Alfred E. Zammit has done it again. Every statement in his renewed attack on wind energy (May 25) is wrong or based upon misquotation, distortion or exaggeration.

Even if Mr Zammit chooses to ignore the serious environmental and health consequences of prolonging Malta's total dependence on fossil fuel, the stark economic facts are these: All easily available reserves of oil will be consumed in the coming decades. This process will be accelerated by the escalating demand from emerging countries, especially China. With a decline in oil production, the scenario is one of spiralling oil prices - this is already happening. Wind costs nothing and soon wind energy will become more economical as technological advances continue to decrease the cost of investing in wind power.

In the face of all this we have a number of Luddite individuals who are opposing Malta's first investment in energy generation from renewable sources. They insist on sticking to smoke emitting power stations which will soon be running on liquid gold which nobody will be able to afford. At the same time they seem totally oblivious of the price to be paid by our environment and our health through sole dependence on fossil fuel.

In this context, it was disturbing to read, for instance, that Evarist Bartolo is still opposed to land-based wind farms (May 12). It is hardly comforting that he now suggests offshore wind turbines since these are almost certainly a non-starter in Malta. Our surrounding seas are too deep and costs would be prohibitive. Why can't we give one small land-based wind farm a try? The disturbance to the countryside is minimal especially when the foundations are based in solid rock. Besides, the wind farm can be removed without trace after its useful life-span of about 20 years if it is superseded by other renewable energy technologies.

Now to some points in Mr Zammit's letter:

1) It is absolutely wrong to claim that our power station will burn fuel less efficiently if used in tandem with a wind farm. This is irrespective of whether steam turbines are used alone or with additional flexible or combined gas turbine cycles. Steam turbines are flexible enough to cope with the fluctuations in base load demand (and fluctuations in supply from wind farms) at times of normal/low demand. Whether the gas turbines are on standby (i.e. switched off) or in operation (in response to peaks in demand) makes no difference.

2) In terms of noxious emissions, the savings to the environment by the projected wind farm will be even greater than previously stated. Based on the equivalent amount of electricity generated by Enemalta's oil-based electricity generating turbines, the projected wind farm will decrease the annual emission of toxic gases into our atmosphere by the following amounts: 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 115 tons of sulphur, 231 tons of sulphur dioxide and 30 tons of nitrogen oxide per year. The contribution to the environment from our first wind farm will not save the world, it will be just a long awaited start for Malta. As everybody knows, Confucius said: "A long journey starts with one step".

3) To support his (false) assertion that the US had "given up on wind energy", Mr Zammit triumphantly quotes an extract from Anne Zammit's environment article on The Sunday Times (April 25) about the US failing to establish a clear wind energy policy. This quotation was out of context, just a few lines up in this very same article, one reads the following: "World leaders in wind power include Germany, the United States, Spain, Austria, and India, each with more than 1,000 megawatts". Who is Mr Zammit trying to fool? The US actually increased its wind-generated electricity producing capacity by a whopping 36.1 per cent between 2002 and 2003. Is this consistent with "giving up on wind energy"?

4) Whether wind farms are "eyesores" etc., is a matter of opinion. Public attitude surveys consistently show that local support for wind energy increases following construction of wind farms, once people experience the operation of a wind farm for themselves. Contrary to what Mr Zammit implies, there will be no permanent damage to our terrain if Malta invests in wind energy in the interim since wind turbines can be removed without trace when other methods of exploiting renewable energy become feasible and affordable.

5) According to Mr Zammit, "attempts to minimise the threat to birds posed by wind turbines... demonstrate the contrary". Strange reasoning again. The true facts and statistics from several reliable sources indicate beyond doubt that far more birds are killed by colliding with motor vehicles, plate glass windows, power lines, communication towers, etc., than by colliding with wind turbines. This is not minimising - it is the truth.

6) Whatever Mr Zammit may say, the RSPB made it clear that it supports wind farms provided they do not threaten important bird populations and habitats because the damage from climate change will ultimately pose a greater threat to bird life than wind farms.

In conclusion, what the competent authorities (and Mr Zammit) must ponder is this:

1) The level of pollution in Malta is reaching crisis levels (and this includes pollution from motor vehicles).

2) Climate change due to pollution and greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion is already making itself felt and most predictions are that it could ultimately be catastrophic.

3) The price of oil will inevitably increase steeply over the coming years as demand outstrips supply.

4) Sooner or later oil will run out.

In the face of all this, it is imperative that we establish alternative supplementary sources of energy before fossil fuel energy becomes too expensive or too harmful. Currently the best available option is wind energy.

Does Mr Zammit seriously recommend the insanity of persisting in our 100 per cent dependence on fossil fuels? Can he propose a viable alternative to wind farms? Nuclear power maybe?

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