Sir, – What a lot of cant we have been treated to this week by climate campaigners.
They demand lifestyle changes from the UK population but have a blind spot when it comes to the carbon footprintof the Paris climateconference.
They want us to live by miserable low-wattage light bulbs, pay top dollar to subsidise windfarms and drive over-priced electric vehicles. Yet they cannot even set an example at one of the world’s most high-profile events.
It is estimated theconference will pump out 300,000 tonnes of carbon over the fortnight.
More than 50,000 people have travelled to Paris from all cornersof the globe, many by jet aircraft.
The US media hascalculated that President Obama’s flight burned 19,376 gallons of fuel alone. Multiply that by the scores of worldleaders flying into Paris and it adds up to a lot of burning.
I have no objection to the summit and hope it does some good. What I object to is the failure of the campaigners to either live by their principles or criticise the vast carbon footprint of this conference.
Instead of preaching, these climate warriors should apply the same condemnation to world leaders as they do topeople struggling to get by on limited incomes in Scotland.
Charles Wilson. King’s Road, Rosyth.
Population boom threat
Sir, – Kenneth Miln (December 1) is correct about the effect thatpopulation growth has on global emissions.
According to the World Population Clock the population today is 7.39 billion. By 2031 it will be 8.49 billion and by 2074 10.38 billion.
Thus, emissions will increase by 14.88% by 2031 and 40.46% by 2074. These increases will swamp the present mega-expensive efforts to reduce emissions.
China, India, Brazil and other developing countries want thelifestyles of the West so their emissions will be far higher.
I would suggest that population is the real problem, not the spectre of highly-disputed man-made climate change.
Clark Cross. 138 Springfield Road, Linlithgow.
Pitfalls of privatisation
Sir, – Memories of the first stages of UK busprivatisation when buses from various companies were chasing each other for a handful of passengers have now beenre-born in Dundee’s west end.
At battle are theformer NXD (National Express Dundee, now called Xplore andStagecoach.
Stagecoach has introduced a 26 service which, now and again, has apassenger.
Around here, thetimetables are set sothat buses from bothcompanies arrive atstops within a minute of each other with the result that a 73, a 22, a 26 and some other strange buses can all arrive at virtually the same time and then there is nothing for half an hour, at times.
This does nothing to create a good service, but frustrates passengers, wastes fuel, wears out roads and makes fares, ultimately, more expensive.
At night, a cluster of buses will have carrying capacity of some300 people, yet mayonly have 10 on them between them.
Economists call this “the wastes of competition”. I call it too many seats and not enough bums on them.
My verdict is the national bus company should never have been sold.
A number of chancers have made fortunes on the knock-down price of another national asset.
Ken MacDougall. 3 Logie Avenue, Dundee.
Deteriorating bus service
Sir, – I write with regard to Xplore’s recently-introduced bus timetable.
What the advertising did not tell us was about cuts to the bus services around the city.
The night bus from the city centre to Broughty Ferry has been stopped.
The last bus from Albert Square to Douglas used to leave at 11.45pm but now leaves at 11.15pm.
We are getting a lot less for increased fares.
Mr C. Lafferty. 177 Balunie Drive, Dundee.
Poverty willnot disappear
Sir, – I was somewhat amused at your heading, Bid to end poverty in Fife in 15 years (December 1).
While poverty is aserious issue and I am glad that something is being attempted to try to end it, it really is aproblem with nosolution.
For every genuine case there are probably 10 that are self inflicted. While sometimes it feels like living in Fife is like living in paradise,the reality is far different, and I am afraid thatpoverty is a worldwide issue affecting manyvulnerable people.
One solution that might be worthconsidering is to do what one old lady said to me when decimalisationwas happening which was: “why don’t they wait until all the old people die”.
Unfortunately, while it would be a dream for poverty to disappear, it ain’t going to happen.
Neil Edwards. 36 Toll Court, Lundin Links.
Find place for Ploughman
Sir, – Visiting family in Dundee recently, I was saddened to find that The Ploughman, A Poem for Scotland, which was on display at the McManus Galleries for more than 10 years has been removed.
The poem features in Stornoway town hall and, of course, within the Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh.
It has also beentranslated into Gaelic by staff at Shawbost School, Isle of Lewis.
I also understand it has been translated into many other languages including French and German.
It is a truly universal poem.
Come on Dundee, it should feature prominently in the city of its birth.
Finlay Maclean. Balgray Cottage, Shawbost, Stornoway.
Folly of Syriaair strikes
Sir, – The British people and their representatives in the House of Commons should not be disillusioned with the mealy-mouthed hypeof David Cameron regarding the vote to bomb Syria.
He seems to be taking the helm for his financial elite puppet masters, those who have created uncalled for enemiesfor British citizens all over the Islamic world.
Even Mr Cameron must know it is not just a futile exercise to bomb Syria, it is madness.
It will encourageeven more generally moderate Islamic people in the Middle East, Africa and Europe to join the fight against those who mercilessly removed the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party from Iraq, theTaliban from Afghanistan and who callously ended the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.
The only objective of Mr Cameron it seemsis for another woeful regime change, replacing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with another leader, submissive to the geopolitical aims offaceless financial elitists in the West.
Mr Cameron, I would suggest, is only digging a deeper hole for theordinary man in the street.
Air-strike-diplomacy is no diplomacy.
Less interference and not more is the only way to try to conciliate for past wrongs.
William Burns. 41/8 Pennywell Road, Edinburgh.