Scotland on Sunday readers' letters: Are politicians ready to see the big climate change picture?

The UK needs its politicians to grasp the nettle of agreeing to a new form of governance driven by the need to survive climate change.

Long-term, close cross-party co-operation will be needed for a Transitional Energy Plan

Close cross-party working and co-operation will be needed to devise, implement and manage a Transitional Energy Plan deemed necessary to move away from fossil fuel dependence. It is estimated such a plan would take at least 20 years of political and economic co-operation between the UK’s four beneficiary devolved nations.

In this, Scotland should have a leading role, not only in new North Sea gas provision, carbon capture and storage technology and hydrogen development, but also in renewable marine energy.

Substantial investment will be needed to develop further the vast tidal stream energy resource with new tidal bridges at the Pentland Firth and other coastal locations estimated as having the potential to indefinitely supply much of UK’s electricity demand.

Further investment is also needed to extract heat energy and to supply new district heating schemes from both the sea and the disused coal mines, piping it to adjacent major cities and towns, using proven technology, as shown by the Clydebank and Shettleston projects.

Can we hope our politicians will agree to long-term co-operation to ensure a smooth transition to future energy and economic independence as the UK transitions to net zero? The jury is out.

Elizabeth Marshall, Edinburgh

Nuclear power

Today there are 435 nuclear power plants around the world safely and reliably generating zero carbon electricity at acceptable cost. A further 50 are under construction in 30 countries. France, is now planning to add 14 more to their existing 56 reactors. Because of their decision to go nuclear many years ago they now have more secure electricity supply than most others in Europe and have decided to cap price increase to 12.5 per cent this year.

However, the SNP and their Green advisors feel the rest of the world is misguided and have confirmed they would not permit any nuclear plant construction in Scotland.

Think about ferries, Prestwick, education, untraceable Covid grants and loans, and lack of transparency on government business, and we have to ask if we are living in a kakistocracy and what can be done to improve the governance of Scotland.

Putin to blame

The psychologist and historian in me suggests it would better clarify and crystallise the Ukraine tragedy were the media to cease using the word Russian and Russia.

In my memory of the Second World War the blame was laid fairly and squarely on the evil Hitler and his equally evil Nazis. The words Germans and Germany were much less in use.

My father was great fan of the Germans and insisted that in the interest of fair play and accuracy we made that distinction. Let the Press and the rest of us now identify and vilify the real culprits: Putin and the Looters.

In my work and travels I have met many Russians and I’m certain they wish this terrible invasion hadn’t taken place and is most certainly ‘not in their names’.

Tim Flinn Garvald, East Lothian

Wasted money

If the SNP administration hadn't blown over £100 million on Prestwick Airport and the ferries at Ferguson Shipyards they would have had a substantial fund to help the poor and needy in Scotland as we come out of the pandemic.

Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen

Write to Scotland on Sunday

We welcome your thoughts. Write to [email protected] including name, address and phone number – we won't print full details. Keep letters under 300 words, with no attachments, and avoid 'Letters to the Editor/Readers’ Letters' or similar in your subject line. If referring to an article, include date, page number and heading.

Subscribe at www.scotsman.com/subscriptions