10:25am Monday 15th March 2010
I REFER to Monica Cann’s letter ‘What oil danger?’ (Your Say, March 9). I think she is completely missing the point. Yes, we all use palm oil. However, we don’t choose how and where it is grown.
If it is used for powering an electrical plant many thousands of acres are needed – currently in places like New Guinea where it is depriving the locals of the farmland they need to survive.
Then it is transported thousands of miles, costing thousands of tons of diesel, which actually makes this form of power’s emissions higher than fossil fuel.
Add to all of this the fact that the United Nations designated this part of the world a World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coastline from Old Harry Rocks to Exmouth).
Imagine the sightseeing trip – ‘and here, just left of Henry VIII’s castle, a smoke-spewing power plant’. Unfortunately, Weymouth and Portland Borough Council see pound signs just like every other selfish business. Portland should have its own council and listen to the majority support for the no palm protests.
Monica will find out at the next demo that support for this is higher than she thinks.
Mike Biggs Reforne Portland
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