Sir, – I find myself incredulous that so many otherwise intelligent people can fall for the claim that human beings can change the climate of the world.
It seems that every day another expert is sounding another warning of approaching catastrophe unless we change our ways.
Interestingly, a search of archive material on this subject reveals that 10 years is usually the time limit given, beyond which life on earth will be intolerable.
As a child in the 1970s, I remember television warnings of a coming ice-age; then the world’s forests were going to be destroyed by acid rain.
That was closely followed by alarming reports of a hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic which would lead to us all being zapped by the sun’s radiation.
When none of these apocalyptic prophecies came to pass, the bogie man became global warming.
The only problem was that the globe did not dutifully warm as the fear-mongers predicted.
So they subtly switched to the term, “climate change”, perhaps hoping that nobody would point out the obvious fact that climate does indeed change and it has done so since the dawn of time.
I wholeheartedly believe that we should be good stewards of creation and I have been an enthusiastic recycler for years.
I accept that, at a local level, pollution can adversely affect air quality. However, trees and plants need carbon dioxide to live and produce oxygen.
So even warnings the need for “carbon capture schemes” are needless scare-mongering.
By all means, we should care for the natural world but to suggest that human behaviour can affect the way the global climate changes is simply ridiculous.
Angela Rennie,
88 Muirfield Crescent,
Dundee.
EU is no land of milk and honey
Sir, – Few could have imagined that the result of the referendum vote, which many considered a fairly straightforward decision to leave the EU, would end up in chaos, uncertainty, bitterness and division on an unprecedented scale.
Trying to make sense of this current parliamentary bickering and constitutional confusion is like attempting to understand fraught relationships at a toddler’s birthday party, the only difference being that we know toddlers will eventually grow up.
The current Brexit negotiations debacle also draws attention to the nature of the EU itself which appears to be that of an intransigent, penalising political organisation obsessed with control and centralisation of power which surely confirms that membership unequivocally removes any precious thoughts of sovereignty that individual nations might harbour.
What is more, the EU has made no secret of this fact and is doggedly pursuing their ultimate goal of political and economic dominance over the future federal states of Europe.
Merkel has called on EU countries to “give up more sovereignty”.
The prospect of Brexit rattles the EU and their cause.
Adding to this ridiculous spectacle and seemingly indifferent to the dismal performance of her own Government domestically, First Minister Sturgeon has ploughed in with her own Brexit wrecking ball oblivious to the incongruity of her stance where leaving the EU is bad for Britain but leaving the UK and the EU, with the potential for decades of economic hardship, is good for Scotland.
The stranglehold of the EU and all its ghastly power grabbing bureaucracy definitely has an attraction for our First Minister for whatever reason is unclear.
This endless source of frustration created by self seeking, ideologically driven politicians and organisations with vested interests, all apparently with a fine contempt for democracy, has got to stop.
Alas, that’s not in the nature of this particular political beast – yet fortunately we still have a democracy that can put it out of its misery.
Iain G Richmond,
Guildy House,
Monikie.
Selfish parkers the real problem
Sir, – As a resident in Auchterarder for 30 years, I was most pleased to see one of the most beautiful Christmas displays this year in the shape of four Christmas trees at the Cafe Kisa, only to find them removed under instruction of the council (“‘Grinch’ blamed for taking sparkle out of Christmas as trees go”, Courier December 3).
I would like to state that I as a grandmother have the biggest pram in Auchterarder, a coachbuilt silver cross silver stream, which I use daily, and had no difficulty whatsoever on the pavement outside the cafe, so I do not understand the reasoning behind their removal.
Also the only difficultly I experience with the pram is when cars park all four wheels on the pavement outside various shops on a daily basis.
I have also witnessed cars being driven on pavements.
I have spoken to traffic wardens (who have little or no effect).
In May I spoke to two Perth and Kinross councillors who were accompanied by two engineers/surveyors looking at the fiasco that is North Crofts, which houses mainly elderly residents and private houses, one of which I live in.
The councillors informed me something would be done.
However, we are now in mid-December and no changes have been made yet.
It is chaos on a daily basis, so really for Perth and Kinross council to concern themselves with four Christmas trees is absurd, when directly across the road from Cafe Kisa pedestrians and motorists face danger on a daily basis.
Yes, I do have to go on the road with my pram, but nothing to do with trees, just cars and trucks which have been parked with no regard to safety or the law.
Margaret McFadyen,
18 Fordyce Way,
Auchterarder.
Not alone in being ignored
Sir, – In response to Gina Logan’s letter (Courier, December 1), concerning community councils being ignored, A C Grant may be generally right (Courier Letters, December 5) as Scottish planning policy does start with the Scottish Government.
But in the application that concerned us here in Cupar, one of the most important issues was Fife Council not following Scottish Government planning policy.
Transportation is a global issue, it is now Scotland’s largest single source of emissions.
However, it was the safety of our local children on their way to primary school that was most important to me.
I walk my own daughter there, past the development site.
There isn’t really an easy alternative.
Despite official guidance they can significantly affect accessibility for pedestrians, Fife Council insisted on a mini-roundabout on the route.
The evidence is they also significantly increase the casualty rate for cyclists.
Worth bearing in mind this is a designated cycle route.
Scottish planning policy, the main planning policy document, states: “Planning permission should not be granted for significant travel-generating uses at locations which would increase reliance on the car where: the transport assessment does not identify satisfactory ways of meeting sustainable transport requirements.”
It didn’t.
The committee report neglected mentioning this policy.
It wasn’t just the community council that was ignored.
Gordon Pay,
Eden Park,
Cupar.
Two sides to every story
Sir, – According to Ken Clark (Letters, December 5) the SNP executive is “working wonders”.
Would this per chance be the same executive which featured on the recent BBC documentary “Life on the NHS List” which revealed that the 12 week treatment time guarantee was broken more than 170,000 times with some patients waiting in severe pain for nine months or more for treatment?
Is this the “good Government” Mr Clark refers to?
William Loneskie,
Amulree,
9 Justice Park,
Oxton.
A degree of Brexit confusion
Sir, – I am interested by all this talk about how poor we might be after Brexit.
I thought the important point was to take back control of our country.
W Montgomery,
13 Tullylumb Terrace.
Perth.
