Your front-page headline states "Swinney claims nuclear victory", but it could just as easily read "SNP dodges hard decisions on Scotland's future energy needs" (January 11). No-one "loves" nuclear power - you never hear anyone saying "A nuclear station at the bottom of the road? Oh, goody!" - but to rule out, forever, the use of nuclear energy as part of the essential mix of energy delivery is reckless and irresponsible in the extreme. To take the decision on the basis of pure ideological prejudice, as the SNP has done, is unforgivable. It shows that Mr Swinney is more concerned about the fundamentalists in his party than about producing a balanced energy plan for the future of the country There are undeniable problems with nuclear generation, including decommissioning and the disposal of waste, and these should not be underplayed. However, for the sake of the planet we need to find alternatives to fossil fuels, and nuclear is "green" in that it does not contribute to global warming in the same way as oil or coal. Projections for existing green alternatives show that they are entirely insufficient to cover the gap in energy needs as current nuclear capacity is run down. It must be asked: how does Mr Swinney propose to power the country and its industry in the medium term if he does not intend to utilise all available technologies to do so? What are his proposals for when the lights go out?

You do not have to be an enthusiast for nuclear power to realise that, at the moment, there is no realistic alternative. If we want to keep the country up and running, which must surely be the priority of any sensible government, we cannot afford to ignore one of the most reliable and greenest sources of power, whatever the known problems. As a wise old friend once said to me: "I'm not all that fond of nuclear power, but I'm not very keen on warm beer, either."

Alex Gallagher, 12 Phillips Avenue, Largs.

In your front-page article you focus on the strong stance the Scottish Government has taken in refusing to allow a new generation of nuclear power stations to be built in Scotland.

Scotland and the rest of the UK could meet their energy needs and combat climate change without resorting to nuclear power. Nuclear is a polluting and expensive distraction from the real action required by politicians to tackle climate change.

The Scottish Government is absolutely right to continue to reject nuclear power and we are disappointed that UK ministers have not done likewise. This reckless decision must not be allowed to undermine continued support for renewables and other sensible solutions to climate change here in Scotland.

We can meet ambitious targets for tackling climate change by using the many clean, safe energy alternatives that already exist. Research by WWF has found that it is feasible and affordable for the UK to cut its CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050, without using new nuclear power.

Scotland has a tremendous opportunity to develop renewable energy which is safer, cleaner and quicker than nuclear. However, to ensure we make progress here, it is vital the Scottish Government brings forward a robust Scottish climate Bill, containing annual statutory emissions reductions targets of at least 3% and including emissions from aviation and shipping.

Dr Dan Barlow, Acting Director, WWF Scotland, Dunkeld.

John Robertson's claim that we need nuclear (Letters, January 9) to combat rising fuel prices is nonsense.

Nuclear is not cheap. It is very expensive to build nuclear power stations and the price of uranium to run them is increasing. The cost of decommissioning and waste disposal is also rising at a high rate.

When nuclear was being built by previous nationalised industries it was very heavily subsidised. The cost of decommissioning and waste disposal and insurance had to be handled by the state. When Scottish nuclear was denationalised it needed a £2bn subsidy before it could be sold off.

It is interesting that it has always been Unionist parties which have been keen to impose nuclear energy on Scotland.

Kerr MacGregor, 31 Temple Village, Midlothian.