10/01/06

One option would be prompt closure of the airports. This could buy us critical time for the new strain to be understood and countered. For this to be a realistic option it has to be publicised well in advance.

Travellers abroad need to be made aware that they do so at their own risk of being stranded rather than bring back bird flu.

Those not prepared to make their own way home in slow time without an airliner need to recognise that they are no better than day-trippers and shouldn't delude themselves that they have the stuff of world travellers.

It is said that visiting the beaches of Thailand is now a right of passage for our young people, but it seems rather an insipid initiation that requires only a credit card to complete.

We have a track record of caving in to the special pleadings of those immediately affected by a problem and ignoring the interests of those who will be affected if the problem is not handled more objectively.

We have done this with Aids and with drugs. If we are to avoid doing the same with bird flu we must deny travellers the argument that they weren't warned. - John Riseley, Harrogate.

HOROSCOPES

I HAVE always regarded The Northern Echo as a responsible newspaper, so I was dismayed to see in a recent edition virtually a full page devoted to 'the stars'.

I realise that it is very much the fashion for newspapers to publish horoscopes and, perhaps, for many people, this is a harmless bit of fun. But there are folk who take this sort of rubbish seriously and these are, very often, among the more vulnerable members of society. - Peter Elliott, Eaglescliffe.

TORY PARTY

THE new Tory leader does not take me in for one minute by his attempts to give that party a new image.

This is the party whose economic incompetence produced not one but two massive and long lasting recessions, which had a devastating effect on the North-East both economically and socially, with the destruction of huge amounts of our traditional industry.

When they were in power the Tories gave us 15 per cent interest rates, which led to suffering for millions of homeowners throughout Britain, and David Cameron was a leading government advisor at that time.

The Tories claim to be the tax cutting party but when they were in power the only people who benefited were the rich, as the tax burden was switched to VAT which affects the less well off the most.

And it should be remembered that crime increased 100 per cent between 1979 and 1997 when they were in power so the Tories can't claim to be the party of law and order either.

Overwhelmingly, the Tories are led by wealthy, privately educated men from the south east of England.

The Tories remain the political party which represents the interests of the rich, the powerful, and the privileged. - Paul Rivers, Wallsend.

DISABLED TOILETS

A FEW weeks ago I wrote to The Northern Echo about the lack of toilets in the town centre, especially about the ones in the Cornmill which were being refitted.

Because of this I could not use the disabled toilets, but I managed to use some toilets nearby.

Anyway, one week later when I was at the Cornmill, again the toilets for the abled bodied were working but those for the disabled were out of order.

Come on Darlington Council, I thought you were disabled friendly. One lot of these toilets is no good to serve the disabled people who shop in the town every day of the week. It just goes to show how unfriendly you are at the town council. - Stephen Beaton, Darlington.

EARLY RELEASE

THIS is a copy of my letter to Tony Blair.

I have recently become aware of the disquiet amongst 'the man in the street' re the early release of criminals.

I include two letters published recently in your local paper, The Northern Echo.

The powers that be are getting it terribly wrong far too often and I suggest the system needs changing completely, ie let the judges mete out the appropriate sentences, which would be the minimum time to be served.

Then add on a period of time which could be deducted pro-rata depending on behaviour etc.

Then the public and the victim would be assured the perpetrator served a sentence to fit the crime, and the detainee would have an incentive to behave and prove his/her readiness to be rehabilitated into mainstream society.

Mr Blair, I assure you, this is what your people want. We are aware the present system is failing us, are you? - David Waring, Brompton.

SCOTTISH OIL

ENGLISH Nationalists have had a lot to say about Scottish domination of the high offices of state.

Maybe talent had something to do with it.

They also point out that more money is paid per head to the people of Scotland than is paid to English citizens.

I would urge these narrow minded nationalists to think hard how England would fare without Scottish oil and gas, not to forget whiskey. - Hugh Pender, Darlington.

WIND TURBINES

RE J Routledge's letter (HAS, Dec 28) I, too, am a professional engineer, having trained as an electrical engineer and now earning my living as a nuclear engineer.

Most of Mr Routledge's arguments about voltage are meaningless. The various voltages used are a matter of engineering economics, and it is often cheaper to generate at one voltage, distribute at another, then consume at another still.

The main problem with wind turbines, apart from visual effects, is their unpredictability. Will there be enough wind when everyone makes a cup of tea during the adverts in Coronation Street?

The Met Office records show that there have been periods when there has been no useable wind over the entire country so, as there is no economic way of storing huge amounts of energy, we need to have non-wind sources available, consuming fuel while idling, to take up the slack.

While wind power is a small proportion of the country's supply it can be a valuable supplement, allowing us to 'throttle back' gas-fired stations or bring them back on load as the wind drops. The problems then are the ones of control. Engineers can solve these, given the money, of course!

The Northern Echo mentions the six turbines erected by Nissan, they cost £2.3m, second hand, and only supply five per cent of the plant. Do the people of Sunderland want another 120 of the same size just for one plant? I think not.

Wind turbines are a great supplement but cannot become a major power source for this country, despite what the politicians say. - Anthony Foster, Peterlee.