On the agenda this morning: alcohol sales, carbon claims, human rights and Scottish identity.
Limit availability of alcohol to reduce misery Sir,-The Scottish Government wants to increase the price of alcohol. This might have a slight effect but the main problem is the availability of alcohol.
It is not by chance that shops selling this poison are in areas that are at most risk from the misuse of it.
Drinking in moderation has to be taught. Too many young people just drink to get drunk.
Who is to blame for allowing an increase in the number of outlets that can sell alcohol?
The answer is our local councillors and politicians in both parliaments, who put profit for the few against harm for the many.
It is time we had laws that prevent all shops and garages from selling liquor.
We should establish liquor stores, partly owned by councils and a creditable third party who would be vetted by the police. In this way we could control sales by limiting opening times.
Only people who are 20 or above would be allowed to purchase alcohol in these stores.
Bootleggers will always be with us and it would be up to the police and the courts to deal with them.
What is more important, the loss of trade to the peddlers of misery, or the wellbeing of our children?
John G. Phimister.63 St Clair Street,Kirkcaldy.
Misleading carbon claims
Sir,-In your report (May 20) on Forth Energy’s proposal for a biomass plant at Dundee docks, the managing director, Calum Wilson, is quoted as claiming that, “even counting the carbon cost of transporting the fuel, the biomass plant would produce just nine to 11% of the carbon emissions of a traditional coal-fired power station”.
This fanciful claim either defies the laws of physics or the proposed biomass plant will only have nine to 11% of the power generating capacity of the coal-fired power station he cites.
Both facilities are based on combustion, which involves combining carbon with oxygen, giving off carbon dioxide in a heat and energy generating process.
It matters not one jot where the carbon comes from, be it from coal, wood, plants, waste or whatever.
A very similar amount of carbon dioxide will be emitted per unit of heat, and hence electricity, generated.
Such misleading and erroneous claims do the renewable industry and his company no favours.
(Dr) G. M. Lindsay.Whinfield Gardens,Kinross.
Labour plays on Scots’ fears
Sir,-Your correspondent Clark Cross seems to imply that a vote for Labour in Scotland is a vote against Scottish independence and the SNP.
Long before the SNP had any power to even think that independence was possible, the Scots had Labour ideas ingrained into them by hard-working, poorly-paid relatives who thought a Labour vote would give them a better life.
In the main, all our lives have improved regardless of the Labour Party and this is a natural thing to happen as we all strive to better ourselves.
However, this will not change Labour voters’ fears of Scotland going it alone.
Indeed, the Westminster Government’s lackeys in Scotland will encourage this fear.
(Mr) S. Edward.10 Stratheden Road,Broughty Ferry.
Convention predates EU
Sir,-In your first leading article (May 20) you state, “But Mr Clegg’s fidelity to law emanating from the EU, which is what this is, could imperil his coalition”.
The “this” in that sentence refers to the previously mentioned Human Rights Act.
This statement clearly implies that you consider that the European Union is responsible for the European Convention on Human Rights, which was made part of the law of the United Kingdom by the Human Rights Act.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The European Convention on Human Rights is a creation of the Council of Europe.
The convention was drafted in 1950, the council itself having come into existence in 1949.
The council consists of 47 member states, as opposed to the European Union, which has 27 members.
The convention predated the formation of the European Union by many years. Cases under the convention are heard by the European Court of Human Rights which sits in Strasbourg.
Cases involving the law of the European Union are heard by the European Court of Justice which sits in Luxembourg.
Alastair L. Stewart.86 Albany Road,Broughty Ferry.
Chants replace facts of history
Sir,-What is Ian J. Angus trying to do? (May 20). Silence a critic of Scottish boorishness and bad manners?
All he has done repeatedly is prove my point.
The rivalry between English and Scots in sport in modern times was once friendly and, in some cases, it still is.
My letters on the subject are a reaction to the growing trend towards downright hostility to our southern neighbours with such slogans as Anybody but the English’ when it comes to international football matches, booing the British national anthem and rooting for teams such as Germany against England in the World Cup.
Our youngsters are growing up with Flower of Scotland, such deplorable examples as the above and the attitude they engender.
That’s what I deplore, because, with Scottish education going rapidly down the tubes, the young generation no longer learn enough about British, English and Scottish history to form their own objective and accurate judgments on such matters.
George K. McMillan.5 Mount Tabor Avenue,Perth.