Letter: Disaster warning

The terrible problems Japan is suffering (your reports), with a major refinery on fire and nuclear reactors deprived of their cooling systems, show what can happen as a result of a tsunami - which, in flooding consequences, can be not dissimilar to a storm surge.

Where are Scotland's flood defences against a North Sea storm surge? Grangemouth is vulnerable to even a 1m surge. Our nuclear reactors are all beside the sea with their cooling systems potentially vulnerable.

Why is it we are looking at a new 2 billion Forth Bridge crossing from public funds when nothing has been agreed about protecting the Forth estuary from storm surge?

Nor have we had any reassurance about our nuclear stations. What greater wake-up call is needed to bring our politicians to reality?

ELIZABETH MARSHALL

Western Harbour Midway,

Edinburgh