale" nor "misleading".

As your family name (Dalitz) indicates you are probably of the same Wendish/Sorbic/Slavonic origin as were the emigrants aboard the "Prebislav" (note: the ship was named after Prebislav, an early Slavonic duke of what is nowadays Mecklemburg). You should therefore know that talking about "Wends" means to talk in ethnic terms, talking about "Germans" simply means they were Germans (former Prussians) by nationality or - if you prefer - by passport.

As far as you refer to Lusatia, you should know that the area was/is divided between Poland and Germany and that at least two remnant (Old) Slavonic people do live there on both sides of the border - Wends and Sorbes.

Just from the passengers’ lists kept in the Hamburg State Archive (and hopefully published on the internet later this year) it is hardly possible to decide whether the one or the other family with a Slavonic based family name belonged to the Wendish or the Sorbic minority.

Living in the 21st century it is definitely not a question of "to lump them all together as 'Germans'". Living next to one of my favourite British universities you should use the libraries there and learn that both the ethnic groups of Wends and Sorbes do have a similar cultural status as do have the Gaelic speaking areas of Scotland - those using their Gaelic mother tongues are (according to your theory) neither Scots nor British?

Note to the Shetlanders: In the vaults of the Great Chamber of the Lerwick Town Hall you will find the crest of arms of "Wendland" representing the northern Slavonic area in Germany - which is today a part of the Federal State of Lower Saxony ... but don't ask me why?

Wolfgang Schlick
wfkschlick@compuserve.de




13 March 2005

Emigrant tale misleading

I believe that you have published an article about the "German" emigrants who travelled in the ship Pribislav on its only journey from Europe to Australia, in the Shetland News of 14 February 2005.

I want to point out to you that most of the passengers on that journey were Wends, a Slavonic remnant living in Lusatia, who looked forward to a better life in Australia. Their home language was not German, but Wendish. I do not have a copy of the passenger list for this voyage near me at present, but when I find it, I'll send you the list of Wends who were on that voyage.

A large fraction of these Wends settled as a group at Westgarth Town, Melbourne, Victoria. It was misleading of you to lump them all together as "German".

Yours sincerely,
R.H.Dalitz (Oxford)
r.dalitz1@physics.ox.ac.uk


The Shetland News replies: We are somewhat surprised as to the tone of your letter, particularly since we have received an e-mail back from Melbourne, where Rob Wuchatsch and the Wendish Society are very happy with the coverage they received.

We are very much aware of the fact that a large number of passengers on board the Pribislaw were Wends, but they were not in a majority, as the passenger list of which we have a copy proves.

Further in reply to your criticism: you will be pleased to hear that the Pribislaw story also made it into the Sorbish (Wendish) minority radio programme of the Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk, about two weeks ago.

Please check out the following link: http://www.mdr.de/mdr1-radio-sachsen/sorbisch/  if you want to listen to it.




10 March 2005

Chronicle of ineptitude

WITH regard to your story today (re: Whalsay ferry), I hardly think the consensus of the local community can be gained by merely asking staff at a local shop. Perhaps commuters stuck in queues for hours at either terminal may give you a better representation. As for my own opinion, I can assure you that as a commuter, I become very aware when the ferry service degenerates, as it affects me greatly.

What would also make a good story is a chronicle of the ineptitude of the Marine Operations Department (or whatever thy are called now) over the years:

Blundering management. With regard to your story, could the question be asked who designed the "additions" to the hull and what was there qualification? Also, the specialists are being called in to fix the problem. Should they not have been there at the design stage?

Empire building. The attempt to sanction a "Master" to operate the Whalsay route? What are the roles and responsibilities of all the "Masters" employed at Sella Ness?

Poor planning. Why are commuters given no warning to massive disruptions to the service when management know they are going to occur? Why could the refit of the Geira not have been postponed until the Linga was back in service? Where is the Hendra at the current moment?

Waste of public Money. The Foula ferry, pilot boat engines, Linga refit, Linga design, the need for engineers to relocate to Poland during ferry construction etc.etc.etc.

Name withheld at author’s request



10 March 2005

Whalsay is disrupted!

HAVING read your report on the Whalsay Ferry, I would like to point out that lack of interest from the Whalsay community is slightly inaccurate.

We were not aware that the Geira would be taken out of service at this time - this only became apparent this morning when we found the Thora at the ramp. Since your report was written on the same day, it is not surprising that yesterday no one had complained in the local shop!

Although it is true that tar lorries have been coming into Whalsay for more than a week now, this has not been causing disruption to the travelling public as, at peak times, a THIRD ferry was in service on our route.


The Thora is an old ferry - it cannot manage our crossing in the usual 30 minute slot - so we are being inconvenienced by a longer crossing time which in turn affects the time table, as well as less capacity on our route. I find it incredible that the ferries empire at Sella Ness cannot co-ordinate a maintenance program with NO disruption for the commuting public - the Linga, the Hendra and the Geira are all out of service at the same time.

regards,

David Hughson.
commuter




10 March


Obvious solution to livestock problem

TAVISH Scott is said to be utterly frustrated that the Scottish Executive has to get permission from the European Union to spend its own money on the livestock freight charges issue.

There is an obvious solution to this and so many other ongoing problems and that is withdrawal from the EU and the UK with Scotland deciding on Scottish solutions to Scottish issues, an option Free Scotland will be offering voters in the forthcoming General Election in Orkney and Shetland.

Unfortunately for Tavish he does not have that option given that the party he represents is the most enthusiastic member of the European Union Supporters Club.

Yours Sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party
thescottishparty@hotmail.com




6 March 2005

Disappointed by negativity

I AM writing to you regarding your article about Islesburgh Pre-school. All staff were disappointed at the negative introduction to the article as we strive to maintain a high standard of service, and felt the need to put the comments into context.

The security issue was raised by extremely committed staff who wanted a more secure lock to the door, and not presented as a criticism by inspectors. At present we use a flat handle lock which is not easy for a young child to turn but have accepted that it still presents an element of risk, and have been in discussions for some time to agree on the best solution. In the interim we plan to use a gate.

As far as qualifications go our senior staff have between 12 and 15 years experience each, of working within Islesburgh pre-school, and the rest of our staff either have, or are committed to obtaining qualifications.

The One Stop Childcare service is a relatively new one, as is my post as co-ordinator. As a result my focus was on setting up new sections in the beginning. As an established service Islesburgh pre-school already had appropriate monitoring and evaluation in place but it was recognised that my role needed some development within that area.

Pre-school is a particularly demanding occupation which few rarely appreciate. It is delivered by Islesburgh staff to a high standard which was recognised by Norma Smith, the education services quality improvement officer. it is disappointing that you chose to convey the negative in that way.

Yours sincerely

Caroline Sales
Co-ordinator Islesburgh One Stop Childcare Service
caroline.sales@islesburgh.org.uk




24 February 2005

Webcams on their way

I read the letter re: Webcam for Shetland/Lerwick.

The writer may be interested to know that just last week, two webcams were ordered by Shetland Islands Tourism. These are AXIS cameras and will be installed with ADSL lines back via the Market Cross network. These will be quality installations and become part of the local tourism website. Hopefully they will be in place shortly.

Shetland Islands Tourism continues to do the good job it has been doing for the last two years, and will continue to do so up to 31 March 2005, when it will be replaced by the local hub office of VisitScotland.

Robert Smith
Chairman
Shetland Islands Tourism

24 February 2005

Tories plan direct school funding

WITH the recent hikes on the cost of council tax, people in the Highlands and Islands are becoming used to seeing above inflation increases in what we pay for our local services. Indeed, council tax has increased by nearly 55 per cent in Scotland since the LibDem/Labour coalition Scottish Executive came to power.

Have we seen an improvement in local services in that time? Are taxpayers getting better value for money? Probably not, and while it would be easy to blame local government for this, the fact remains that a major part of the problem is the ring fencing of funding from central government, added to the inability of the same LibDem/Labour Scottish Executive to appreciate the unique nature of operating local services in the Highlands and Islands.

On a national level, while the Lib Dems and the SNP are obsessed with introducing new tax systems, all most taxpayers are concerned about is why they are paying more council tax but failing to see improvements in local services.

Scottish Conservative proposals would see the local education system directly funded by central government but controlled by local schools. These proposals would help make major savings to the administrative budget of local councils and would allow large savings to the average Band D council tax bill.

What is clear is that while the Lib Dems, Labour and SNP cannot shake off their high tax ideologies, the Scottish Conservatives are committed to reducing the tax burden that many in the Highlands and Islands find themselves suffering under.

Yours Sincerely,

Jamie McGrigor MSP

21 February 2005

A licence to smoke

WHENEVER smoking rears its ugly head as a debate issue, statistics inevitably come to the fore. Surely one should attempt to consider the human cost?

As Neil Rafferty points out, the worst statistics show the increase in risk of lung cancer as a result of passive smoking is 0.3 in 10,000 (the figures for chronic heart disease are neatly left out).

That 0.3 figure means 150 people in Scotland alone die each year as a result of passive smoking. The BMA doesn't even claim that many - only 100 deaths according to their figures. So how many deaths are required before society says 'enough' and impinges on personal liberty for society's own good?

I agree we are bordering on infringement of that liberty by attempting to prevent someone from enjoying two (potentially) lethal drugs at the same time. So let's allow a few smoking pubs to remain in existence, the rest of us need not visit them if we so choose.

Let people make their own decision about smoking - Darwin called it natural selection.

Regards
Andrew Bowie

21 February 2005

Lot to learn from Orkney

IT WAS good to see such a useful contribution to the "tourism" debate, although we do not agree with all points made.

We think more useful information could be gleaned from this piece than the usual stuff expensive consultants come up with. There should be more very frank and open discussions like this if Shetland sees its future in tourism.

Although from Ollaberry, we are currently in the Cote d`Azur. This area has seen a downturn of between 30-40 per cent of tourist revenue in the past couple of years. Not down to the climate, obviously good, nor the prices, though very expensive, but a perceived value for money problem and poor service.

So climate...we can’t compete on, and it’s very expensive to get to Shetland, but if people get good service and a great experience they will come back or extol our virtues.

We, along with many other we’re sure, can relate tales of relatives coming to Shetland and being disappointed by the service, attitude and what’s on offer.

If anyone ever mentions Orkney the first thing out of their mouths is "how friendly everyone is". Whilst visitors have met very friendly and helpful individuals in Shetland...it’s not common currency.

And how many times have people turned up to advertised places only to find them not open as stated? Very bad form.

We have been shocked by how little knowledge people have here of anywhere outside of London.

We are off to Switzerland in May for six months, so we will be able to see if anyone knows about Shetland there!!

Good luck with the site...always looking in.

Yours Bob and Laura Jamieson
Villeneuve Loubet,
Nice
France
bobandlaura@jmsn.wanadoo.co.uk




19 February 2005

Don’t share your smoke

IN YET another response to Mr. Rafferty, I must point out that for very many years my Husband and I were smokers. Our Son also became a habitual smoker and when, after many years of smoking, he suffered a heart attack and immediately gave up. Our Daughter was always a non-smoker and keen for us to give up the habit. However, smoking is powerfully addictive and the decision to give-up had to come from within, which thankfully it did.

Like any responsible adult I could only wake up to what is a harmful practice and then ditched it once and for all. Banning smoking in public must help reduce the temptation for potential addicts of tomorrow. If it is perceived as anti-social, correctly so I feel, then it could and should drop out of fashion.

It is not a case of my taking the stance of being holier than thou - the claim made against ex-smokers by many who can't break the habit - but when you can and realise the benefits to others and yourselves by giving up the fags you will understand the zeal of the reformed smoker.

As I made clear, I wasn't trying to impede Mr. Rafferty's personal freedom but he should respect others’ right to personal freedom too. I don't want your smoke I don't want to breathe in carcinogenic pollution that can easily be avoided. I know, Mr. Rafferty, that we live in a world filled with contaminants but those that can easily be stopped, should be.

Unless in a non-smoking zone, of course, at present you can smoke if you like, regardless of the potential health detriment and the unfortunate odour that can cling to a smoker. But don't share it with those of us who don't want it! The sooner the relevant legislation comes in - the better!

Sometimes change has to be accepted for the benefit of everyone.

Regards
G Osborne
gwenkenozzy@yahoo.co.uk




18 February 2005

Headline not funny

I READ the letter from a Susanna from Columbiana in the USA on 11 February concerning the break-in at the Staney Hill Shop.

She seemed to think it 'funny' that such a headline to the story was used. Well I don't think that any headline that reports an event like breaking and entering, burglary and vandalism can be construed as funny at all. All these are very serious offences and should be reported as such.

Here we have a young couple taking the plunge and starting there own business by running a small shop - which would have otherwise shut down. Within the first week of business they are subjected to two vicious break-ins which costs them over £1000 in repair bills.

Of course they are going to be gutted about this. In my view they should be given every encouragement in their venture and be applauded for embarking on it.

Perhaps where Susanna lives these events are so common place that the only good headline is indeed where 'a robbery has gone bad with bodies littering the street'. I'm glad I don't live in her vicinity.

Paul Featherstone
Kergord Hatchery
Weisdale
Shetland
sstltd@zetnet.co.uk

Shetland News says: To be fair to Susannah, as an American she did not understand the English use of the word “gutted”, and thought it meant someone who had been disembowelled. She now knows what we meant by the term.




17 February 2005

Why not webcam Lerwick?

I RECENTLY enjoyed a marvellous time on holiday in Shetland. My holiday centred on the attractive and busy town of Lerwick and took in many of the highlights of the islands. I very much appreciated the warm welcome and friendliness of the Shetland people.

I wondered if there are any plans to set up a webcam in Lerwick. I think this would be a benefit to both past and potential visitors. I would suggest a view over the harbour and Bressay Sound although there are possibly other preferable candidates. It would be a welcome opportunity to enjoy the view. This would bring back happy memories and encourage future visits for me and, I'm sure for many others.

Yours sincerely,
Best wishes,

Martin Greig
MGreig@aberdeencity.gov.uk




17 February 2005

Proud to defend smoking freedom

I WOULD like to respond to Maureen Moore's letter of 15 February in which she attacks my position on the executive's smoking ban.

She describes me as an "unscrupulous" salesman for the tobacco industry. I have never met anyone who works for a tobacco company, I have no desire to promote cigarettes and would never encourage anyone to smoke. It's bad for you and it's expensive.

I am, however, proud to defend freedom of choice and to put forward a fair and reasonable alternative to an outright ban.

Ms Moore points out, quite correctly, that pro-choice groups such as FOREST receive funding from tobacco companies. What she does not mention is the payments that anti-smoking groups and "experts" receive from drugs companies such as Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

These companies manufacture nicotine replacement products such as gum and patches. This is a multi-billion pound market and therefore the drugs companies are more than happy to support policies and organisations which encourage or force people to quit.

I have no doubt that Ms Moore is well-intentioned - as am I - but both sides of this debate are supported by people whose interests are commercial. (Oh, and by the way - since 1999 ASH Scotland has received more than £1.7 million from the Scottish Executive.)

Ms Moore claims that the evidence on passive smoking is "overwhelming". It is not. The most extreme estimates suggest an increased risk of a non smoker, with a prolonged and consistent exposure to passive smoke, getting lung cancer at 1.3 in 10,000. The risk to a non-smoker with no exposure to passive smoke whatsoever is 1 in 10,000. This is hardly convincing evidence.

Studies by the US Environmental Protection Agency into the effects of passive smoking have been thrown out by US courts because they were so poor. The World Health Organisation conducted a seven year study and failed to establish a link between passive smoking a lung cancer. The Greater London Authority rejected a smoking ban because the "evidence" on passive smoking was so thin. John Reid, the English health secretary (who has conducted at least as much research as the Scottish Executive) has rejected an outright ban in pubs for the same reason.

Ms Moore insists that there are 1000 passive smoking deaths in Scotland each year. You would think, therefore, that there would be 1000 death certificates or 1000 personal and medical histories to support this figure. There is not. It is a theoretical statistic arrived at by taking all the deaths from lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and respiratory illness and
then applying the most extreme risk factors from the passive smoking studies. It is nothing more than guesswork but is presented by Ms Moore and Mr McConnell as an incontrovertible fact to justify their intrusion into our personal lives.

Ms Moore claims there has been "no adverse economic consequences" from the smoking bans in New York and Ireland. New York bar owners are currently attempting to sue the Mayor of New York for introducing this ban. They are doing this because they have lost money. Would they be attempting to overturn the ban if it had made them wealthier?

According to the Irish Vintners' Association, 7500 jobs have been lost in the Irish hospitality trade since the ban was introduced. So that's Maureen Moore for you.

Mr Osborne, in his letter, describes me, and other smokers as "selfish". Very few smokers believe they should be allowed to light up wherever they want. They simply feel that there should be some choice when it comes to smoking in pubs. That is why we are promoting a solution which will massively increase the number of non-smoking pubs while still leaving some pubs where you can have a drink and a cigarette.

Mr Osborne bases much of his argument on the fact that smoking doesn't smell nice. Well, Mr Osborne, there are lots of things in the world that don't smell nice, but you don't go around banning them all. Personally I hate the smell of burnt chips, but I'm not suggesting that Blackpool should be sealed off from the general public.

Mr Osborne also talks about opium and it's prohibition under the Dangerous Drugs Act as if this provides a splendid example for the 21st century. There more dangerous drugs around than ever before Mr Osborne and a great many of them are derived from opium.

Our freedoms are under threat - but we can have a fair and reasonable solution which will provide protection to all those who want it and that will guarantee choice for all.

Ultimately, if you have a group of adults in a room, all of whom either want to smoke or don't care about the smoke, then it is no-one else's business. But Ms Moore and Mr Osborne just don't like that idea.

Yours etc.,
Neil Rafferty
Scottish Spokesman
FOREST
raffertyneil@hotmail.com



15 February 2005

Don’t trust Big Tobacco

I WAS dismayed at the Big Tobacco propaganda put forward by FOREST, which appeared in the letters page on the 14th February. FOREST’s Scottish spokesman Neil Rafferty trotted out all the usual misinformation and distortion that is standard practice in the tobacco industry.

FOREST receives 96 per cent of its funding from Big Tobacco. It is not an interest group representing ordinary people from across Britain, it is the paid stooge of an industry that has to create front groups due to their own record of being caught lying about the damage cigarettes do to health. Its messages should be treated with as much caution as its products.

Mr Rafferty accused Jack McConnell of not backing up the proposed smoke-free legislation with scientific evidence. Such an accusation is nonsense. The evidence about the damage tobacco does to health is overwhelming. If we placed all the research in the world that shows the dangers of tobacco next to those that say otherwise you would notice two immediate things. First, the pile showing tobacco to be threatening is many times larger than those arguing otherwise, and secondly the tiny pile of reports that say tobacco is safe were funded in some way by the tobacco industry.

In Scotland 1000 people die every year as a result of being exposed to second-hand smoke. This figure is based on research conducted at Glasgow University late last year, it is in line with research conducted by the British Medical Association and the World Health Organisation, all of whom agree about the lethal nature of second hand smoke.

For Neil Rafferty to write to this paper saying that there is no evidence for the danger of second hand smoke suggests that he is either dangerously naïve about the product he is promoting, or willing to ignore any evidence he finds inconvenient.

Ending smoking in enclosed public places is vital for the improvement of public health in Scotland. It will provide everyone with equal protection from the hazards of second-hand smoke, whether they are at work or socialising with friends. By going smoke-free we will not be banning smoking, just sensibly regulating exposure to second-hand smoke in enclosed public places. It is not fair to say to workers that their right to health and safety at work are less important than the ‘right’ of smokers to light up wherever they so choose. The proposed legislation will provide equal and necessary protection for everyone.

Smoke-free enclosed public places will also provide supportive environments for people who are trying to quit smoking. Smoke-free laws have now been passed throughout the world. Without exception they have been successful, easily implemented and popular. In Scotland we too can look forward to seeing greatly reduced cigarette consumption, higher use of smoking cessation services and substantial drops in the numbers of people smoking. Above all the message from New York and Ireland is one of substantial health gains with no adverse economic consequences for laws ending smoking in enclosed public places.

If FOREST continues to spread their propaganda about smoking, I would urge us all to remember that they are merely the unscrupulous salespeople for discredited products. The time for their arguments is over; it is time to look forward to a healthier future for our country.

Yours sincerely,

Maureen Moore
Chief Executive
ASH Scotland
iain.brotchie@ashscotland.org.uk 




15 February 2005

Let opium laws lead the way

SMOKING is harmful – fact! To those who participate in it and those who are forced to inhale smoke around them.

Unless anyone is fitted with a personal chimney with a highly sophisticated filtering device (if one sufficiently effective exists) then the act of smoking is shared. I have never seen anyone fitted with such a bizarre device, nor am I likely to. Therefore smoking in public is unacceptable. If anyone wants to harm or kill themselves let them get on with it, but in their own space. At least Mr. Rafferty acknowledges that by saying no one should be exposed to smoke if they don’t want to be, but gaining that freedom from smoke, by choice, is difficult.

If a venue has been used by smokers then it stinks. A hefty blast of eau de mega air freshener will not eliminate it. The stench is clinging and all infiltrating. Once having spent any time in that location then the non-smoker stinks as well – even if smokers have long since left the room/building. If anyone hires a cottage for example and a smoker has used it – then the holiday is ruined for the non-smokers who cannot abide the smell and shouldn’t have to.

Walking down a street you can get a full blast of choking vile smoke in the face. Prior to that, your person could smell clean, fresh with a hint of perfume that you might have applied. After the exhaust fumes from the smoker, however, one reeks of a stale ashtray.

I am one of many who no doubt don’t care what smokers do to themselves but do care what they do to others, to keep others safe from the effects of smokers indulging their addiction then a public ban is the only way to go.

Mr. Rafferty bangs on about such a ruling being selfish – I’m not the one potentially polluting anyone else’s space or harming them, I don’t smoke – but he apparently does. Perhaps he should review his own position with regards to being ‘selfish’.

Without wishing to fuel the concept of a ‘Nanny State’, I accept that a government ruling banning smoking in public is in society’s interests, for health reasons alone without listing the others. How many, like me, have seen infants strapped in cars sitting in a haze of smoke fog caused by selfish adults? There is a big fuss - rightly under many circumstances, but not all - about using a mobile phone while driving. What about smoking? I cannot be convinced that anyone with a fag on the go can have ultimate control of their vehicle. What if they drop it and resort to urgently hunting the lighted ciggie in a vehicle fuelled by flammable liquid? They cannot be in full control of their vehicle then, more like ‘panic mode’.

Society has, to its detriment, accepted smoking but it can and should be officially dealt with. History has shown that accepted practices within society can be challenged and stopped.

An example being, in our not too distant past, it was acceptable to use opium. Opium dens sprung up to facilitate this. The dangers of opium soon became known. That famous Victorian author, Rudyard Kipling, makes reference to the power of opium to addict and corrupt in his novel ‘Kim’. Prior to the issue of the 1868 Pharmacy Act which restricted the sale of opium to professional pharmacists, anyone at all, could legally trade in opium and opium products.

By the mid 19th Century many hundreds of opium based medicines, potions and pills were readily and easily available to the general public (as are various tobacco products today). Among the most prominent of these were Godfey’s Cordial, sold as a soother for restless and crying babies, Dover’s Powders as a gout cure and that well known alcoholic/opium preparation – laudanum.

This supposedly cure-all wonder drug was finally officially recognised for its addictive qualities and its dangers. However in the interests of rich and powerful traders (sound familiar?) opium was not illegal to possess without a doctor’s prescription until the Dangerous Drugs Act was passed in 1920.

In 50 years time can we reflect in the same way about smoking? Hopefully we will be able to reflect on the legislation that long-since banned it in public.

G. Osborne
gwenkenozzy@yahoo.co.uk




14 February 2005

Gobsmacked by "lurid" headline charge

The comment from Susanna in Alaska about the use of the word "gutted" in connection with a recent spate of damage at the Staney Hill shop illustrates perfectly the disadvantage of having two major English-speaking peoples divided by their common language.

The use of vernacular in headlines loses out when travelling across the pond, at least going west it seems to. The vernacular coming the other way is more easily understood through our exposure to American culture through music lyrics and movies. If Americans got more exposure to British culture, they would certainly be able to increase their vocabulary!

My regrets to Mr McBurnie and his partner over the damage to their shop, they have every reason to feel gutted and Susanna, enjoy your forthcoming visit and enjoy also your forthcoming new vocabulary......

Best wishes,

Leslie Lowes
leslielowes@supanet.com




14 February 2005

‘Soothmoother’ protest not stupid

I AM concerned by Herr Schlick's apparent lack of empathy in his need to label those on the receiving end of bigotry, and having the balls to complain about it, as being stupid.

The issue of whether tourists, be they journalists or anyone else, take a step back at the burning wasn't the route of offence. As was very clearly stated in my previous letter (assuming the reports of Mr. Fraser’s behaviour were accurate) the instructions to anyone at the event could have been made without such apparent arrogance, parochialism and racism.

The Race Relations Act describes one aspect of racial harassment as being where an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment has been created for the victim/s. A guy in Viking battle dress complete with weaponry and decrying “soothmoothers” might be perceived as fitting some of, or all, those criteria, it depends on the point of view of those on the receiving end.

Of course, in a wider view, one doesn’t have to be on the receiving end to be offended by such actions. Given that this was (allegedly) a public statement then the audience, is of course, potentially so much greater and the offence spreading accordingly.

I have many years experience of dealing with victims of crime and given my informed background can reiterate that there is nothing “stupid” about recognising bigotry and offensive behaviour and the need to stop it.

I have seen the damage that lack of consideration and sensitivity to those within a local social environment can cause. Unstopped, or the failure to deal with it promptly and correctly, inevitably results in its escalation. No, Herr Schlick, it is not stupid to acknowledge faults and unacceptable behaviour but it is stupid and inexcusable not to recognise the potential damage that can be caused by them.

The tourism and the nationality of Shetland should be promoted. The Viking heritage is, in my opinion, of inestimable importance. If Mr. Fraser did behave as was described then actions should surely be taken so that Shetland can move on. Is there not a deputy who can replace Mr. Fraser and then the Squad be reinstated to their promotional duties?

It seems absurd to allow behaviour of this kind to compromise the promotion of Shetland’s Norse heritage and give any bureaucrat fuel to any argument that demotes the image of Shetland to be included in the tourist blanket of thistle, tartan and shortbread.

Regards

Stella Winks
Stellawinks@aol.com




14 February 2004

MSPs smoking ban "selfish"

THIS WEEK the Scottish Parliament's health committee begins its deliberations on the proposal to ban smoking in all pubs and clubs in Scotland. At present a majority of MSPs are in favour of the outright ban but it is not too late to stop this oppressive and draconian measure.

Jack McConnell, the first minister, has justified the ban using so-called scientific evidence which is at best disputed and at worst discredited. He has claimed that 1000 people die in Scotland every year from passive-smoking related illnesses but he has not offered a single shred of proof to back up this figure.

Meanwhile MSPs would have us believe that there is no alternative to an outright ban and that the proposal has majority support. Once again, your readers are being misled by those who are supposed to stand up for them.

A series of opinion polls, including the Scottish Executive's own research, has shown that while most Scots believe there should be further restrictions on smoking in public places, around 70 per cent believe smokers should still have some choice.

No one should have to be exposed to tobacco smoke if they do not want to be. But there are alternatives to an outright ban which can increase choice massively for non-smokers but retain some choice, albeit limited, for those who smoke.

In England, the Labour government has proposed a ban on smoking in pubs where hot food is served. Overnight this will lead to a massive increase in the number of non-smoking pubs, but there will still be some pubs that will cater for those who either smoke, or are not bothered by second-hand smoke - giving genuine choice to both customers and those who work in the licensed trade.

A legally enforced minimum air quality standard in all public buildings would require pubs to install state of the art ventilation systems. Those pubs which do not install such systems would have to ban smoking in order to meet the air quality standard. Again, this would address the concerns of those who do not want to be exposed to tobacco smoke.

Scotland can have smoking restrictions that are fair, reasonable but that do guarantee a choice for everyone.

The stakes are high. Our personal freedoms are at risk. If MSPs can get away with this they will soon find some new way of interfering in our lives. Meanwhile pubs and the livelihoods they support - particularly those in rural Scotland - are facing a genuine threat.

MSPs have a track record of ignoring public opinion and pursuing their own selfish agendas - the sickening amount of money spent on the Holyrood building being the most notable example. The only way MSPs will be forced to listen and to act is if enough people speak out.

I would urge your readers to contact Tavish Scott and voice their objections to these dangerous and damaging proposals. It is our country and it is time to remind our politicians who they work for.

Yours sincerely,
Neil Rafferty
Scottish spokesman
Freedom Organisation for the Right to Enjoy Smoking Tobacco (FOREST)
raffertyneil@hotmail.com




12 February 2005

Time is running out

IS ANYONE out there aware that if you put an electrical charge through water to separate hydrogen and oxygen a gas is produced? This gas when ignited burns with a cool flame against skin but creates an equivalent of 6000 degrees centigrade when applied to metal, rock, glass, wood and other materials.

Rather than burning through them a chemical reaction is produced which isn't even hot to the touch 1cm from the flames contact point.

The gas has been named Brown's Gas and Brown's Gas Machines appear to have been in use in China powering submarines amongst other things, for years. This technology should be looked at far more seriously because if the electricity produced by wind turbines/ GENTEC venturi turbines( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-voltage_direct_current) and other renewable sources was used to produce Brown's Gas from sea water/ water we truly could be cleaning up the world and creating unlimited power/fuel and as the by-product is water (new, pure and clean) there are no pollutants and clean water for all.

Separating the hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are very unstable is pointless as Brown's Gas produces far more energy, what's more an implosion occurs rather than an explosion when the gas is ignited in a vacuum.

www.eagle-research.com This link explains Andrew Mackay's venture.

Researchers have now identified a secondary problem to global warming called global dimming. Pollutants in our atmosphere are blocking the heat from the sun by between 9 per cent and 30 per cent depending on where you are on the planet.

This means that if we clean the air before we drastically reduce the greenhouse gases the planet will just heat up a lot faster.

www.bbc.co.uk/horizon  BBC2 8.10pm Saturday 15th Jan 2005

This technology could be applied to so many end uses i.e. combustion engines, desalination plants, water purification, welding, cutting, lifting, disposing of nuclear waste, tunnels could be bored (vapourised) extracting all the ores in a pure form on the way, and probably lots of other things. It may be just what is needed to bring back a balance and allow the whole world to survive and flourish.

Another interesting fuel can be found here: www.vegoilmotoring.com

All forms of alternative technologies should be looked at very carefully whether in relation to wind/tide/current/water/solar/veg oil because time is running out fast.

Regards,

Sarah McBurnie
sarah@seeshetland.co.uk




11 February 2005

Crown Estate should apologise

The increasingly disturbing and intemperate responses from the Crown Estate Commissioners to any comments that Alistair Carmichael MP makes on their operations highlight the reasons why so many people in the isles resent their attitude and their actions.

It is clear that they are not accustomed to anyone questioning their activities. Accountability, it seems, is something for the rest of us to worry about. The Crown Estate Commission is above such things.

The Crown Estate’s ever-expanding brigade of spin doctors must take us for fools if they think we will be satisfied with their explanations of their latest raid on shellfish farmers. There is no getting away from the fact that their take from that industry has mushroomed in recent years. They can express these things in percentages or any way they like but the bottom line is still the bottom line and they are taking more money than ever from their ownership of our seabed. That is money which could and should stay in the isles.

Faced with persistent questioning from our MP, they have now resorted to being abusive and calling his representations silly. The Chairman of the Crown Estate Commission should get a grip of his employees and issue an apology to Mr Carmichael forthwith.

Yours etc

Theo Smith
Stenaquoy
Wormadale
Whiteness
Shetland
theo@p-j-p.co.uk


 

11 February 2005


Out of proportion

TO ME it never was a question whether Up Helly Aa is just for Shetlanders or not. To me it is more the question how WE, the TOURISTS do behave!

Up Helly Aa is - first of all - a local/regional event and if we take part as tourists we do have to go "a little step" backwards and not push into the front row as Ms Renz obviously tried to do when she tried to put the ARD's motto into effect: With ARD you are sitting in the first row!

WE, the TOURISTS, will see the fire but only a few will understand what's happening there ... (even the English do not understand the speech of the Guizer Jarl!)

It is not the question whether or not journalists can "cope with organized flaming torch throwing" due to their battlefield experiences. Ms Renz never was in such a position but that is not of interest. What is more relevant was already said: She is a back bencher reporting about Stonehenge as an ancient site for some kind of feasting like on the October Fest in Munich (that was her particular answer to the fact of the discovery of some bones pointing to southern destinations in Europe).

... and you, "the nasty and ignorant islanders" did not welcome her on the fire, even more, you were so keen to send her back to the second row!

I do NOT know what Mr Fraser actually said! If he said what was quoted it was simply stupid, ignorant and counterproductive but to quote and deal it as "racist remarks" is as stupid as well!

Sorry, I really do not want to harm the Shetland tourism industry but any tourist who feels to be branded when called a 'soothmoother' should stay where he came from .... at home. I live now in Hamburg for more than 35 years but I will never become a Hamburger (the one way or the other, I hope ....). Mr Fraser is not the Auld Rock and if he lost his behaviour it is all right to make it clear. Please, keep it on scale: Mr Fraser might have tried but he left no scratch on the Auld Rock!

As someone who was active in the tourism industry as a kind of chartered consultant (and in his former life) the overall impacts are more interesting. I remember

- we had the discussion thistle or galley on the signposts to tourist attractions;

- we see the Galley Shed axed from the site of interests on VisitScotland's website (my German fellow who mentioned this before was absolutely right) and the Viking Heritage "Centre" in Orphir/Orkney had the same fate;

- we see the Battle of Largs more and more celebrated as a "Scottish Event" - although it was little more than an accident before a battle that never started;

- we have to look at SeaScotland as a key event for the 2005 season without mentioning the background of Shetland or Orkney;

- and now we have the axing of the Viking Squad as local representatives.

While on one side f.e. the official homepage of the British Monarchy made it very clear that there are some differences between English/Scottish Earls and the Norse Earls, the official tourist boards websites axe away all Norse traditions.

Do we really have to tell "the Scots" - or to be honest the "tartan fraction from abroad" that influences the marketing strategies of VisitScotland - that it was the Norwegian King Magnus Barelegs (sic!) who obviously made the kilt acceptable outside Scotland? (Sorry to disturb any of your "back to the roots" approaches).

Wolfgang Schlick
wfkschlick@compuserve.de
www.schottlandportal.de
www.northernisles.schottlandportal.de




11 February 2005


Take the test, you Vikings

IT WAS with interest and disappointment I read the article regarding The unfortunate comments by a Mr Peter Fraser and derogatory comments about southerners....or soothmoothers as referred to.

Well I suspect Mr Fraser may well be a southerner himself!....and he should be care full about who and how he refers to people.

Here is my request so this southerner matter can be settled once and for all. Mr Fraser and all the other male participants in Up Helly Aa take a 37 marker Y chromosome test via the Shetland Patronymic DNA Project
http://www.davidkfaux.org/shetlandislandsY-DNA.html 

When the results are in we will then have a true picture of who really is a southerner and who isn't.....Nothing like knowing the real truth to a matter eh!....

How about it gentlemen, its time to stand up and be counted, (if you're a real man)....

Bruce Stewart
Technical Officer
CSIRO Land & Water




11 February 2005


Lurid and inaccurate

I DON’T know if you're responsible for the online headline on your story, but it seems both lurid and inaccurate.

"Lerwick shop owners gutted". I expected it to be a tragic story about a robbery gone bad with tortured bodies littering up the place. Instead, no one was hurt except financially, and even the store wasn't precisely “gutted”. I'm intrigued as to why that headline was chosen.

I've been enjoying your newspaper for several weeks now. I started reading it because I'm planning to vacation in Orkney and Shetland sometime soon. As a former journalist who worked at small newspapers, I have found your newspaper quite interesting and (as much as I can tell) a good chronicler of local events. That's why the lurid headline stood out to me as anomalous (and funny, once I realized that no one was really hurt).

Looking forward to future headline adventures,


Susanna
Columbiana, AL, USA
biasblog@hotmail.com 

“One of the commonest forms of madness is the desire to be noticed, the pleasure derived from being noticed. Perhaps it is not merely common, but universal.” Mark Twain, "The Memorable Assassination"




10 February 2005
 

Why don’t BP pay their way?

The request for a 2.3 per cent rise in harbour dues at Sullom Voe pales into insignificance against BP's reported profits for 2004, a 26 per cent increase to £8.7 billion.

Why do BP not feel obliged to pay their way in Shetland when they can increase their fourth quarter dividend to shareholders by 26 per cent?

Yours sincerely

Brian Nugent
Free Scotland Party (formerly The Scottish Party)
thescottishparty@hotmail.com




9 February 2005


Embarrassed and alarmed?

I DOUBT very much that anyone gaining income and business revenue from the tourists who visit Up Helly Aa would agree with Mr. Fraser. They are more likely to be embarrassed and alarmed.

Reading this article is the first unwelcoming attitude I’ve seen published since moving to Shetland. Yes I come from somewhere more south in the UK than Shetland but given the geographical position of the islands one would find it impossible to be British and do anything else. Fortunately the general population have proved very friendly and extremely welcoming making Shetland a place where we love to live and feel we belong.

We haven’t yet left the island to visit ‘down-south’ as we adore the islands so much and have been in no hurry to leave even for a brief spell. My accent is ‘Estuary English’ rather than ‘Shetland Dialect’ but so far that has not been held against me and had it been, I would have resorted to using some of my dialect repertoire to express my views accordingly.

Members of my family visited the islands as a result of my husband, two children and I moving here. They did not stay with us because then we were living in a council house that was in a disgraceful state, shamefully lacked facilities and was far too ‘peerie’ to accommodate the four of us let alone anyone else. So they spent money as tourists, both in accommodation requirements, eating out, shopping and so on, they had a wonderful time. Is their money not welcome as they are not islanders?

If Up Helly Aa is not for tourists as well as Shetlanders, why then is such a big issue made of it in Shetland tourist literature, on TV (just one example, BBC Country File featured it in their programme broadcast in England last Sunday) and as a marketing opportunity for various businesses on the islands?

My extended family would love to see the festival as my husband and I did this year but they are not islanders so, according to Mr. Fraser, are they not welcome?

I can understand the need for health and safety regulations to be adhered to but if it really was necessary to only allow local press to the area around the burning then the requirement could have been expressed in much less hostile terms and without the offence of ‘soothmoothers’ to reverberate to those non- Shetlanders who have made their home here.

Given that it is journalists and TV camera crews that report from active war zones can they really not cope with organized flaming torch throwing?

Stella Winks
Stellawinks@aol.com




9 February 2005



Very disappointed

I was very disappointed to read of the comments made by the Guizer Jarl. I lived in Shetland during 1973/4 and never once experienced racism of any kind. I found the Shetland people to be very friendly and welcoming.
His remarks will not put me off making a return visit.

Best regards,

Russell Martin
Chesham, Bucks.




9 February 2005


From a soothmoother

To start with: I am a "soothmoother", a "ferrylooper" – or whatever you might call me – and I have visited the Up Helly Aa fire festival twice and I felt always welcome.

One problem might be what Mr Fraser said during the press meeting (or not). The other and more important problem is what comes out of the mass.

Now Shetland Islands Tourism’s chief executive Andy Steven "axed the Vikings as ambassadors" but did anyone in Shetland realise that he is only the second in line? VisitScotland axed the Galley Shed from the list of Shetland tourist attractions months ago and just in its own competence and not with the help of some London-based back benched journalists.

So, who will on behalf of VisitScotland represent Shetland next time? Some "Lerwick Pipe and Drums"? – Or will SIT hire the Kirkwall Band?

Regards

Elke Steffen
nt.steffen@t-online.de


 

9 February 2005


Surprised by Smyril comments


A week has passed since you reported the following comments from Morgan Goodlad regarding the impending £3m 'investment' in North Atlantic Line.

‘”The investment would not support unfair competition, the source of the money was the SIC's reserve fund, which was private money, and the use of the money was an investment not a subsidy,” he said. "I don't see a problem at all. It will stand up to any test under state aid regulations," he added.’

If one part of this opinion is mistaken it must put the rest in doubt. The council's own overview of state aid has a section on rescue and restructuring aid which states a firm is regarded as being in difficulty when it is unable to stem losses from its own resources or funds from owners/shareholders, and without public assistance will almost certainly go out of business.

I am surprised the council's communication department hasn't rushed to retract or clarify all or part of Mr Goodlad's comment.

Peter Hamilton
warnerhamilton@btopenworld.com




8 February 2005


Shetland deprived

IN RESPONSE to Mr Philip Andrews letter, I must say I couldn't agree with him more. The arrogance of Mr Blair beggars belief.

Mr Andrews gave us a choice of a pet hate, my own is the London Dome - £750 million or so the say, wasted. What opportunity did Shetlanders have to see this marvel, or anyone else north of the Watford Gap, none!

Now it'll be the most expensive car park ever. How many schools hospitals could they have built for this sum? That would have benefited communities for decades.

You live in a beautiful part of the world, and are denied everything. Last week Ryan Air was offering flights to Germany and Sweden for 1p. You only pay landing fees. You are deprived of these opportunities. Surely the SIC or some official body could do a deal with Ryan Air, Easy Jet,( who fly to Inverness) thus benefiting their business, and also Shetland tourism.

But getting back to Mr Andrews point, I'll finish and leave you with this thought. "There is only one man who ever entered parliament with honest intentions and his name was Guy Fawkes.

Thank you.
Yours sincerely,

Henry Condy
smezatu2000@yahoo.co.uk


7 February 2005



Worth fighting for

So the Blair-Brown axis now wants to tax 'recreational' diesel?

By its own tacit admission, this so-called government hasn't been successful enough yet in squeezing sufficient tax out of the country to fund:

-    the continuing murder in Iraq;
-    impending illegal war in Iran;
-    UK child benefit (an utter nonsense, in an already hugely-overcrowded world);
-    asylum facilities for 'economic migrants';
-    cops-and-robbers games in every single grimy, semi-derelict UK sinkhole town that I can name;
-    grossly-inflated 'costs' on building projects (the Holyrood building looks to me like Ground Force meets Frank Lloyd Wright at       High Noon: if it wasn't meant as a joke, it definitely should have been - so why did it cost £500m+ ?);
-    and every other fatuity that it sees fit to waste our substance on (add your favourites here).

So now it has to try to grab yet MORE money from us by taxing red diesel for 'recreational' boat use?

And meanwhile, Gordon 'GoldGiver' Brown has aspirations to be Prime Minister instead of President Blair (or maybe even John 'Two Jags Gutbag' Prescott, but I can't see him in the running), with both of them posturing away in the most childish political 'sideshow' that the UK has ever seen?

On whose say-so would Brown ever be allowed into that position - the electorate's? What mental age do these people think their audience has reached, that it should be impressed (or even convinced) that anything worthwhile is going on (or will ever go on) at Westminster? Why are either of them still deemed to be fit to hold office, after all that's happened under their inept stewardship of the UK since 1997? If there's one thing that I'd like to see, it would be both of those nonentities losing their seats - and their deposits - at the next election. If that happened, I'd immediately begin to believe in God.

To perdition with the rest of the world and its need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions - what Shetland needs right now is an alternative energy strategy that will secure its future and at the same time effectively bypass central government, monopoly utilities, and the need for every single Shetlander to learn for themselves how to filter the red dyestuffs out of agricultural diesel. Put your minds to it, SREF and all you others - you're being paid to do it, so get on with it and deliver, while it can still be done.

This isn't about reducing pollution anymore - this is about Shetland's future survival in spite of the best efforts of central government, and the only way to do that is to be energy self-sufficient. That shift away from dependency on whatever rolls off the NorthLink boats during the week will take a great deal of engineering skill, personal will and major financial investment ... and it will also call for a young, highly-skilled, extremely determined local workforce to make it happen.

To those of you still at school doing social sciences and media studies, I say: “Get off it, and sign up for some non-bunkum engineering and science courses right away. That is how the future will be made, if it can be made - and not by herds of highly-coloured gabbling idiots incessantly chewing the fat about nothing on TV chat shows, and earning big money doing it.”

This place is worth fighting for, above all other places in the UK that I've seen (and I've seen quite a lot of them) - so don't let it be taken away from you by inept, greedy politicians and their unprincipled owners. Instead, fight for it by trying to make it truly independent of external circumstances. It's a fight worth engaging in.

Philip Andrews
Unst
philipfaeunst@tiscali.co.uk




4 February 2005



Letter: One-sided journalism?

Yes, another one-sided piece of journalism that totally lacks any form of investigative journalism and offers no thought for the victim of this case, the young girl that died.

It is my understanding that Mr Ritchie's conviction was overturned as it was held that his defence did not represent him properly at his original trial. Does that mean he is innocent? If he is, who started the fire? If it were not him, why did this person not go on to kill more people as presumably we are looking at a 'deranged individual'.

Why is Mr Carmichael so interested in this case? Is the wording of your headline appropriate...how can there be joy when an innocent two year old has died?

John McDonald.




3 February 2005


Welcome to family of nations

READING your newsletter coming in every day it seems to me that if the rather deceiving passport example the other day gave a new turn to the never-ending "neo-colonialist" grasp on the Northern Isles from the Central Belt, then the official confirmation of the Shetland flag of today, as Scottish-coloured with a Scandinavian Cross - that is in heraldic sense not fully acceptable under the Scottish "Sceptre", but on the other side admittedly Nordic/Scandinavian with its "Standing Cross" form - then this might truly be the absolute first official consent to the multi-ethnicity and multi-culturality of Shetland as both a historic and actual entity. Wow!

I might say, as Shetlanders of those days declared in the moment of our independence in 1905, to the newly elected Norwegian King, Haakon V, "Welcome to the Family of Nations"!!

A flag is a serious matter. I suppose we visitors in the future will come to see the Shetland flag both on top of the Town Hall and Fort Charlotte in Lerwick, and not only everywhere along the roads?

Congratulations!

Dag-Ivar Rognerød
Oslo
drognerod@chello.no




3 February 2005


Muddying the waters?

IT IS A great pity that my challenge was rebuffed. I am sure Shetlanders can draw their own conclusions from David Thomson's refusal to enter into an open debate on the contrasting merits of wind turbines and GENTEC venturi (Letters 31 January).

Perhaps Mr Thomson should read my original letter very carefully as well. The point I was making was that having a several intermittent renewables will not be a "substitute" for conventional means of generating electricity.

In the context of a football match 'substitution' means that one player runs off the park first and then another runs on. If football was run by the British Wind Energy Association or SREF a "substitution" would entail additional players running on to the park without anybody coming off!

The residents of Foula should hold on to their diesel generators because, regardless of how many intermittent renewable players run on to your park, they will never be a substitute for firm conventional power.

Mr Thomson then suggests that my challenge is pointless "because no-one here thinks wind energy conversion is better in theory than marine energy conversion" Eh? Sorry, but I do not understand how that statement relates to the debate.

He then continues by saying: "The small but important difference is that I can go out and buy a wind turbine." I, too, can go out and buy every element of my system off the 'proven technologies' shelf. It is the way that these elements are bolted together that is the innovation that allows GENTEC venturi to generate at full capacity 24 hours per day.

Then Mr Thomson asks "who would win against champions for Franklin's atmospheric electricity and radiation free nuclear fusion" Well, quite frankly my dear, I would win hands down because of the cost of developing these ethereal technologies would be prohibitive.

I notice that there is an all pervading theme running through Mr Thomson's letters and it can be summarised thus. 'Underdeveloped technologies are always bad, developed technologies are always good.' A good example of this kind of thinking would be the introduction of 'horseless carriages' in the latter part of the 19th century. Then there were those that were opposed to these new fangled monsters and those that considered that you could not possibly improve on horse drawn carriages. I suspect that, if Mr Thomson was alive then, he would have belonged to the latter and vociferously supported the status quo. (Pesky automobiles, bah!)

I, too, would still like to have the debate, and you can expand it to include anything you like as long as I have the same time with which to respond. I have to question why you feel that it is necessary to expand the debate beyond wind turbines and GENTEC venturi? Why muddy the waters with esoteric concepts that may cost £billions to achieve and take decades to come to fruition? Our planet only has one decade before the damage inflicted by CO2 emissions is irreversible.

We, that is Mankind, faces a stark choice. We can either cover our planet with ineffectual wind turbines or substitute (dictionary definition) fossil fuel plants with renewable energy systems that can produce base load electricity and desalinated water for the masses.

Mr Thomson also "chuckled at my clear (publicly-stated) misunderstanding of grant finance and cable economics”. Call me fiscally challenged if you like, but I think that a £5 million investment in a basic GENTEC venturi plant that returns a clear profit - with the capital outlay paid off - of £12.3million in the first year is a pretty reasonable return on the investment. If, say, every man, woman and child on Shetland invested just £200 each, then every Shetlander would benefit hugely from "green gold", instead of the black stuff they are used to, well into the future.

Also, regarding cable economics, we could build our own High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) links to Norway and the UK mainland from profits and export 500GW to Northern Europe via the newly created ring main. Spare off-peak capacity could be used to make hydrogen. This is, I believe, the only way we can reduce CO2 emissions by 30 per cent to 50 per cent over the next 10 years.

It is a thing called vision.

As for the kind invitation to join SREF where my 'peers' may be able to help me, may I quote Groucho Marx in way of a reply. "I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members".

Yours etc.

Andrew H Mackay
ahmackay@aol.com
www.greenheating.com




3 February 2005


Use your vote!

I WATCHED the news this past week with great interest regarding the instigation of the democratic process in Iraq and was brought to tears. There were people risking their lives to register their vote to determine the future of their country. Not only that, but people were risking their lives, some losing their lives, not only to vote but protecting those who wished to vote.

What does that say about us? We have been fortunate to live in a democratic society for hundreds of years; we allow people of diverse races and cultures to come here because we believe in the right of a person to speak his mind, without fear of retribution (or at least we used to).

When it comes to voting in this country what happens? We would rather watch the "Royal Family" than get off our backsides and walk a mile to a voting station to vote. It’s too much effort! We have become complacent about our rights and so our politicians, who represent us (!!) have become complacent. They spout the usual words and we hear without listening. No wonder we reap what we sow!

It doesn't matter which way we vote: Labour, Tory, Lib Dem or Monster Raving Looney, so long as we understand the issues and decide to vote. It’s no longer a matter of "why should I bother, it makes no difference". If you don't vote, you can't complain. People risk their lives to make that cross on a bit of paper, some have lost it. You're not going to be killed because you vote, but maybe someone, somewhere, will if you don't.

Tom Anderson
49 Leaside
Firth
Mossbank
tom@tomanderson.freeserve.co.uk




2 February 2005


Letter: A Flemish Fetlar connection

My husband’s mother lives on the remote island of Fetlar. Two years ago we visited her and I must say it was a fantastic new experience to me. I am Flemish ( Belgian) and I felt quite pleased by the friendly way people welcomed me in Shetland. As English is not my mother tongue, I was a bit worried about whether I would understand the language. No problems whatsoever!

Accidentally we read about the Shetland News being on the web and now we read daily what is going on. It keeps us informed and it creates a sort of link between my husband and his old mother. It is indeed very nice and we already look forward to returning next summer to Shetland!

As far as I am concerned, you may publish this letter. Maybe it will encourage other people to read your daily news!

Helen McDermott- Van Driessche
iain.mcdermott@pandora.be
Belgium




31 January 2005


Letter: How about a real challenge?

I’m not sure if my reply to Andrew Mackay’s latest letter should be directed to him or the public but in for a penny…

Andrew,

go back and read my original reply to your first letter. Read it carefully. No-one here is laughing at your invention. I actually suggested your invention could be the best thing since sliced bread. I laughed at your absurd proposal that the people of Foula should suffer without a working electricity system in the hope that an undeveloped tidal technology might someday be an alternative. I also chuckled at your clear (publicly-stated) misunderstanding of grant finance and cable economics.

Don’t be so touchy.

Your “duel” suggestion is interesting but pointless. Pointless because no-one here thinks wind energy conversion is better in theory than marine energy conversion. The small but important difference is that I can go out and buy a wind turbine.

We can still have the debate but I’d have to insist that it be expanded to include other undeveloped technologies. Who’d be the winner once we include champions for Franklin’s atmospheric electricity and radiation free nuclear fusion? Or do we restrict it to technologies with working examples? Oops. That knocks you out too.

How about a real challenge? How about instead of criticising others (Luditte? Moi?), you contribute to the development of all renewables and benefit from the support of your peers who might be able to help you advance your proposals. In other words, How about you join the SREF?

Yours,
David Thomson
Chairman – Shetland Renewable Energy Forum
david@burradale.co.uk




28 January 2005


Letter: Thanks for the memories

I was in Shetland as a tourist in summer 2003 where I visited a former colleague, and he later gave me the link to Shetland News.

Since then I have read your web-newspaper daily. It has been very interesting, amongst other reasons because I have visited many places in Shetland in only one week that summer, and I still today clearly remember my visit, the places, people and
so on when I am reading the news.

Thank you very much for all the news.

Hans Otto Fabian
Videbæk, Denmark




27 January 2005


Wind turbines at dawn?

MAY I take the opportunity to reply to some of the comments regarding my GENTEC venturi system?

Tony Erwood's letter (10th January) refers to my graph that appears on the  Scottish Parliament's website and suggests that it "proves" that my system is intermittent. It does nothing of the kind.

The continuous red line near the bottom of the graph represents the GENTEC venturi power line. The point of the graph is to show that, regardless of slack or null points in the tidal stream, the power output is totally unaffected.

Moving on, David Stephen's letter (12th January) is both perceptive and strangely prophetic and I thank him for his kind comments. I am indeed receiving a lot of interest from abroad and practically nil from this country.

It with this in mind that I challenge David Thomson and his Shetland Renewable Energy Forum to a dual (of words). GENTEC venturi vs wind turbines.

The rules are simple. Both sides can field as many "Champions" as they like, provided the opposing team has the same time to reply. (As a chivalrous gesture, to give the wind turbine lobby a sporting chance, I promise to come alone.)

The debate can be held anywhere of your choosing in Shetland, perhaps with video links to outlying areas, with a secret ballot at the end of proceedings. No quarter given nor expected!

This is a pivotal point in Shetland's history and decisions made now will determine whether the unspoilt splendour that is Shetland remains so.

Yours etc

Andrew H Mackay
Causewayside
Glenaldie
TAIN
Ross-shire
IV19 1NE

01862 892 777
07720 141 332
AHMACKAY@aol.com




14 January 2005


A nation unto itself

ABOUT the Tourism issue: it's such a delicate thing to hear Mr. Irvine of the SIC utter this sentence:

" ....the council is not legally bound to make a financial contribution to the running of VisitScotland".

It has almost something of the same character as the final episodes in the Union between Norway and Sweden in 1905!

The Norwegian government had to react when the Common King - Oscar II - did not give his sanction for the proposal that Norway should have its own Consulate system abroad - a matter of sovereignty and balance between the two nations. This was the breaking issue of the Norwegian-Swedish Union.

The government only had one reaction to the king’s lack of response: to declare that the government was no longer, and the king thus had no Norway under his sceptre, only Sweden! The Constitution of 1814 had to function without this king, and the Storting was bound to seek a new one!

Do you know about the richly decorated letter then sent from Shetland’s "SIC" of those days, to the newly elected Norwegian king, Haakon VII? "We still remember our old language, and welcome Norway to the family of nations". (I have a copy of the text).

A Scottish historian, I don't remember his name, was interviewed in a Norwegian paper a few years ago, and he said: "Shetland is neither Scottish or Norwegian, it is a nation in itself"! Seems that this "nation-building" spook is haunting your Atlantic mini-continent for all it’s worth – what with fisheries, Udal seabeds, windmills and tourism! Seems also that SOUL have a legitimate argument, that is to give Shetland a more distinct position of its own.

I don't think the Shetlanders’ letter of 1906 ever got any answer! Seems that tourism nowadays is somewhat of a mirror of national/ethnic common identity, and a representative of common economic interests in a more public sense than market liberalism will admit, and not least in the regions all over Norden, where regionality more and more is taking over from nationalism. It’s even the EU regional policy of today!

Ironically, Scotland with its new Parliament seems to be the most national of all North-european societies today!

Dag-Ivar Rognerød
drognerod@chello.no




12 January 2005

FIRSTLY I have no association with Mr Mackay and possibly my interpretation may stand correction by him but I venture to suggest that he is in the unfortunate position of being ahead of his time.

His principle, I believe, is basically to use wave/tidal power to generate asynchronous power through venturi turbines and to use this power to heat large storage water tanks - possibly up to mini loch size. In this way his power input varies from maximum at peak flow to nil at slack water but the point being that the power generated is stored by raising water temperature and unlike other renewable energy systems does not have to be synchronised with the National Grid (50HZ). Having many such venturi power systems on buoyant submersible platforms allows for them to be taken out of service at will for maintenance without having dramatic effects on the overall power storage and generation.

This stored power in the form of heated water is then used for synchronous electricity generation/water de-salination etc using conventional heat exchange power generation principles. Whilst the input power may vary from peaks and troughs to even outages the output power generated can be a constant reliable power source which unlike other renewable sources does not require a supply of electricity to get started or it can be used as a power storage facility capable of almost instant supply on demand.

Mr Mackay, in his presentation which I have seen, has done his sums and has proven what appears initially to be an inefficient method of power generation to be the converse and can show that the return on capital and ongoing running costs far outweigh the current renewable thinking. To me, this is the only other form of generation which can be called upon demand - the only comparible system being Hydro storage which allows meeting demand at the turn of a tap in under 20 seconds. With a wind drop or sudden increase in demand from the the grid, the alternatives of bringing on a conventional power station (coal, oil or nuclear) require at least two hours.

Regrettably even Hydro storage systems are under threat now that electricity has become yet another traded commodity with speculation on the price of electricity affecting the generation companies ability to buy cheap electricity overnight to pump store this water for use at peak periods. At present we only generate enough electricity to meet or slightly exceed demand from the grid rather than - and it is not in the interest of these speculators - to have excess power to hand such as the principle behind Mr Mackay's idea.

With the current impending run down in nuclear generation there is going to be a large shortfall in power, and winter power cuts which we have already witnessed can only increase with the increasing demand for power and the run down of nuclear. At the risk of appearing politically incorrect I submit that it is a serious shortcoming on this country that we have not seen to invest in research and development in nuclear energy which is an assured and clean source of power for centuries to come. The current (heavily subsidised) phobia for synchronised wind/tidal generation will fall far short of the requirements and can only result in increased prices to the consumer.

It has been suggested that a windmill with an assumed 25 year lifespan and a generation capability of 60 per cent of the time allowing for low and excess winds, will generate less power than was consumed in its manufacture. Already on mainland Scotland we have dormant windmills which the owners cannot afford to repair well before reaching their 25 year life expectancy.

Quite apart from the tourist impact with such severe blights appearing on the landscape - where is the money miraculously going to appear from to re-instate the Shetland hillsides after they have served their 'useful' lives? You already have mini-eyesores on the island which the authorities already seem to have no control over - do you really want to multiply these?

Though I've suggested he is ahead of his time, I think it would be prudent not to dismiss Mr Mackay's Gentec Venturi system out of hand and certainly not as a joke. I suspect, however, in common with many other British ideas - his will probably realise full scale fruition abroad.

Yours etc

David Stephen
dave@alphamicro.demon.co.uk




10 January 2005


Sir,

In Andrew MacKay's letter of 3 January, he says that the GENTEC venturi system is "non-intermittent" (4th para, last sentence). Surely any scheme that generates power from tidal flow suffers a null twice a day and that must include the GENTEC system. Indeed Mr. Mackay's paper

www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/enterprise/inquiries-04/rei/ec04-reis-greenheatsystem.htm

includes a graph that shows exactly that. The same graph also implies that the GENTEC system can generate at full power when there is no available energy that can be extracted from the tidal flow. Impressive if it could be believed !! Any tidal flow system will need to have some alternative source to supply power to fill in the gaps when the tide turns.

Your sincerely,

Tony Erwood, MIEE
tony@lunnahouse.co.uk




10 January 2005

Sir,

No doubt your readers have been watching the tsunami news reports, stunned at the devastation following the massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra.

A phenomenal amount support has been given by the British public in the form of monetary donations. I am writing to let your readers know about another way they can help - by donating old mobile phones and printer cartridges.

These are items which often end up in the bin, yet they have the potential to raise a massive amount of money. As a representative of Eurosource, a company which specialises in running charity recycling appeals, I want as
many people as possible to know about this innovative fundraising opportunity.

Eurosource has pledged to give cash to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) for every mobile and cartridge which is recycled. As this is the umbrella organisation for various aid agencies, we feel the DEC is best placed to ensure that the funds raised go to those who need them most.

So, readers, if any of you received a new mobile phone for Christmas, I am urging you to donate YOUR OLD ONE to our Tsunami Recycling Appeal". To find out what types of mobiles and cartridges we can recycle, and how much we'll give to the DEC for the items donated, visit www.recyclingappeal.com/tsunami

If you have a mobile phone or printer cartridge to donate, all you have to do is visit the website or call 08712 50 50 50 and ask for a freepost bag for the Tsumami Recycling Appeal - then drop your item in the post.

Yours sincerely

Robert Morton
Corporate Responsibility Executive
Redeem Plc trading as Eurosource Europe
31-37 Etna Road
Middlefield Industrial Centre
Falkirk
Scotland
FK2 9EG
rob.morton@eurosourceeurope.com 



9 January 2005


Sir,

Did I detect a note of panic in David Thomson's letter (4th January 2005) that was written after he had stopped laughing at my GENTEC venturi invention. An invention that will make all wind turbines obsolete over the next few years. The low grade technology euphemistically referred to as wind 'turbines' was quite easy to beat.

Modern society will not function of a plethora of intermittent renewable energy devices without conventional back up generators such as proposed on a small scale on Foula. The point I was making, and missed by Mr Thomson, is that, despite spending about a million Foula will still need diesel generators to provide a secure 24 hour supply of electricity.

Scaling things up to the Shetland Grid and, indeed the National UK Grid, the same principle applies. You need convention backup for when the wind does not blow, when the tides are slack or when the waves are not energetic enough. Pretty obvious stuff.

A quick surf of the Internet reveals that huge tracts of of the last unspoilt wilderness in western Europe are due to be destroyed under the guidance of Mr Thomson's Energy Forum backed up by Mr Henderson who, contrary to Mr Thomson's assertion, is totally in support of all 'known and conventional' forms of renewable energy.

Shetland is well positioned both geographically and logistically to provide over 20GW of base load electricity to Europe and beyond from tidal stream energy alone. Shetlanders can do this by installing a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) link across to Norway and down to the British Mainland. Once Shetland is on this European ring main it can use GENTEC venturi as a means of generating electricity and huge profits for the benefit of all. I calculate that the capital expenditure building the plants and HVDC links will be paid off in under five years from profits.

I have always said that I was prepared to come up to Shetland and give a presentation to any Shetlanders who are open minded to new technology and do not have a vested interest in wind turbines and other intermittent devices.

The Luddite attitude expressed in Mr Thomson's letter and the renewable industry per se is holding back the advancement and credibility of the renewable energy industry and not the other way round as he suggests.

As way of a Post Script can I ask your readers contributing to the Tsunami Appeal to 'ring fence' their donations using the words "GENTEC venturi" on the Gift Aid form. Huge volumes of seawater can be desalinated and cheap electricity generated to help these poor disadvantaged people rebuild their shattered lives.

Yours faithfully,

Andrew H Mackay
AHMACKAY@aol.com

 

4 January 2004


I FEEL I must respond to the letter (advert?) presented by Andrew Mackay on 3 January 2005.

When I had stopped laughing I realised there is a serious point to be made here. It is not always clear what renewable energy concepts are available, usable and reliable or what concepts are theoretical and (currently) impractical. Mr Mackay’s comments that the Foula system will not work because “outputs from the hydro and wind turbines will be intermittent” and that the people of Foula should perhaps cease a well planned, well organised project using a range of established technologies to look instead at a notional tidal device that doesn’t exist yet are, at best, mischievous.

The renewable energy industry is young and its credibility (as well as the credibility of individual renewable energy projects) can still be harmed by the public pronouncements of those who simply haven’t thought about what they are saying.

If only to provide a counterbalance to Mr Mackay’s views, I would note that:

· the renewable resource in Shetland is so good that sources of energy such as wind are productive on reliable levels;

· hydro electricity is a limited, on-demand source of energy. So long as there is water in the reservoir, it can be turned on and off at any time. If its use is sensibly managed then it is unlikely that the reservoir will become empty;

· being generous, the tidal device suggested may turn out to be the best tidal device ever considered and we may one day end up installing them all over the place. That is not much use to the people of Foula who really need something now;

· I know Mr Henderson and I know he is totally in support of all forms of renewable energy. I suspect any preferences towards particular devices for the Foula project were more influenced by the availability of working examples;

· there are grants for R&D and there are grants for infrastructure. Foula is an infrastructure project, not an R&D project. The money the Foula project may get from grant bodies would not automatically be otherwise available to spend on a prototype tidal device;

· 900KW exported to the mainland could never economically justify the quoted £5m price tag required to provide a cable to do so. Erroneous presumptions of this magnitude lead me to question the other claims and aspects associated with this device.

While I am sure Malcolm Miller and his team are more than capable of defending their project, it should be recorded that most people do not think the Foula power scheme will fail.

Yours,
David Thomson
Chairman – Shetland Renewable Energy Forum
david@burradale.co.uk




3 January 2005

Hans,

This proposed scheme for Foula will not work. It will not replace the diesel generators because the outputs from the hydro and wind turbines will be intermittent. (Wind turbines cannot be regarded as a "substitute" for diesel generators.)

If the residents of Foula, and indeed all of Shetland, want electricity 24 hours per day for every day of the year from a renewable energy source then they should take a serious look at GENTEC venturi.

GENTEC venturi is the ONLY renewable energy system that is capable of providing electricity at full capacity from the one location 24 hour per day in temperate zones (OTEC in the Tropics can do this)

I told somebody called Maurice Henderson about two years ago about GENTEC venturi when some wind farm scheme was proposed and even offered to come up to Shetland to explain how GENTEC venturi worked. He did not take me up on this offer, presumably because he thinks that intermittent forms of renewable energy are far better than non-intermittent GENTEC venturi!

Anyway, you do not have to take my word for it. Please feel free to squander your grant money on photo-voltaics, micro-hydro and wind turbines. When you discover that you will be relying on diesel generators just about as much as you are now you will not have any more funds to invest in GENTEC venturi.

One single 1MW GENTEC venturi plant costing less than £1,000,000 will generate at full capacity for up to eight years at a time without scheduled interruption for care and maintenance. The surplus 900kW capacity could be exported to the Shetland Grid

Can your cobbled together "hybrid" scheme beat that? I think not!

Regards,
Andrew H Mackay
AHMACKAY@aol.com