The world must limit gas emissions linked to climate change and it must do so in a fair way, measured on a per capita basis. This would allow less developed countries to catch up and force the rich to curb their consumption.

In the United States, Joe Biden is already facing the demise of his “clean electricity program”, due to the opposition of the special interests of coal and gas in the Senate. This may lead to a tax on carbon pricing, but America is still reluctant to increase taxes seen as a burden on the middle classes.

My advice? Sell ​​your low property, move north, and build on higher ground. The world elite (led by Boris Johnson in this case) will not lead a revolution against themselves, even if we face disaster. They are mostly old and wealthy and will be gone before the proverbial hits fans.

The clock is ticking towards the tipping point at which the climate juggernaut will be self-sustaining and human intervention futile, and even the Royals bleating in their many palaces, or billionaire space cowboys will not be safe.

GR spillway

Ochiltree

Beware of the Chinese threat

I have to admit that I share your columnist Iain Macwhirter’s lack of optimism about a positive outcome of the COP26 Climate Conference if Chinese President Xi Jinping does not endorse a radical emissions reduction program.

This so-called ultimate attempt to save the planet will come to naught if China continues to pollute the atmosphere and focus on economic growth rather than taking the necessary steps to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Of course, Western countries must shoulder a great deal of the blame for voraciously buying cheaper Chinese goods at the expense of our domestic industries which have now been lost and will probably never return.

China has become more powerful, both economically and militarily, as a result of this trade, and it is evident that the world’s biggest polluters will not engage in anything that could harm their dominant positions.

Very little will happen until the West reduces its economic dependence on China, but whether Western leaders are brave enough to make the critical decisions to make this happen remains debatable. .

Otherwise, the world will face a more powerful China, bringing the threat of armed conflict even closer. COP26 could be a turning point, but at the same time, this “Conference of the Parties” has the potential to turn into a huge junket causing only headaches for participants. The future inhabitants of the world, humans and animals, deserve better than this.

Bob MacDougall

Kippen, Stirlingshire

We must stop Cambo

Iain Macwhirter refers to Oil and Gas UK’s argument to defend the commercial exploitation of the Cambo oil and gas field – so that no imports are necessary.

However, Cambo is intended for export. It is also of little financial benefit for the United Kingdom with a low tax on oil revenues, environmental damage and profits to be diverted to a tax haven. The main developer, Siccar Point Energy, is ultimately owned by Luxembourg and the UK will likely be deprived of millions of pounds of revenue.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns of ‘code red for humanity’ and declares that rapid and drastic reductions in CO2 emissions are needed to prevent climate degradation with adverse effects. damaging effects accelerated by heating – fires, deforestation, floods and more, as well as devastating economic damage effects.

The International Energy Agency has said there should be no new investments in oil, gas and coal to meet climate goals. The UK government should listen to the world’s scientists and protect the planet and the UK economy. They have the power to stop Cambo.

The majority of Scots believe that the Union is slowing down the fight against climate change. Scotland must say no to Cambo and gain independence to tackle climate change. The climate transition can be financed by tax changes, savings and green quantitative easing, not new taxes.

It can bring more just policies and benefits such as housing insulation / heat exchange, our own network infrastructure and export cables with reliable energy supply and stable renewable energy base so that we are not dependent on foreign gas.

Pol Yates

Edinburgh

Net zero crippling European economies

The net zero agenda demanded of the world fatally damages the pragmatic and fragile consensus reached in Paris, pitting the West against the developing world.

Dogmatic green policies create a divided and acrimonious international environment that will allow China to dramatically improve its global economic presence and political influence as Western democracies weaken.

The astronomical cost of net zero is crippling European economies. If we are to protect our future, we must put our industries and our way of life first.

East Asia and China have made it clear where their priorities lie. Unsurprisingly, keeping the lights on and an economic miracle is deemed far more important than sticking to the woolly net zero goals demanded by a virtuous United States and Europe.

Dr John Cameron,

Saint Andrew

Johnson’s Irish deal is a disgrace

Boris Johnson’s ready-made deal would have been better received if the turkey he represented had been thoroughly thawed instead of the hand-held approach that has since been taken.

There is no doubt that the signatories on the UK side made a pig’s ear of the whole deal and questioned their good faith going forward in subsequent treaty negotiations.

If the story circulating of what our illustrious Prime Minister told Ian Paisley junior about tearing up the NI protocol, once he got Brexit above the line, must be seen as a gospel, it reveals that he has duplicated the negotiations with his EU counterparts.

It was hardly in the spirit of sincere negotiation, as it casts doubt on any promises or agreements made by this man.

Credit must be given to the European side for the compromises it made within the protocol to alleviate most of the form-filling difficulties that the NI protocol caused in its less refined genesis.

What the UK side is looking for is removing the protocol lock, stock, and barrel to allow it to have its own way, the same way teens expect to have it all their way without holding onto account of the position of others.

The old adage comes to mind that when you make your own bed you just have to lie in it when the UK signatories are just lying about it.

Is this specious crisis destined to prevail over the truth?

Denis bruce

Bishopbrigs

Let the politicians pay for the Afghans

So far, only 18 of the 32 Scottish councils have offered housing assistance to the 15,000 Afghans who have been forced to flee Afghanistan. Why should municipal taxpayers fund this when MSPs receive between £ 64,470 and £ 157,861?

Our MSPs should lead by example and help maintain them or, better yet, welcome an Afghan family into their own home.

After all, six years ago Nicola Sturgeon promised that she would welcome a Syrian refugee family into her home. Strange that there haven’t been regular updates on their progress.

Clark cross

Linlithgow

Dangerous British foreign policy

The debate in the House of Commons over the fall of Kabul has exposed the tearing “special relationship” with Tom Tugendhat and other MPs speaking of their shame at the betrayal of the United States. A series of opinion polls have since confirmed that public support for the United States has fallen off a cliff.

Why then, given that there was no mention of Taiwan in the Defense Review, did Boris Johnson join AUKUS? Surely this must be based on something more than a desire to sew up President Macron?

Our carrier strike group is currently in the Pacific, but any suggestion that a British fleet could be stationed there permanently is patently absurd. In 1941, when we were a world power, the sinking of HMS Prince Of Wales and the Repulse and the fall of Singapore showed how overwhelmed and unable to devote resources to it.

The shortcomings of the Strike group are well documented: the dependence on American F35Bs with their exorbitant technical flaws; Type 45 destroyers, which spend most of their time in port and break down in hot weather; and the Type 23 frigates, which date from the Falklands era with the Type 26 still in four years.

Brexiteers guaranteed a free trade deal with the United States (even if it involved chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef), but Nancy Pelosi put the kibosh on it. That won’t improve anytime soon, with Johnson preparing to fight with the EU over Northern Ireland. If Global Britain is no longer commerce, is it our navy?

Why does President Biden even want the UK to add a fig leaf to its unilateral foreign policy? Sleepy Joe, who unfortunately did not recognize his ally, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said the United States has treaty obligations to Taiwan. In fact, it is not.

In addition, there is a Pacific NATO, the “Quad” (United States, Australia, Japan, India, with Canada likely to join), capable of thwarting Chinese ambitions to restore the country as it was. from 1644 under the Qing dynasty.

As recently as 2015, President Xi was celebrated at Buckingham Place, and China was planning to develop the Huawei 5G network and give advice on HS2. Then, we saw our role, and rightly so, as being the defense of Europe and the strengthening of European strategic autonomy.

The French are right; we are becoming America’s pocket dog again as we were in the illegal war on Iraq. Johnson’s foreign policy is heading in a very dangerous direction.

John V Lloyd

Inverkeithing