Geoffrey Osborn, of Blackawton, writes: Academy News, Dartmouth Chronicle, February 6, had as usual an impressive range of subjects for the students to ­display their ­journalistic skills. In particular, on the subject of wind turbines, I can well understand students' real ­concern about climate change and sea-level rise. As one of the 'turbine ­detractors' referred to, I do share these concerns, but my objection is to large-scale ­turbines such as those currently proposed at Capton and Dittisham, and probably with two more proposed at West Norton Farm, because of their major impact on the landscape. The real challenge, for young and old, is to weigh up all the many other factors that come into play, alongside the undoubted need for a greater proportion of our energy to be generated from renewable sources. Principally, we are very ­fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world; so beautiful, in fact, that 50 years ago the Government sought fit to designate a large part of South Devon as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. AONBs are supposed to receive the same level of protection, in planning terms, as national parks. But if familiarity makes us take them for granted, and we think that a few large wind ­turbines here and there, or a few dozen hectares of solar panels here and there, will have no effect, then we do so at our peril. Research carried out by the John Muir Trust has shown that tourists will be less likely to visit, or to return to, areas that have been spoilt by such ­industrial-type structures. Tourism is the lifeblood of South Devon and the livelihoods of those who depend on it must be protected. Then there is the cost of producing the turbines, in terms of carbon fuels. Also, research in Spain shows that turbines are responsible for the deaths of many birds, of all species, large and small. The same is true for bats, for which parts of our locality have international ­protection. Turbines are noisy, a particular nuisance for those living close by, who may also have to endure shadow flicker. Turbines have been know to collapse in high winds. As for the farmers, after many years of working in rural land management, I also have sympathy with their plight. Many have to look to diversify into other enterprises to try to make ends meet. But I believe that it is inflated government subsidies that are encouraging farmers to 'industrialise' the land. Otherwise they would only be erecting small-scale turbines, such as those admirable ones that exist at the academy, or at Sainsbury's, for example. They would be ­putting solar panels on the roofs of their modern farm buildings, or on their houses – as I have – instead of putting solar panels in their fields, which should be used to grow crops or graze livestock. Or they would be investing in self-sufficient anaerobic digestion plants to produce electricity from animal waste. We need to do all these things. We need to advance the ­technology for generating electricity from other renewable sources. There is wave power, a never-ending source of energy in South Devon; hydroelectricity; air-source and ground-source heat pumps: these are the real challenges for the academy's engineering ­students to investigate. Find the ingenuity to generate renewable energy without spoiling the landscape, and continuously, not just when the wind blows or the sun shines.