Today our correspondents write about road improvements, the Trident missile system, offending American victims, knights of the road, council budget cuts and global warming.
Road ‘improvements’ pander to poor drivers Sir, Robert J. Ramsay (August 28) may rest assured that it is not only Welsh councillors who spend money that they would not if it had to come from their own pockets.
I refer to the ludicrous proposal to take acres of good agricultural land out of production and waste several million pounds to straighten the section of the A92 known as the Big Tree Bends between Montrose and Arbroath, allegedly because the road is the cause of fatal accidents.
Roads rarely cause accidents unless there is a landslide or extremely poor maintenance. Inappropriate driving and excessive speed do. A better and cheaper solution would be to install average-speed cameras and a sensible speed limit then prosecute offenders vigorously. That works very well elsewhere.
John A. Dorward.89 Brechin Road,Arbroath.
Downside of deterrence
Sir, Apart from the question of who pays the bill for our new Trident, the Treasury or the Ministry of Defence, I have a question that is repeatedly dodged whenever this issue is raised. Where do the submariners go after they’ve launched their missiles? (August 27)
Dress rehearsals are regularly held off the Florida coast with the US navy in attendance. The D5 missile, minus the warhead, is fired from one of the Vanguard-class subs, notes are taken and the submarine returns to Faslane.
But in a real situation, this will not happen. Is this the point where the deterrence theory breaks down?
According to William Hague, our existing warheads stand at 225. Most of them are stored at Coulport.
George B. Anderson.7 Elliothill Street,Dunfermline.
Do not offend American victims
Sir, I could not disagree more with the letter from Mr J. Rodger (August 27), praising Jim Crumley’s article about Kenny MacAskill.
Having recently invited readers to vote for independence, it is not surprising that Mr Crumley leaps to defend the SNP’s lame duck Justice Secretary.
Just the same, his efforts at making him out as some kind of saint were comical. He and Mr Rodger badly overstepped the mark by stating that it is none of America’s business what happens to Megrahi.
Don’t they understand just how offensive that is to the families of all the US victims?
Even for the legendary insensitive Mr Crumley, that is crass beyond measure.
Karen McDiarmid.185 Strathmartine Road,Dundee.
An encounter with kindness
Sir, We are grateful to the driver and passenger of a blue car who stopped, asked if we needed help, parked their car safely and changed our flat tyre (August 27) on the road from Windygates to Leven.
He refused payment and, with a handshake, left quickly before we had a chance to ask his name.
The driver of a passing road-maintenance vehicle also stopped, but when he saw our rescuer was managing, he waited a short time and then left.
These knights of the road have cheered two senior citizens greatly knowing that there are many people willing to help others.
(Mr and Mrs) A. and M. MacKenzie.25 Coldstream Avenue,Leven.
Spare needy from cash cuts
Sir, Now that we see councils having to make financial cuts, it is interesting to note that the usual services are being targeted and, as always, it is the poor and vulnerable who suffer.
I would like to see our councils show what cuts they are imposing upon themselves.
I suggest councils ban fact-finding holidays, turn the heating off in offices and advise staff to wear extra clothes in the same way as they tell the elderly to do.
They should stop all conferences and bring in video conferencing. Of course, the same could apply to Westminster and Holyrood. The technology exists, so why do they need these away days?
Let’s see them impose harsh decisions on themselves and not those most in need.
Alastair McLean.Ar Tigh Ceithir,4 Fletcher Place,Crieff.
Scientists back climate theory
Sir, I am not sure what Dr John Cameron (August 26) is a doctor of but he is not a doctor of logic or evidence, for his scepticism regarding man-made global warming (AGW) is not even supported by his own arguments.
Just because Al Gore made money from his films and just because the protesters in Edinburgh were unruly, is not a reason for concluding that they are mistaken about AGW.
Dr Cameron refers to the The Climate Research Group’s “dodgy activity outed by a whistle-blower.” This is all about over-casual internal emails being uncovered by a hacker, probably based in Russia.
Three separate inquiries, including one by an independent team of scientists, found that the group had carried out its science correctly, with integrity. This is hardly a whitewash.
The Stern report, contrary to what Dr Cameron seems to be saying, concluded it would be economically insane not to act now to dampen down the effects of AGW.
As to the UN Climate Report, this collects the findings of all research published in the field.
Dr Cameron says there are instances where this research is in error. But just because not every piece of research is good research doesn’t mean that there are flaws in all research.
The overwhelming bulk of this research points in the same direction that man-made climate change is occurring.
Not every scientist agrees with AGW, but among the minority who are sceptics of AGW, hardly any are practising professional climatologists.
(Dr) David Riches.Seafield,Bankwell Road,Anstruther.
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