Why is Britain being denied the opportunity in this crisis to develop its own gas supplies?

SIR – In view of the massive rise in gas prices and the lack of storage capacity, why have the bureaucrats in office refused Shell permission to develop its Jackdaw gas field in the North Sea?

No amount of woolen sweaters will keep my nose warm during the cold and humid winter if I can’t afford to warm myself.

Jean Procter
Poole, Dorset

SIR – In all the green babbling about shutting down the gas heat, little has been said about any gas stoves that will need to be replaced if gas stops flowing to homes.

Do we have the capacity to replace the hundreds of thousands of these stoves? Can we afford to do this after paying for the changes to electric-only heat?

Richard W Turner
Nazeing, Essex

SIR – “Natural gas prices fell sharply on Wednesday as Vladimir Putin pledged to increase supplies in Europe” – if Germany grants a license to the new Nord Stream gas pipeline (Business, October 6).

Of course, Mr Putin uses his gas reserves as a geopolitical weapon. He must laugh at the naivety of Germany and the failure of the United States to pursue sanctions against its completion.

Why invest billions in a new pipeline when there is already one doing its job perfectly? It is simply a matter of depriving Ukraine of a much-needed source of income, which will undermine the country’s economic stability and allow Mr Putin to pursue his interests to regain control.

Hopefully no license will be granted until the new coalition government is passed in Germany, with the prospect that the Greens and Free Democrats will oppose it.

Dr Ian Ward
Hartley, Kent

SIR – Thanks to British and European politicians pushing so hard and fast for the elimination of fossil fuels in order to slow or stop climate change, Vladimir Putin has, without firing a shot, taken control of the European and British economies.

Mr Putin has been helped somewhat by China, which, while claiming to reduce its consumption of coal, is buying liquid gas as fast as it can.

The policy of phasing out fossil fuels seeks to do so too quickly, and until lost energy sources are replaced, it will condemn Britain and Europe to years of misery. For Britain, more North Sea gas and shale oil, as well as more renewable energy sources, could help us hold out until the mini nuclear reactors are operational.

Nigel Randall
Bourton-on-the-Water, Gloucestershire

SIR – It is easy to find energy companies that claim to provide 100% renewable electricity. Now these companies are using rising gas prices as an excuse to raise their prices. You would be forgiven for thinking that they lied from the start.

Geoff moore
Alness, Ross and Cromarty

SIR – When is Tesco going to start leveling up by charging the same prices in its local One Stop stores as it does in its supermarkets – thus encouraging local purchases and reducing car journeys?

Chris penney
Wellington, Somerset

Lovers of containment

SIR – Government doctors who pushed the lockdowns last winter are predicting a severe flu epidemic this winter due to the lack of natural immunity resulting from the lockdown (October 8 report).

Their answer: we may need another lockdown. How can that mean something?

Dr Fiona Underhill
Woodford Green, Essex

Kill the pain, not the patients

SIR – Lord Hunt of Kings Heath has described some of the dangers that would result from the passage of the Assisted Dying Bill (October 4 Commentary). This includes being requested by vulnerable patients who fear becoming a burden or who are under pressure from those who might win when they die.

However, the most disturbing consequence of effectively allowing physicians to kill their patients, regardless of the restrictions put in place, is the impact it will have on the medical profession itself and the relationship of patients with their physicians.

I am an 88 year old female recently diagnosed with kidney cancer. The only sure cure would be kidney removal, which my doctors are reluctant to recommend because of the high risks that such a major operation entails for a person my age.

Three months ago I had an operation in which the surgeon managed to destroy the existing tumor. I have to do the same procedure again in a few days. The hope is that the cancer has not come back or, if it has, that it can be successfully treated again. My doctors consider that having this procedure at regular intervals is a better option for me.

In the face of such decisions, it is essential that I can trust the doctors to respect and support me, and to provide me with any necessary ameliorative treatment, and that I don’t think killing me is the way to go. best way to deal with my problems. If euthanasia was legal, it would totally undermine my confidence in doctors.

We have seen in other countries what happens when the concept of “lives not worth living” is accepted. The stated conditions necessary for carrying out euthanasia are questioned, stretched or ignored. In the state of Oregon, where a law similar to the bill introduced by Baroness Meacher has been in place for a few years, the reason given for 60% of cases conducted is the fear of becoming a burden.

As doctors get used to administering a deadly drug, their duty of care to their patients is distorted. They no longer strive to make their last days painless and comfortable. This care takes time and resources.

As Dame Cicely Saunders, a pioneer in palliative care, said: “To kill the pain, you don’t have to kill the patient.

Anne-Blanche
Walberton, West Sussex

The Prime Minister’s mistaken facts

About Coy Lewallen

Check Also

Former duo Cherries named in England’s World Cup squad

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.