Sir, – Ed Davey’s suggestion that there “should be no more exploration” of North Sea oil and gas shows a complete misunderstanding of how oil and gas production works and will ring alarm bells among the hundreds of thousands of people working in this industry.
Continued drilling and exploration doesn’t increase production – everyone in this sector knows you need to constantly add new wells just to stand still.
These types of ill-informed comments are unhelpful, wrong and undermine an industry not only committed to net-zero, but also accelerating crucial greener technologies like hydrogen and carbon capture needed to achieve it.
Michael Tholen, OGUK.
Read more about Sir Ed Davey’s comments here.
New Pittodrie will keep money in city
Sir, – I can understand where George S Morrison is coming from about the movement of Pittodrie up the road to the beach front.
But if he looks at it as the community stadium that it would become, to be used for more than football, it would attract money from sports bodies towards the building of it.
Dave Cormack would be happy, as Pittodrie is past its best and would cost just as much to get it up to standard as building a new stadium at Westhill.
Not only that, it would improve the beach front and keep money spent by supporters within Aberdeen.
Ian Gray, Viewhill Cottage, Mosstowie, Elgin.
Reality check for us all at COP26
Sir, – I disagree with Greta Thunberg. COP26 has been a success.
Huge mainstream and social media coverage reached beyond the middle class bubble and delivered a reality check for all.
It’s now clear that unless the main polluters, Russia, India and China, engage and act, we in the UK are suckers. The cost of transition is staggering with no idea how it will be financed. There is no consensus on the best technologies to adopt.
In Scotland the SNP has consistently missed its inflated, headline-seeking targets on renewable jobs, recycling, wildlife and emissions, and now at loggerheads with its Green partners on Cambo, carbon capture, funding and transport.
That these issues are now in public discourse is a positive outcome and will hopefully end the smug, chauffeur driven “we know what’s best for you” attitude of past years. They clearly don’t.
Allan Sutherland, Willow Row, Stonehaven.
Train to Inverness departed on time
Sir, – Last Saturday an overcrowded early evening train from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, all two coaches of it, reached Aberdeen eight minutes late, leaving two minutes for passengers to reach the advertised connection for Elgin and Inverness.
About 10 crushed passengers, including some seniors, ran as fast as we could along platform six to witness the station attendant blow her whistle and wave her flag. We were yards away from the Inverness train which departed on time, leaving us to gape in astonishment and anticipate a full hour and 38 minutes to experience the joys of central Aberdeen on a Saturday night, before the next and last northbound train departure.
No station supervisor was available and no attempt was made to provide alternative transport.
The situation is not unusual at Aberdeen or Perth stations.
Is it perhaps time for a public inquiry into the operation and management of Scotland’s railways?
Alan Buchan, Seafield Street, Cullen.
SNP getting the blame
Sir, – I am sure your reader Dennis Forbes Grattan believes that Nicola Sturgeon, our elected SNP leader, is responsible for every calamity or misfortune that happens in Scotland. Obviously he is not an SNP supporter but fortunately a good many of us are. I do wish he could find some other bandwagon to jump on and stop berating the SNP.
Gordon Bowie
Kids lose out over concerts
Sir, – Different rules for government officials and schoolchildren and their parents concerning Christmas concerts.
Why is it the teachers and education authorities let the children go ahead and practise these shows when probably they were pre-warned concerts were not going ahead with parents etc attending?
I may be wrong, perhaps the education authorities didn’t know about it.
It would be interesting to hear from someone at Aberdeen City Council’s education offices.
It’s ridiculous that government officials make their own rules to suit themselves and don’t worry who suffers, especially where it concerns the children.
Joe Durno