Sir, – You carried three letters attacking the stance of Gail Wilson of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland and I write in her support.
Climate change is happening and the human race’s detrimental influence on it is clearly supported by science.
Indeed, the opening sentence of the World Meteorological Organisation’s (WMO) summary of current climate change findings andfigures, published in November 2013, makes this very clear.
It reads: “There is a strong scientific consensus that the globalclimate is changing and that human activitycontributes significantly to this trend.”
The IPPC in September 2013 in its Fifth Assessment Reportconcluded that the: “Human influence on the climate system is clear”.
It further states that: “It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the middle of the 20th century.”
This global warming and climate change is being caused by increasing greenhouse gasemissions from industry, transport and other human activities.
The greatest source of greenhouse gases is from the burning of fossil fuels which generates carbon dioxide. Methane and nitrous oxide are two other potent greenhouse gases.
The result of the excessive greenhouse gas emissions from human activities is global warming and climate change with the steady increase of extreme weather events, heat waves, drought and flooding being the most obvious.
The science is clear and Gail Wilson’s stance is supported by national scientific academies from around the world, including the United Kingdom as well asmany other scientific bodies.
The warnings that the scientists are giving to us should be heeded.
Walter Attwood. Co-ordinator, Friends of the Earth Stirling, 7 James Street, Whins of Milton, Stirling.
Double facing on global warming
Sir, – Wasn’t it wonderful of the SNP to “wholeheartedly” back theoutcome of the climate-change talks in Paris, while still having its usual sideswipe at the United Kingdom Government in the process?
But how can this be when the cornerstoneof the SNP’s economic policy for an independent Scotland is thefossil-fuel North Sea oil industry and that based on a forecast of about $120 per barrel, when the current price is around $40?
We are now, apparently, expected to be believe that the SNPwill now sign up to the incremental phasing out of oil and coal with the consequent further loss of national income as a result.
Pull the other one Alex and Nicola.
Global warming will only increase due to the constant outpouring of hot air from the SNP on this and many of itsother ill-thought-out positions.
James Shaw. Hill Street, Dundee.
Wind power fuels poverty
Sir, – Alex Salmond, when in charge, set outto single-handedly save the planet with his wind turbines.
He hails the climate conference in Paris as a great success.
Oh no it is not.
This woolly and essentially non-committal deal suits most governments since it allows them to declare a victory.
The EU failed to achieve its core objective, namely that the Paris agreement should adopt “CO2 mitigation commitments that are legally binding on all parties.”
Since there are no legally binding de-carbonisation caps there will be strong opposition within the EU to making its pledges legallybinding.
Poland and other poor member states are widely expected to rebel against accepting new unilateral policies that have seriously undermined Europe’s competitiveness.
That’s why Amber Rudd, the UnitedKingdom EnergySecretary, has promised that the Government’s new climate policy will no longer go it alone, but will “travel in step with what is happening in the rest of the world”.
China, India, Brazil and Indonesia where emissions total 41%will continue to pump out toxic emissionson the basis that they have a lot of catching up to do.
Mr Salmond’s windfixation has seen fuel poverty increase.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Dr Cameron’s Obama slur
Sir, – Donald J Trump is a self-obsessed buffoon. Yet your correspondent Rev Dr John Cameron offers hissupport with an added petty slur againstPresident Obama.
The Courier continues to print his opinions.
It tells us everything about the so-calledfree press we need to know.
CJM Duncan. 27 Provost Road, Dundee.
Ignore views of Donald Trump
Sir, – It is possible to admire your correspondent Rev Dr JohnCameron’s somewhat obsessive determination to have his views onevery subject printed while disagreeing with almost every rightish-wing, anti-Scottish, and, surprisingly for a man of the cloth, sometimes rather intolerant word he says.
He letters arealways articulate and interesting.
His contribution of December 15 though, reveals his innerredneck, which is a bit of a shock.
He disapproval of all mainstream leaders, including the “idiotic” Barack Obama we have come to expect buthis support for (or failure to condemn) thedangerous buffoonDonald Trump is disappointing.
Voltaire’s dictum: “ I disagree with everything you say but will defendto the death yourright to say it” remains a noble sentiment butit is a rather tired cliche too.
Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot had plenty to say and millions died asa result of theirleaderships.
Donald Trump is no tyrant and will not become President (American democracy will see to that) but he is an odious menace who should be condemned and ignored rather than defended.
David Roche. Hill House, Coupar Angus.
Shine light on charities’ books
Sir, – In my career as a parish minister I was often approached by charities asking for my support but when I asked for a sight of their accounts, that wasusually the last I heard from them.
Now a report bythe True and FairFoundation showswhy they vanished. One fifth of our best-known charities use less than 50% of the fundsraised for charitable activities.
In fact, more than 1,000 charities spend less than half theircash on good workand 300 spend just10%, with the rest going to bloated workforces and obscene salaries at the top.
And our excellent small and medium-size charities are clearly being shoved aside bythe publicity machinesof the aid industry’sbig beasts both athome and (especially) abroad.
It is high time a light was shone on this sector so we can see how our money is spent because too many charities appear to exist for the sake of their staff rather than beneficiaries.
Rev Dr John Cameron. 10 Howard Place, St Andrews.