IN the column, “Time to regain trust, integrity”, Piet Naude says that in caring for the environment the biggest challenge would be alternative energy (“Is nuclear power the right choice for SA?”, The Herald, August 27). Of course generation of electricity by coal has its pollution problems, so what about this less polluting idea found in http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/hemp.htm on the internet:

In New South Wales, Australia, the Minister of Energy told the parliament they should consider burning confiscated hemp to produce electricity. “It burns at extremely high temperature, produces a lot of power and is cheaper (and much cleaner) to burn than coal.”

Canada and most European and Asian nations permit hemp cultivation. Growing hemp does not mean legalising marijuana.

The variety used industrially does not contain much THC, the major psychoactive chemical that some people like to smoke. – Eddie Miller, Central Hill, Port Elizabeth