Madam, – Amidst the hysterical claims on the probability of human induced catastrophic global warming promoted by celebrity adolescents, first-class jet-set ‘concerned’ actresses and virtue-signalling politicians, it may be surprising to learn that this year’s May bank holiday was the coldest on record.
Twenty years ago, environmentalists were predicting total global meltdown.
The Gulf Stream would grind to a halt, polar bear and walrus populations would disappear with melting ice while the world’s coral reefs would vanish along with their ecosystems, rapidly and unstoppably.
They also predicted that hundreds of millions would be displaced and tropical diseases would spread as a result of global warming.
None of these predictions have materialised.
Yet the doom and gloom of the scaremongers has intensified to levels normally associated with religious fanaticism and sceptics in the scientific community risk being demonised as if they were apostates.
Since 1988, the rise in temperature globally has averaged 0.175 degrees Centigrade per decade. This can hardly be considered as catastrophic and how much can be attributed to human activities rather than natural occurrences is impossible to define.
Over billions of years the earth has seen huge climatic variations without any human input whatsoever.
The pledge to decarbonise the UK economy unilaterally by 2050 is estimated to cost trillions of pounds and without international agreements will not make the slightest impact on global emissions of CO2 and its supposed effect on global temperatures.
But it will have grave effects on our economic competitiveness.
We have the obligation and responsibility not only to ensure that our environment is protected but also to better the lives of all Earth’s peoples.
A pragmatic approach based on objective science and curtailing knee-jerk decisions made in response to mass hysteria on something which observation and empirical evidence suggests is not happening, must be the rational way forward.
It is time for cool heads and less hot air.
Iain G Richmond.
Guildy House,
Monikie.
Centralisation call ‘a bit rich’
Madam, – Nicola Sturgeon’s new catch-phrase is “creeping centralisation”, which she used when talking to Holyrood’s committee conveners on Wednesday, and then again at First Minister’s Questions on Thursday.
The target of her ire was of, course, the United Kingdom Government, who she variously accuses of treating Scotland with contempt for not doing what the SNP wants in relation to Brexit, or of “taking power to itself” in the Brexit process rather than letting the SNP have free rein on every power returning from Brussels even if at the cost of the sensible operation of UK-wide markets and regulation.
It sounds a bit rich for the first minister to be getting on her high horse when her own government’s record has been of over a decade of relentlessly centralising power at Holyrood.
The SNP’s squeezing of local council budgets over this period at the expense of critical local services has enabled the impact of austerity to be largely palmed off on to local authorities.
As a result, the SNP Scottish Government at Holyrood has ring fenced sufficient central budgets to continue vote winning populist spending, including on universal benefits without care for where the real need is greatest.
Keith Howell.
White Moss,
West Linton.
Passing the blame buck
Madam, – I see that Councillor Linda Holt is again crying crocodile tears about cuts in local government expenditure (Price of ‘Cinderella’ mental health services, Courier, May 7).
The cuts that she describes are real. However, who is responsible for them?
Since 2010, the government that she supports has imposed a savage programme of financial cuts to public expenditure.
This has punished all members of our society, apart from the mega rich.
They gleefully entitled it austerity.
So the fault lies entirely with the Conservative government. It is a typical wily politician’s ruse.
If it’s your fault, make absolutely sure, that you blame someone else.
So to paraphrase President Clinton, ‘it’s the austerity, stupid!’
At a meeting that I attended, Ms Holt, found someone else to blame – Fife Council’s chief officers.
She should consult the Labour councillors of Burntisland, who recently overruled an officers’ policy. I would suggest that, as the job seems to be beyond her, Cllr Holt stand aside and allow someone more competent to replace her.
At the same time, perhaps she could persuade her totally inept colleagues at Westminster to do the same.
Bill Ledger.
Vice chair,
East Neuk and Landward Labour Party.
Agenda is to silence Scotland
Madam, – At last the Conservatives have revealed their real agenda for Scotland and its parliament.
It became clear during their ‘British Conservative Scotland’ branch conference that the agenda is to silence the Scottish voice by any means possible, including dissolving the elected Scottish Parliament.
Bryan Auchterlonie.
Bluebell Cottage,
Perth.
Questions over bottle scheme
Madam, – Roseanna Cunningham (Bottle deposit scehme is game-changer, Courier, May 9) says premises such as pubs and restaurants, where drinks are sold for consumption on site, would pay the deposit and it would be up to them whether to pass it on to the consumers.
Pass on what and why?
If the people who paid the deposit returned the goods for a refund is there any need to pass it on to the consumers unless they are expected to take the empties home to claim the refund for themselves?
Would supermarkets and local shops be willing to offer refunds if the returned bottle was not originally purchased from their premises?
And how would this be controlled?
How this will work needs more investigation.
Aileen Kirkaldy.
7 College Hall Cottages,
Hillside, Montrose.
Welcome sporting success
Madam, – Well done, England. Four English teams in the finals of the Champions League and European Cup is a truly amazing achievement.
Their success is due to outstanding players, coaches, managers and club owners from England, Europe and various countries across the world. This is what Better Together should be all about.
James Stevenson.
5 Drummond Avenue,
Auchterarder.
Wrong about Trump motives
Madam, – The Rev Dr John Cameron (Not so splendid isolation, Courier, May 6)is seriously and dangerously deluded if he thinks that Trump would stand by us unless it was to his own family’s financial benefit .
John Dorward.
89 Brechin Road,
Arbroath.
