Readers' Letters: Is climate crisis just hot air?

On droughts, the 5th IPCC Assessment Report states there is little evidence of any drought trends since the 1950s on a global scale. This is consistent with a warming planet, with extra heat creating more moisture in the atmosphere. On flooding, the latest IPCC report presented a worst-case scenario of sea levels rising 0.83 meters by 2100. With parts of the Netherlands already 7 meters below seawater, there is ample evidence that such a rise can be managed over a long duration. On fires, researchers in California have found “no relationship” between forest fires and the climate. The only significant factors found were; population, proximity to development and forest management strategies. On food production, there is no IPCC science pointing to a global decline. What matters way more than a temperature rise is; fertilisers, irrigation, mechanisation and availability of land. A concern was raised, however, that climate policies on bioenergy may make land scarcer.

The UK Committee on Climate Change estimated that getting to net zero by 2050 will take £30 billion a year for the next 30 years. Proportionally, that means allocating £3bn of the Scottish budget annually to lowering emissions.When the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) touches down in Glasgow next year, the 30,000 delegates will be greeted by; child poverty at more than 40 per cent, Europe’s worst mortality rates and an economy on its knees from Covid. Attendees will inhabit a toxic local environment which can’t spare the cash being diverted to climate change. A balance needs to be struck to keep the Dear Green Place part of the planet COP26 is trying to save.

Calum Miller, Polwarth Terrace, Prestonpans, East Lothian

Think again

Conversations over the dinner table that incite hatred must be prosecuted under Scotland’s hate crime law, the Justice Secretary has said. Could there be a more silly manifestation of this flawed Bill than the criminalisation of domestic dinner table chat? We all test ideas and hypothetical positions in a spirit of safe dialectic exploration with friends and family who know our true souls. To legislate for there to be no difference between private discourse and public statement is chillingly close to The Thought Police.

Neil Barber, Edinburgh Secular Society, Saughtonhall Drive, Edinburgh

Forced marriage

Peter Glissov (Letters, 2 November) makes a good case for a UK divorce. This recalls the report that on the day the 1707 union came into effect the bells of Saint Giles' Cathedral rang out the tune "Why should I be sad on my wedding day?".

Peter Glissov makes England the man and Scotland the woman. I feel that history puts it the other way round. There are lots of references to "Mother England". The Scottish Students' Song Book of 1897 includes the song "The Scottish Fatherland". Given that arguably no true marriage occurred, on the basis that force was threatened if Scotland did not agree and that promises were not kept, we should be talking about annulment rather than divorce.

David Stevenson, Blacket Place, Edinburgh

Bad analogy

As nationalists frequently do, Peter Glissov (Letters, 2 November) conflates “the Scottish people” and “the people of Scotland” with those of their own persuasion, which has never been shown to be even a majority of the people of Scotland. This tactic is just to add a veneer of legitimacy to whatever unconvincing proposal is being presented, but it seldom convinces any outwith the separatist bubble.

The analogy of a marriage between an oppressed wife and a domineering husband which Mr Glissov offers might resonate with those who labour under the distorted nationalist delusion of English oppression and Scottish exceptionalism but the majority of Scots are not burdened by feelings of grievance which such distorted beliefs give rise to. Rather, we see ourselves as no different to our friends and families in other parts of the UK and in no way do we see Scottish people as being shortchanged by our fellow UK citizens in the way Mr Glissov rightly sees the downtrodden wife in his flawed analogy.

Alan Thomson, Kilcamb Paddock, Strontian

Cost of care

Gill Turner (Letters, 2 November) raises " the spectre of corporate greed" in relation to care homes. She obviously has little acquaintance with the subject. I was once friendly with a care home owner. He drove an old banger, worked 12 hours a day near enough seven days a week and never took holidays. Ms Turner complains about charges of more than £1,000 per month and staff wages barely meeting the living wage. The latter would be about £1,200 and other staff-related expenses would bring that up to at least £1,500 per month. Care is provided for 24 hours per day and such cover requires near enough one carer in total per resident. The real cost per care home resident, including food and laundry etc, is thus in the region of £30,000 per annum so Ms Turner's figure of £1,000 plus per month doesn't look much like corporate greed to me. For those of us perhaps approaching the need she might reveal where such a bargain is to be had.

(Dr) A McCormick, Kirkland Road, Terregles

Hapless app

As the rate of Covid infection seems to be inexorably increasing even here in Dumfries and Galloway, I trust that we are all trying to do our bit to protect ourselves and those around us from this illness. We are constantly reminded of the importance of “test & trace” in the fight against the pandemic and of the key role of the ‘Protect Scotland’ phone app in tracing those we may have been in contact with if infected. However, the app will only work on the latest, and therefore most expensive, mobile phones. In the case of Apple phones, for example, the app requires the iOS13 operating system; which means that only iPhone 6s or later can use the app.When the Scottish Government is continually stressing the importance of “Test & Trace”, it seems bizarre that they are promoting a phone app which can only be used on the more modern mobile phones, which probably means, at best, by less than 50 per cent of the population.

Peter Bolton, Boreland Road, Kirkcudbright

Winter fears

Professor Linda Balls of Edinburgh University said the Covid cases being seen now started in September. So I guess weekends to Blackpool, Old Firm fans drinking together at home and in pubs in Carlisle, and the usual house parties contributed to that. Will we see Hallowe'en house parties which would bring an upsurge of cases mid to late November used by Nicola to shut down at least the Central Belt, if not the whole of Scotland, at the end of November for a month or two? I hope Santa is paying attention to the Scottish news or there are going to be a lot of disappointed children.

E Hands, Etna Court, Armadale

Saving Santa

We saw the disastrous consequences of letting students gather together on return to their university halls of residence. We did not see such disastrous consequences from public gatherings outside on beaches, in parks and home gardens. We can save Christmas if we follow the World Health Organisation’s advice. They state that for small events “choose outdoor venues over indoor spaces; if indoors ensure the area is well ventilated”. Also, “make wearing a mask a normal part of being around people” and “wear a medical/surgical mask if you are over 60”.

Christmas would seem an appropriate time to consider if “those with the broadest shoulders are carrying the greatest load”. Many innocent families have both parents out of work through no fault of their own. Is any of this misfortune being shouldered by their landlords? Deferring eviction is not sharing a load, it is piling up debts on those who cannot bear them. Could not the financial consequences be equally shared between landlords and tenants? The covid epidemic is testing integrity. The governors make rules for the governed but are they taking their share of the load? Apparently a quarter of all ministers and a fifth of all MPs get income from renting out property. Do MPs take their fair share of the load?

Ken Carew, Minden Crescent, Dumfries

Zugzwang?

Watching the manoeuvrings by Nicola Sturgeon is like watching a game of chess. She always tries to be five steps ahead in the game but she finds herself now be in Zugzwang. She has put herself into a position where no matter how she moves her position will worsen. On Friday she told us that there is a significant slowing in the rate of increase in cases and spoke of “encouraging signs”. Yet we now hear that with England receiving furlough funds, she is considering a full lockdown. How can we, in a matter of two days, go from such a cautiously optimistic outlook to the threat of a full lockdown? What justification is there for areas in Tier 1 being put into full lockdown? For once the First Minister made her announcement before Boris Johnson and she did not predict his move. Stalemate.

Jane Lax, Craigellachie, Aberlour, Moray

Welcome cheer

Helen Hogg’s letter (October 31) re: her positive experiences at the Marie Curie hospice really cheered me on a miserable day. Such a welcome change from all the gloom and doom merchants.

Jean Duthie, Glenfield Avenue, Galashiels

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