I BELIEVE that wind power is essential if we are to combat the negative environmental effects of global warming. Carbon dioxide (CO) is the most important of the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

In the UK we currently emit 560 tonnes of CO every year. If we are to avoid dangerous levels of climate change we must cut out CO emissions by 80-90 per cent over the next 100 years.

That means switching to forms of energy generation that do not produce CO. Wind power is a clean, renewable form of energy, which during operation produces no carbon dioxide. It also emits no sulphur dioxide, the cause of acid rain.

There are very strong arguments that wind turbines spoil the visual appearance of the landscape. This is always a subjective argument anyway. While some people express concern about the effect wind turbines have on the beauty of our landscape, others see them as symbols of a cleaner, less polluted future. Being visible is not necessarily the same as being intrusive.

Wind turbines appearing on our horizon pose no pollution problem and in fact are beneficial by providing a practical, clean and renewable solution to our power needs. Wind turbines also have the advantage that they can be easily removed from the landscape at the end of their lives.

The cost of generating electricity by wind power has fallen dramatically over the past few years. Wind power can now produce electricity at a cheaper price than the heavily-subsidised nuclear power industry in the UK. When the full costs of the environmental damage caused by fossil fuels and nuclear power are taken into account, wind power is seen to be even more economically viable.

IAN DIXON, Grange Street, Clayton-le-Moors.