Informed scientific opinion is virtually unanimous in the belief that climate change is primarily caused by human activity and unless we act decisively we will render large parts of the planet virtually uninhabitable. The USA, Australia, India, China and Russia all need to do much more to curb their emissions but that is not an excuse or a reason for anyone else to sit on their hands and do nothing.
The Scottish Government is to be commended, not sneered at, for its programme. Recent election results show that Australians have taken heed of their droughts, bushfires and floods and have voted in a government willing to address the coal problem. Facing a heatwave, India may be obliged to head in the same direction. Each of the major emitters faces serious climate challenges and each has suffered climate-related catastropies. Eventually they will have to follow where others have led.
Ronald Cameron, Banavie
Democracy and division
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Hide AdI can’t be the only person whose heart sank on hearing Ms Sturgeon’s announcement on Tuesday about another independence referendum. Putting all political considerations aside, surely we’ve suffered enough upheaval since 2016 with the complete and utter shambles that was, and still is, Brexit.
Ms Sturgeon spoke of "democracy” in her speech. Isn’t it true that we had a democratic referendum in 2014 in which we decided to stay in the Union? I didn’t want to leave the EU but I don’t think that leaving gives us a mandate for another divisive (and I remember exactly how divisive it was last time) referendum when we are all still reeling from Brexit, Covid, and the war in the Ukraine. Perhaps we should have a referendum on whether to have another referendum?
Anne Simms, Falkirk
Saving face
Nicola Sturgeon has more or less made clear she won't cling onto power beyond this parliamentary term, so how can she make it seem her political career hasn't ended in failure by not separating Scotland from the rest of the UK?
Boris Johnson has reconfirmed there'll be no Section 30 order permitting another referendum and Sturgeon won't risk a Catalan-style vote, unrecognised by the UK, the UN and EU. So why doesn't she cut to the chase now and force the matter to be determined in the UK Supreme Court? Or has Sturgeon already been advised she would probably lose?I suspect Scottish separatists have many years to wait for Indyref2 – and, despite the usual SNP spin, I more than suspect a certain occupant of Bute House knows it full well too.
Martin Redfern, Melrose, Roxburghshire
Such a waste
I note with interest and disgust that despite massive cutbacks in every sector of Scotland's economy and society, the SNP have decided to allocate £20 million to a new Independence campaign. This is such a waste of money. This £20m could be better spent on such things as education and new ferries that do not overspend or lie in dry dock because they cannot function.
Valerie Stewart, East Kilbride
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