Readers' Letters: Don't botch chance to make sustainable transition to net zero

Until independence, Rosebank oil field, with only 350 permanent staff, will create virtually no extra revenues for the Scottish Government while the profits will accrue to the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Rosebank’s 300 million barrels of recoverable oil is a reminder of the many lies put forward by the Better Together campaign in the run-up to the 2014 independence referendum, when we were told by “experts” that oil was going to run out in a few years’ time and that it would soon be worthless. Today Brent Crude is trading at around $95 a barrel.

The fact that Rosebank is being developed by the Norwegian state oil company Equinor should be a reminder of how successive Westminster governments failed to make the most of Scotland’s first North Sea bonanza or invest any of Scotland’s £300 billion oil revenues into developing Scotland’s renewable energy manufacturing, thus allowing Denmark and Norway to become world leaders.

The UK government hasn’t yet required Equinor to use carbon capture as it has to do in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. Clean wind energy could power the new oil platforms and is commonplace in Norwegian waters. Even if Equinor powers Rosebank from Shetland’s massive Viking wind farm, British taxpayers will once again pick up the bill due to generous tax breaks while the oil companies make massive profits.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie joins protesters demonstrating against the UK Government decision to grant consent for the controversial Rosebank offshore development off Shetland (Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Given Scotland’s vast renewable resources, we have a unique chance to make a sustainable transition that could benefit both our economy and the environment. Through independence, we can commit to net zero for good that benefits both people and the environment. If Westminster is unable to be trusted to safeguard our planet, how can you expect them to be trusted to manage Scotland’s affairs?

Fraser Grant, Edinburgh

Right is wrong

Rachel Amery's article “Green MSP vows to make protest outside abortion clinics a thing of the past” (27 September) was encouraging. However, harassment-free healthcare in Scotland remains a distant aspiration. The recurrent cycle of clinic harassment feels like a never-ending Groundhog Day: protesters gather, public outrage erupts, and government promises follow. Rinse, wash, repeat.

Creating new legislation naturally demands time, and the Scottish Parliament demonstrated prudence by awaiting the Northern Ireland Supreme Court's verdict (which favoured buffer zones) and learning from Northern Ireland's successful implementation. Yet, the several stages of our bill have still to commence in parliament. Additionally, Texas-based 40 Days for Life has brazenly threatened legal action against the Scottish Government, asserting that they, not the vulnerable individuals they target, suffer discrimination. The disconcerting truth is that the American Religious Right exerts significant influence on this side of the Atlantic.

In the face of these formidable challenges, we can only hope that our parliament can withstand the deep-pocketed American religious right’s attempts to undermine our democracy.

Gemma Clark, Paisley

Near myths

It is dispiriting to see Leah Gunn Barrett rehearsing the usual Scottish nationalist myths about Scotland, the UK and energy (Letters, 29 September). These have been debunked often enough, but still she comes back with more. Is this spreading of untruths the result of ignorance, or is it the deliberate dissemination of misinformation?

Ms Barrett says “UK consumers pay the highest energy costs in Europe’. This is untrue. In terms of electricity, the UK has the fourth-highest end user electricity prices. Prices in Italy, Germany and Denmark are higher. Of the European countries paying the highest proportion of their annual salary in energy bills, the UK is ninth. The country in which the highest proportion is paid is the Czech Republic, followed by Italy and Greece. However, the UK’s gas unit prices are the 14th highest of 27 countries analysed in a detailed study this year, below the European average.

Ms Barrett also claims that “Scots pay the highest [energy costs] in the UK”. This is a typical piece of misinformation propagated by nationalist sources such as Business for Scotland, whose claims figure prominently in SNP propaganda.

Using EDF’s tariff figures, the analyst Sam Taylor shows that “standing charges for gas are the same in every region [of the UK], and unit charges vary only slightly”. Further, Scotland’s gas unit charge is slightly cheaper than the British average. Taylor also shows that, for electricity, Scots pay a higher standing charge but a lower unit price. His conclusion, based on energy industry figures, is that typical households in Scotland pay about £10 a year more than those in the rest of the UK for gas but about £60 less for electricity.

Ms Barrett parrots the old wives’ tale that “the UK Government buried the McCrone report” on the oil industry. Gavin McCrone himself is on record as saying that his briefing note was for a minister, but, in any case, its content was published in the 1970s by the Observer newspaper and was therefore in the public domain then. One knows that Scottish nationalists are desperate when they misrepresent McCrone, and when, as Ms Barrett does, they speak of “theft” of Scottish renewables.

Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh

Ban vapes

Many will find it inconceivable that The Scotsman has given free advertising space to Doug Mutter, of vaping retailer VPZ (Business, 27 September). People buy over 30 million vapes every month but more than 5 million disposable vapes are irresponsibly discarded every week to add to the environmental problem. There has been a surge in fires caused by discarded vapes.

Vapes were thought to be a cure to wean smokers off cigarettes but this has not happened; instead they have enticed children to the colourful world of multi-flavoured vapes from where they then graduate to cigarettes. Vapes should be banned. In addition, vapers and smokers stand outside pubs and restaurants expelling their noxious breaths to the discomfort of pedestrians walking past. Surely our town and city streets should be declared vape and smoke-free zones?

Clark Cross, Linlithgow, West Lothian

Something rotten

I can’t but admire Fergus Ewing’s principled stand on, among other things, the recent “no confidence” vote against Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater. And, for that matter, Ash Regan on gender reform. In both cases, they voted against the Government as a matter of principle, well knowing that this would result in a period of suspension.

For me, however, this opens a wider debate on our democratic system.

Surely it cannot be right for serving MSPs (or MPs) to ultimately be whipped ie forced to vote in a particular direction following debate even if this may be against the interests of their constituents?

Methinks something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

David Edgar, Symington, South Ayrshire

Tree tragedy

Like many others, I was appalled to learn of the felling of the famous sycamore tree at Sycamore Gap, beside Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. This was a mindless act of vandalism, and I hope the perpetrator will be punished accordingly. They will be forever known as a totally insensitive vandal who has hurt so many people for whom this tree was a precious icon.

Many people will feel shocked and angry, even those who have never seen the tree in situ. When I look at the photograph of the felled tree, I feel a mixture of grief and anger.

Carolyn Taylor, Broughty Ferry, Dundee

Wall of stupidity

Feelings are high in Musselburgh about the proposal to build a very high wall along the sea wall to help prevent flooding. It may well prevent flooding but it won’t hold back the anger and stress being caused to the Musselburgh community at the stupidity of this idea.

Yes flooding must be prevented, as it can cause untold damage at its worst. However, preventing it by building a ridiculously high wall and blocking the stunning views and access to the beach is utter nonsense.

It has taken the powers that be a very long time to do anything about flooding other than hand out a few sandbags to those who live close to the sea or by the river. I lived in Musselburgh for seven years next to the river Esk. It is a very beautiful location frequented by swans, geese and their young. It is a lovely place to walk by and look at the birds and enjoy being outside. If you want to you can walk all the way round to Fisherrow Harbour, where there is the beach and a children’s playground.

The river and the harbour and the beach are also used each year as part of the Musselburgh Festival in July. If this plan goes ahead the the riding out of the horses and the ride along the beach could look very different next year... will the riders be expected to vault over the wall once they reach the harbour?

It’s time the high heidyins of the world started showing respect to their people instead of riding roughshod over them with their own plans and leaving a gargantuan mess in their wake.

Musselburgh is a community and the people who live there have a right to be listened to and heard. Believe me, if this wall is built it won’t stand for very long because the locals will come out in force and knock it down again!

You never know, the council might save thousands by listening to the people who matter, rather than losing thousands by destroying their beautiful home.

​Bronwyn Matthew, Prestonpans, East Lothian

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