I HAVE followed the discussion on the pros and cons of renewable energy with interest. And while there has been much debate on the relative costs and efficiency of various alternatives, your correspon-dents have missed some crucial points.

We face a number of significant changes in the coming decades that, while the impacts are now difficult to predict, have the potential to radically undermine our current way of life.

Scientific opinion now recognises that climate change is happening at what appears to be an accelerating rate.

Rising sea levels will see low lying areas of the district suffering from repeated flooding, and as temperatures rise we will see local plant and animal species come under severe pressure with some facing local extinction.

As fossil fuels reach peak production and then go into decline, not only will we see further increases like those recently in gas prices, but as the prices rise the local and national economy will suffer.

At the university When Will The Lights Go Out' conference last year there was one idea that speakers from all sides of the debate agreed on - and that was that we don't have the ability to generate our way out of the mess we are in by wind, solar, hydro or even nuclear power.

What is needed is a concerted effort on energy conservation and energy efficiency to bring down energy demand.

So before anybody considers solar panels or a wind turbine on their roof they should take the simple and very cost effective measures of increasing the levels of insulation in their houses, draft stripping their doors and windows and demanding energy efficient appliances whenever they replace anything.

Cllr Chris Coates, Lancaster.