SIR—At the birth of nuclear power, claims were made that there would soon be no need for electricity meters. I suggest your protestations for micropower may also be a little premature (“The electric revolution”, August 5th). Even when everyone has their own microgenerator, back-up access to wired electricity will still be needed and the wires will still need to be paid for.


Cradley, Herefordshire

SIR—As long as natural gas is available, micropower systems are reasonable. However, natural gas cannot come close to meeting the requirements. The hope that hydrogen will fit the bill is not correct, since hydrogen is not a source of energy; it is simply a method of getting energy from one place to another. Hydrogen must be generated from water, which will require electricity. Micropower systems have a niche, but some other scheme must be devised to replace the electric energy we now get from nuclear power and coal.


Old Town, Maine

SIR—You ignore two key factors regarding micropower. First, not only is distributed generation cleaner and more efficient, but to make it work requires elaborate electronic-control systems that will result in the commercialisation of the electronic home and business. Using Internet-based technologies, consumers will be able to manage their demand more efficiently with clear and present price signals. This could be the biggest benefit of decentralised energy production.

Second, the price of natural gas is likely to rise to match demand. Natural-gas prices have doubled in America over the last year. As gas prices go up, the efficiency of fuel cells and microturbines will also have to rise for them to remain competitive.


Washington, DC

SIR—You assert that central power stations would lose out to small local power producers in a free market without subsidies. In Scandinavia, a recent opening of the market has had the opposite effect. Due to large overcapacity in power generation, the central hydroelectric, nuclear and fossil-fired power stations are now competing in a free market. They receive no subsidies, are taxed, and some have had to close. The small, local combined-heat-and-power stations and wind turbines do receive subsidies in order to survive in competition with the big power stations.


Horsholm, Denmark

SIR—I am sorry to note that you have fallen for a fake Lincoln quotation (“Washington, Babylon?” July 29th). He never said, “As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow.” No one has been able to authenticate the quote, and John G. Nicolay, a private secretary to Lincoln and co-author with John Hay of a formidable ten-volume Lincoln biography, called it a bald, unblushing forgery. I might add that I wish Lincoln had said those prescient words.


New York

SIR—You say that “a less wonkish president might have urged South Africans to sleep around less and use condoms more” (“Thabo Mbeki, micro-manager”, July 15th). In fact, Mr Mbeki has been in the forefront of the public battle to change lifestyles to avert AIDS. He is never seen in public without his anti-AIDS lapel badge. He has constantly urged the use of condoms (including making a celebrated send-off remark to guests at a function: “drive carefully and use a condom”). Toilets in government offices overflow with proffered condoms. The local airline even serves tarts carrying the anti-AIDS emblem—an apt if not over-appetising prandial reminder. Is all this wonkish?

Arguably, Mr Mbeki has given the subject of HIV and AIDS more dedicated personal attention than any other head of state. And what thanks does he get? He is accused widely and wrongly of taking sides; you allege he is listening to eccentric and discredited scientists, and wrestling with fringe theories. No, he has not taken sides. He is trying to arrive at the best way to fight the AIDS war in the particular conditions of his country and his continent.


Cape Town

SIR—Your review of “The Invention of the Restaurant: Paris and Modern Gastronomic Culture” (“France's other revolution”, August 5th) refers to the author illuminating the origins of deliberately incomprehensible menu listings with an example: “pigeon à la crapaudine (literally, a kind of sheep disease—anyone?).”

While crapaud can now have a number of meanings (principally toad but also street urchin, flaw, low armchair, baby grand piano and indeed a veterinary malady) and crapaudine can also have a number of meanings (toadstone, iron wort, grating/strainer and socket), à la crapaudine means cut open and grilled—the equivalent of the word spatchcock. This method of preparing and cooking can be found in “Le Grand Dictionnaire de la Cuisine” by Alexandre Dumas père. As for sheep, it may come as no surprise that Dumas also gives a recipe for hachis de mouton à la mousquetaire.



SIR—You credit the origins of the restaurant to France in the late 18th century. I do not wish to debate the relative merits of French and Chinese cuisine, and the French may have coined the term “restaurant”, but they were several centuries behind China. The first such establishments date back to the Tang dynasty (618-907). Paintings from the Sung dynasty (960-1279) show separate tables and chairs in “restaurants” and the finest menus offered over a hundred items with dishes regarded as the equal of the imperial kitchens.


Berkeley, California

SIR—As a recently qualified post-graduate, I often wonder if it is not a little frivolous to buy The Economist when a week is rarely long enough to read as much as one would like. It warms my heart—or rather the shallow depths of my student-loan-ravaged purse—to see the admission by a self-proclaimed member of “your demanding readership”, Europe's trade commissioner, Pascal Lamy, that he seldom manages to get to the back half of your newspaper (Letters, August 5th). I suggest that Mr Lamy be more demanding of you and press for an abridged cartoon-strip version, thus allowing him to devote more of his valuable time to sorting out “the problems of bananas and hormones”.


Sittingbourne, Kent