Sir, – Watching all the TV nature programmes about the beauty of the UK, especially Scotland, it humbles me time and time again.
We have such beauty on our doorstep, we truly are blessed.
Scotland as a whole has so much to offer tourists. So why don’t we take more care of this beauty?
What strikes me, time and time again, is all the dirt and plastic muck along the Fife roads.
Drive from Glenrothes to Kirkcaldy, along the whole stretch there is not one single yard without a plastic bottle or a bag, tarpaulin or plastic packaging from fast-food, thrown out of a car.
Drive along the country roads in Fife and everywhere one sees debris left behind after collisions.
Drive to Perth, along the A90 there’s filth everywhere.
We want tourists to come to enjoy our unique country.
Tourists bring work and money but, at this moment, tourists are staying away because of the appalling state the country is in.
We have a duty towards the generations that come after us to leave the country in a good condition.
We’re far, far away from this.
When do we – kids, teenagers or adults – start to realise that we have to take care of our country?
When do we start to clean up our act and start maintaining the beauty of our surroundings?
If we want to boost the Scottish economy and employment, we have to get in tourists, and tourists only come when the country is clean.
Our politicians can go for an easy solution by banning plastic straws in Holyrood – when do we all go for the better solution of cleaning up our magnificent and unique countryside?
Maaike Cook.
74 Cash Feus,
Strathmiglo.
Honour must now be revoked
Sir, – In an election in 1990 the people of Myanmar, or Burma, chose Aung San Suu Kyi as their new leader.
She was kept out of office, however, by the army, which kept her under house arrest for 15 years, unable even to visit her ill husband in the UK, as the junta would not have allowed her back into her country.
Widespread sympathy for her plight, and admiration for the quiet dignity with which she accepted it, led to a Nobel Peace prize as well as many other honours being conferred on her in this country and elsewhere.
One of the honours granted to her was the freedom of the city of Dundee.
Since finally taking up office in 2015, however, a different side to Aung San Suu Kyi has been seen.
By refusing to condemn the appalling persecution of the Rohingya by the Burmese army, she has lost the sympathy and respect that she once enjoyed.
And now Dundee City Council is to consider stripping her of the freedom of the city.
The suggestion that she be given this recognition came originally from the Dundee branch of Amnesty International.
This group, of which I am convener, has now unanimously decided, regretfully, to support the move to take back the honour that the city previously conferred on her.
John Stocks.
10 Hillside Place,
Newport-on-Tay.
A lesson from the continent
Sir, – It is tragic to hear about another death of one of our magnificent golden eagles, for whatever reason.
Might I suggest a line of inquiry the authorities should investigate?
Are rogue landowners ‘clearing the air’ of pesky protected birds so they can get the Scottish Government to rubber stamp their multiple wind turbine applications?
In Germany trees that contain the nests of protected birds – such as the red kite or lesser spotted eagle – are being cut down illegally.
That’s because a new turbine would not be permitted near such a nest.
Just look through German regional newspapers and you’ll see examples of these crimes all over the country. Eight incidents were reported to the German Wildlife Foundation in only one year.
With a potential profit of around £40,000 per turbine, per year, to be pocketed there is surely an irresistible temptation in Scotland, too.
Bitter experience from Germany also shows that, as a result of the rash and hasty expansion of renewable energy from wind power, the populations of almost 50% of all bird species have significantly decreased.
The German Wildlife Foundation describe their ‘Energy Transition’ as: “The most widespread destruction of nature since the Second World War.”
George Herraghty.
Lothlorien Lhanbryde,
Elgin.
Little challenge from opposition
Sir, – The SNP rides high in the polls because there is no government in waiting at Holyrood.
Labour shamefully voted with them on the ‘Continuity’ bill.
Meanwhile, Jeremy Corbyn’s performance in the Skripal affair has spooked the whole country.
On a recent edition of Sunday Politics, Richard Leonard couldn’t explain or defend Labour’s Brexit policy.
The Lib Dems will hopefully unveil their policies at their April conference, and the Conservatives avoided scrutiny because theirs was cancelled.
So while the opposition keeps its powder dry until 2021, the SNP get away with all sorts.
A party that was serious about winning power would surely declare, even now, that its ‘first 100 days’ will include a drains up, independent review of the finances, management and opportunities for efficiency in all devolved agencies.
They could start on day one by scrapping the curriculum for excellence and the new welfare agency – after all, it cost £400 million just to set up with no guarantee of better value for taxpayers or, indeed, claimants.
Unbelievably, even the Conservatives support both.
The SNP might well scrape enough seats at another election but the fact that 63% and 67% of voters didn’t vote for them at the general and council elections, coupled with the loss of 500,000 votes, suggests they wouldn’t muster even 46% in another referendum.
Allan Sutherland.
1 Willow Row,
Stonehaven.
Remember the word of God
Sir, – David Robertson does well to expose the current ideology which tells children that they can choose their own gender (Courier, March 15).
I think many would find themselves in agreement with him, despite the angry condemnation received since from its proponents, some of whom even wear the cloak of religion.
According to the Christian Institute, guidance produced by LGBT Youth Scotland says that schools should help children explore their ‘gender identity’ without parental consent.
I hope this is never permitted.
As a parent I would far rather that the bible is upheld.
It points to God determining the gender of every person:
So God created man
in his own image,
in the image of God
he created him;
male and female
he created them.
(Genesis 1 verse 27)
It’s quite a thought that this reflection of God’s creation of man and woman gives birth to the first occurrence of poetry in the bible.
Let’s not rewrite it.
Stuart Wishart.
12 Walnut Grove,
Blairgowrie.
Expulsion could have an upside
Sir, – While Prime Minister Theresa May’s actions against Russia will doubtless have the commendable result of reducing our expenditure on profligate diplomatic missions in the light of the expected tit-for-tat response to her expulsion of Russian diplomats, I cannot help but fear that she really has underplayed her hand.
Whereas immediate nationalisation without compensation of all Russian-owned property in the UK might lead to a temporary downwards blip in the London property market, selling these assets off by auction could largely finance the costs of Brexit and would allow UK citizens to pick them up at a substantial discount.
Prices would surely then soon rise again even without further government subsidy of the rental market by increased Housing Benefit.
John Eoin Douglas.
7 Spey Terrace,
Edinburgh.
