Readers' Letters: Why is population control not COP28 talking point?

In 1900 the UK population was 37 million, in 2000 59m, today it’s 68m and by 2050 it could be 77m. World population rose from 1.7 billion in 1900 to 6.2bn in 2000 to 8.1bn today. By net zero 2050 it will be 9.8bn, all creating greenhouse gases.

First Minister Humza Yousaf at a COP28 meeting - but are delegates talking enough about population? (Picture: Christopher Pike /COP28 via Getty Images)

Why are population numbers not being discussed at COP28? People are the cause of rapidly escalating greenhouse gases, not farm animals as the Greens and vegan brigade would have us believe.

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

No whitewash

At the Covid inquiry in London, Boris Johnson admits serious errors over decisions he made in 2020 and 2021. On social media, people blame him for suffering and deaths experienced in Scotland as a consequence of Covid during and between lockdowns. However, let us not lose sight of the fact that, as per the Scotland Act, health is fully devolved to Holyrood. Nicola Sturgeon, not Johnson, held centre stage north of the Border in pandemic management. She determinedly and repeatedly chose to do things differently here to other parts of the UK.

In scrutinising specific decisions made and consequential actions regarding Covid, let's remember Sturgeon and the SNP establishment, if not wholly responsible for events in Scotland, were undoubtedly very substantially in charge of decision-making about what happened here and must be, as Johnson and his colleagues are, held accountable for their actions.

I implore Humza Yousaf, Sturgeon and their spin doctor teams: remember that nearly 18,000 people died from Covid-19 in Scotland alone: please, for once, no SNP whitewash.

Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire

Stay home

If we are serious about cutting immigration, we should ask many non-UK residents with jobs here, such as Indian coders, to work from home, using Zoom, Teams etc. If it is good enough for our civil servants, surely it is good enough for foreign workers too?

It would be a win-win situation. Demand for housing, education and health in Britain would be cut. At the same time, the cost of living in developing countries is usually much lower than it is here so the remote workers’ pay would give them a higher standard of living.

Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife

In the doldrums

The recent period of cold windless weather, a “dunkelflaute” (a German word referring to a period of winter weather with low light and little to no wind), should serve as a lesson to energy policy makers. Temperatures plummeted right across the UK and the thousands of on and offshore turbines struggled to meet 2 per cent of demand. These dunkelflautes are not uncommon in winter and as it gets colder and wind fails we pay extortionate amounts to keep the lights on, as reliable generation has to step in. Our governments’ solution? To triple on and offshore wind so we can watch in disbelief as treble the amount of turbines we have now generate nothing, probably drawing from the grid to keep their oils fluid or running their own diesel generators as the temperature drops and the costs per MWh soars for the consumer.

We can only hope our elected representatives wake up to the folly of relying on the weatherfor our energy before rural Scotland is needlessly engulfed in concrete and steel

Lyndsey Ward, Beauly, Highland

Write to Scotland on Sunday

We welcome your thoughts – no letters submitted elsewhere, please. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 250 words. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.

​