THE juxtaposition of three items in The Press of November 16 gives cause for thought. David Hinde’s letter opposes large wind turbines near Staxton, while Mark Stead reports a rejection by City of York Council of a small turbine at Wheldrake.

Both objections are mainly about spoiling the look of the countryside. Yet elsewhere, you report that North Yorkshire County Council has to find £1.8 million to pay for damage caused by last September’s flooding. That was just one month, and we all know that the extreme weather that caused the floods is getting more frequent because of climate change.

We all know, too, that burning fossil fuels is a major cause of climate change and that renewable energy is the only way to escape our fatal carbon addiction. While wind power isn’t the only renewable energy source, it’s the biggest one with the ability now to quickly cut fossil fuel dependency. Those who dislike the appearance of wind turbines are entitled to their opinion: beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But I would ask those who object how they propose to help all of us escape the worst effects of runaway climate change?

Mark Gladwin, Huntington Road, York.