THE recent letter from Bettina Becker, of Friends of the Earth puts forward a list of praiseworthy ambitions, but this is no more than a list of pious hopes,with which, I am sure, no one would disagree.

But there is no attempt to define how they are to be attained.

However, in contrast to Cornwall, Wales is much better placed to do something about it.

We are a country of rivers and lakes, and plentiful rainfall, not to mention tidal ranges that exceed most of the rest of the British coastline.

Lakes represent stored power, rivers power to be harnessed, and tides that are flowing one way or the other, at some time, all around the Welsh coast.

We already have a working hydro-electric installation in Dinorwig, much more flexible in operation, and less polluting, than coal or atomic, and now, thirty years on, we are planning another one.

About time too.

There are literally hundreds of disused water mill sites on our rivers and lakes.

It just needs an initiative from the government, much less wasteful of money than this grandiose Swansea tidal lagoon, or, for that matter the Hinkley Point fiasco, to get things moving, and cheap electricity could be produced, if not for the whole of Wales, then for a large part of it.

If roof-top solar panels can be integrated into the National Grid, then I am sure small local hydro units could be too. Incidentally, as I finish this letter, I see that there is an item on the television showing a farmer in Wales who has harnessed a small stream to provide power for his farm. So it can be done.

TONY WARD

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