MADAM, Thank you for publishing Judy Hamilton's concern about wind turbines. I think her worries are ill-directed and probably wrong. The Atlantic Disarray website describes the proposals "as the wrong technology, at the wrong site, at the wrong time". Taken alone, this sounds pretty conclusive. When you ask what should the alternative be? The answer you get is tidal power, with a barrage.

Not many places exactly match Strangford Lough with its awesome tidal flow. A case has been made for a barrage between Newport and Portishead that would make the ports of Bristol and Avonmouth history. That would tame the Severn Bore, with positive long term benefits and also give forecastable generation relative to high tides, twice a day, every day of the year. Note 'spare electricity' can be effectively stored now. This claim is not 'hot air'. Similar geography created the La Rance barrage in Brittany 40 years ago, and they are still benefitting from their investment.

As for windfarms, off shore is much better than land based, and while we are still open-cast mining to burn fossil fuel, any spare clean renewable is to be welcomed for all our children's sake.

Ralph H Wadge, Ross