Unrealistic proposals from eco-zealots simply won't work

Unrealistic policies from eco-zealots are more likely to produce resentment rather than change. Perhaps as a starting point it would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by phasing out imports of non-essential goods from the world's biggest polluters.

Bob MacDougall, Kippen.

Heat pump left us cold

I READ with interest your article describing the transition to alternative heating solutions in order to reduce the impact of heating our homes on the environment. Whilst in principle I agree with the need to change to reduce our carbon footprint I thought it would be beneficial for your readers to hear of our experience of an air source heat pump.

Our home is modern, well-insulated and double-glazed. When built approximately 10 years ago we were seen as trailblazers having an air to water heat pump installed. Unfortunately we then spent the next five years trying to have this removed as our home was never warm, we had inadequate hot water to meet the needs of our family and in winter the pump struggled to operate when the ambient temperature fell below zero. The cost of running the pump was more than £400 per month and when we finally managed to change to a gas combi boiler our costs reduced to around £150 per month. The system required a great deal of space internally and externally. I am therefore unsure how those living in a traditional Glasgow tenement will manage to transition with ease to such a system, particularly if they are not situated on the ground floor.

Whilst well intentioned I am not sure exactly how much thought has gone into the practicalities of such a policy for the majority of existing homeowners required to retrofit such a system.

In addition we also transitioned to having an electric car but have changed back recently as the current charging infrastructure was completely inadequate to deal with the range of the car. We would often find that chargers were faulty when we tried to charge and with time the charges became disproportionate in comparison to the cost per mile of diesel. Depreciation of electric cars is also great with our car only retaining around 30% of the cost when new at three years.

We all need to pull together collectively to address the environmental impact of fossil fuels but we also need to ensure that the wider impact is understood, particularly in these times when inflation is high.

Dr Craig Wheelans, Melrose.

Read more: Gas boilers set to be penalised under energy efficiency overhaul

Green is not so green after all

THE Prime Minister of the UK vows to not concrete over the countryside.

Meanwhile elsewhere the First Minister of Scotland puts out the welcome mat to allow Big Energy to engulf the Highlands in concrete and China’s coal-roduced steel in the name of "green" against the will of his rural communities.

It is nothing more than pollution relocation as the virtue-signalling plastic-straw-banning politicians feel good about themselves while ignoring the unregulated industry, slave and child labour and the toxic shambles left behind in other countries supplying us with "environmentally friendly" materials and products.

The Scottish Government is also backing the hacking down of millions of CO2-absorbing trees and the ripping up of thousands of acres of ancient carbon-holding peat; all for thousands of wind turbines that have been shown to shed micro-plastics and toxins from their blades into our oceans and environment only to be buried in landfill at the end of their inefficient lives.

There is nothing more nauseating than illogical green-sloshed politicians requiring spine transplants who don’t have the ability to stand up and speak the increasingly obvious truth about how "green" is not so green after all and how Scotland’s rural citizens are being flung under Big Energy’s gravy train by their own government.

They would be well advised to start listening to communities because people have had enough and are coming together to fight back against the unnecessary over deployment of wind energy and its environment trashing transmission infrastructure.

Lyndsey Ward, Beauly.

How is this fairer?

SO let's get this straight. The Scottish Government wants Scots to buy a new electric car at an exorbitant cost, replace our perfectly adequate gas central heating with an inefficient and very costly heat pump and pay even more for alcohol by raising the minimum price again. Add in higher taxation for many and a health service that cannot deliver on SNP promises of treatment time "guarantees." Does all of this close the attainment gap?

You can, however, consider changing your gender if you feel like it and also possess lots of drugs of all descriptions for personal use if the legislation proposed comes into effect. Is this the "fairer and more equitable" promised land or just a nightmare? You decide.

Dr Gerald Edwards, Glasgow.

The rookie returned

THE CV of Keir Mather, the 25-year-old new MP for Selby & Ainsty, is certainly interesting.

He has a good grounding in the theory of politics from an Oxford University degree in history and politics. He also has a good knowledge of the theory of public administration from his masters degree.

His experience working as a parliamentary researcher for Wes Streeting MP will be useful to him as an MP. And his 18 months at the CBI will give him an insight in to the thinking of backward looking corporatist pressure groups.

He also bring to Westminster a passion for LGBT issues.

What Keir Mather doesn’t bring to Parliament, however, is significant experience of productive work or of the adult world outside politics.

Clearly, the Labour Party thinks that theory is more important than experience.

Otto Inglis, Crossgates, Fife.

Letters: Lay off the attacks on Salmond

Why cluster bombs are wrong

GUS McSkimming (Letters, July 23) writes that "that in war not all wrongs are equally wrong", but he should draw the line at weaponry that will be killing and maiming long after the present conflict is over.

People in North Africa are still being killed by mines laid during the Second World War. These move around in the constantly shifting desert sand, and are detonated by children and farmers. He will no doubt remember the work done by the late Princess Diana and others in connection with their removal.

Unexploded cluster bombs will have the same effect and be killing innocent civilians in decades to come.

Let us confine war to the actual combatants.

Malcolm Parkin, Kinross.

Let men's football subsidise the women

HAVING watched the men’s World Cup in Qatar with rapidly-diminishing enthusiasm, driven by questionable on-field shenanigans of many male players, snarling and sniping, feigning injury, conning referees, attempting to have opponents sent-off, I have been awaiting with interest the start of the women’s version of the event now under way and all the early portents are extremely positive.

With skill levels and physicality vastly improved in recent years, witnessing the best female footballers in the world playing hard and fair but in a spirit of fair play where the cheating and chiselling of their male counterparts is thankfully absent, replaced by the very joie de vivre elite international sports is supposed to engender, is refreshing and commendable.

"Ah, the pressure of the men’s game", pundits say, but even greater pressure exists on women at this World Cup as they chase the dual challenges of winning, alongside the more difficult and less tangible objective of legitimising their version of the beautiful game in the hearts and minds of millions of mostly male naysayers and sceptics.

Literally and metaphorically playing with a smile on their faces, inquiring as to the wellbeing of an injured opponent, helping them back to their feet, even acknowledging moments of magic from an opponent, accepting refereeing decisions with good grace, all without jeopardising the fundamental simplicity of the combative nature of elite competitive sport is something to be applauded and admired.

However, the ever-present elephant in the room is the vast commercial and financial disparity between women’s and men’s football – at both elite and grass roots level. But a simple and straightforward opportunity may be sitting in plain sight; Fifa could and should unilaterally issue a progressive worldwide edict requiring a small percentage (5%-10%) levy on overblown transfer fees currently being facilitated – and grossly inflated by Saudi Arabian petrodollars – in the men’s game, the resultant revenues ring-fenced for supporting of women’s football, 50% to the professional game to ensure players are properly paid and accorded the respect and duty of care they deserve, 50% to finance the development of women’s football further down the ecosystem.

I would argue that men’s football authorities could never legitimately or morally argue against such a proposal; given what we are watching Down Under at present, men’s football simply cannot afford to ignore this issue or risk – medium to long-term – being diminished by a women’s game flourishing in the spirit in which football was always meant to be played.

Mike Wilson, Longniddry.