Letters: How can anyone deny the evidence for the terrifying consequences of carrying on belching CO2 into the atmosphere?

Does he really believe that one weak counter-example of a storm in 1968 negates the vast body of evidence for the terrifying consequences of carrying on belching carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Does he really believe that increased fracking will provide energy security for the UK? All the evidence suggests that it will take years to produce a useful amount of gas, and there are significant doubts about the actual volume that might be available in the UK anyway. What is extracted will be sold on the open market to the highest bidder, not cheaply in the UK. Local communities will still pay the price in terms of water pollution and other environmental damage.

The kindest interpretation for the climate change deniers is that they have not studied the evidence; the less charitable are that they are absorbed in their own self-interest or are stooges for the fossil fuel industry.
Dr RM Morris, Ellon

Stop tower block demonstration

ONCE again communities are being pushed around by Glasgow City Council, which plans to demolish multi-story blocks in Maryhill, without considering the feelings of residents ("Demolishing city tower blocks is ‘against climate commitment’", The Herald, September 28). Over the years, Glasgow has ruined the cityscape with its policy of exterminate, exterminate, exterminate, destroying architectural gems and cutting communities in half by building motorways through the middle.

Now the environmental importance of a circular economy means it is better to upgrade the flats instead of demolishing them, with the major pollution that would cause, in addition to destroying the community.

Learn from history, Glasgow, and remember what was agreed at COP26. Stop going back on your promises, and retrofit the accommodation instead of demolishing it.
Margaret Forbes, Blanefield

The pride of Scotland

I HAVE no doubt that many people alongside myself were very proud of Scotland’s farewell to Her Late Majesty. Scotland and its people are at their best during events in our own country.

The purpose of my letter is simply to draw attention to the great effort put in by so many volunteers from all over Scotland at the many different events to provide assistance and support for Scotland’s farewell to our late Queen.

To provide just one example of many, I would draw readers’ attention to the work of St Andrew’s First Aid, who despite the short notice was able to turn out 135 volunteers who, from the Sunday to the Tuesday, lined the route from Aberdeen to Dundee and later safeguarded the crowds at the Lying in Rest at St Giles’ Cathedral. These volunteers covered 221 eight-hour shifts and provided 1,863 hours of volunteering in total.

We should be proud of our volunteering tradition in Scotland, and these particular people who came from all over Scotland to support the event, many of them giving up holidays and fitting long shifts around their own personal work and commitments.

This is just one example of Scotland’s response, and we acknowledge our thanks and our pride in everyone’s contribution.
Joe Morrow, The Rt Hon Lord Lyon King of Arms

The black art of cleaning your teeth

WHAT Thelma Edwards (Letters, September 30) tells of as regards care of your teeth in the past reminds me of how my grandparents' generation dealt with toothache. Both sets lived in the Arbroath district of Angus, with one in the town itself whereby a visit to a local ironmongers would have an off-the-shelf pair of pliers wielded by the shopkeeper with which to do the necessary, whereas the one in a countryside village would go off to the smiddy, who would similarly oblige using whatever was normally used to extract nails from horse shoes.

Mention of Gibbs Dentifrice takes me back to my own childhood; this was shared by my whole family using their respective toothbrushes. Having said that, one grandmother in her own home using a toothbrush simply wiped it over the soot-encrusted back of the coal fireplace to clean her dentures, which emerged clean and sparkly after a rinse under the tap.

I have told all this to younger generations, who have held up their hands in horror at such primitive ways with cleaning your teeth – as well as expressing their shock at perceived lack of hygiene.
John Macnab, Falkirk

Moving tale from Paris

YOUR “On this day” feature on Tuesday (September 27) included reference to a 1960 event of the first travelator, or “moving pavement” in Europe opening in Bank Underground station in London.

For the 1900 Paris Exposition, a 2.25 mile electric powered “moving sidewalk” was built from Quay d’Orsay to Les Invalides, Champs de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. It was later removed as there had been several accidents caused by users losing their balance. Be that as it may, it was the first example of this mode of transport in Europe.
Gordon Stewart, Newton Mearns

Domestic torture

MUCH as I enjoyed Susan Swarbrick’s piece on kitchen gadgets ("All hail our kitchen gadget overlords", The Herald, September 29), I feel there was a major omission: the toasted sandwich maker, where scalding cheese or other filling shot out of the sides as you bit into your toastie, burning your mouth and cheeks. How many of these torture devices are still lurking in cupboards?
Stuart Neville, Clydebank

Barking mad

IN the unrelentingly grim nature of current affairs, I have taken some light relief in the punctuation letters to The Herald (September 27, 28 & 29). They brought to mind my favourite joke; relying, as it does, on the position of a humble apostrophe.

Chic Murray was asked by a man seeking directions: “Do you know the Battersea Dogs’ Home?” and replied: “ I didn’t even know he’d been away”.
Grant McKechnie, Glasgow

Letters should not exceed 500 words. We reserve the right to edit submissions.