YOUR recent reporting of the problems with shelling around the nuclear power plant in Ukraine highlight why nuclear power production around the world needs to be wound down.

With hypersonic missiles now developed which are difficult to destroy and are very accurate, as well as terrorism, any strikes on these sites could be devastating.

There is, of course, the well known problems of nuclear waste.

The government is committed to more nuclear sites and mini nuclear plants around the country as well as fracking which should be avoided.

Fracking is like playing Russian roulette where water contamination and tremors are concerned.

Even geologists and engineers cannot predict everything and get things wrong – so we are bound to get our fingers burned in the process if it is restarted.

We need to continue with renewables which have come a long way in the past few years while reducing the need for energy itself.

The Conservatives have watered down energy efficiency in new homes and businesses under pressure from construction companies but need to be a lot tougher including having solar panels in buildings.

They also need to provide more finance for insulating old ones.

The populations in most countries, including our own, need to decrease in order for this to be more sustainable long term also.

There is never a more obvious time than now to stop the unnecessary HS2 railway line and place a windfall tax on some of the extra funds that the energy companies have accumulated, in order to mitigate some of the effects on communities when the public is asked to pay back the extra borrowed money that is going to be given in the next possible two years or more.

COLIN GRIMLEY

Stevenson Avenue, Bournemouth