There are two major causes of these crises, our economic system based on massive industrialised production and the enormous increase in the human population in the last 100 years (from two billion in 1928 to eight billion currently and still growing). The mindset of our culture remains wedded to unsustainable levels in both these areas as the article very well demonstrates. Such continuing human excess is simply a physical impossibility; no amount of moaning by the right or the left or any political persuasion can alter the laws of biology, chemistry and physics. We can either manage a decline towards stability at a much-reduced level of production and population, or it will be imposed on us by catastrophe.
There is no sign at all that humanity will turn away from its addiction to economic growth, but declining fertility levels across the world are an indication of some hope for population size. As the Earth’s population is projected to grow to at least 10 billion this century, however, and with continuing unchecked economic growth, the decline in fertility rates cannot come too quickly.
It is obvious that the stabilisation and then decline of population numbers will come with serious social problems, but the planetary disaster of accelerating overshoot of the Earth’s capacity to contain humanity is of an order of magnitude inconceivably greater.
If anyone is in doubt about the reality of this planetary crisis, a look at the work of the Stockholm Resilience Centre (https://www.stockholmresilience.org/) should help.
Stephen Smith, Glasgow.
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Russia sales are deplorable
I WAS disappointed to read that some Scottish companies are still exporting products to Russia following its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and in spite of sanctions imposed by the West (“Scotland exports £26m of drink to Russia since Ukraine war”, December 15). The Scottish people took the Ukrainian refugees to their hearts following the invasion and it’s sad that some of our countrymen are still making money out of exports to Russia.
Their actions may not be illegal but whether it’s right or wrong should also be a consideration. Of course, some other countries are also still maintaining exports and it also raises the questions of whether the sanctions are tough enough in the first place and whether there should be firmer legal constraints on exporters.
Jobs in Scotland are important but with the signs that Ukraine will not get the future peace deal it deserves, perhaps companies should look again at giving indirect support to a despotic regime.
Bob MacDougall, Kippen.
Cromwell and Reform
THE first part of Allan Sutherland’s letter (December 15) is a cogent analysis of Scotland and indeed the UK’s travails; however, the section predicting the collapse of the economy resulting in a Cromwellian dictatorship is so outlandish as to be about as believable as Donald Trump being elected President of the United States. (Okay, so that did happen twice but it is still scarcely believable.) Being from Stonehaven, Mr Sutherland would well know that Oliver Cromwell’s main claim to notoriety in this area was to have his troops knock hell out of Dunnottar Castle in his quest to get his hands on the Scottish Crown Jewels, ironically making it a “must see” destination on today’s tourist trail.
I do agree that there is a parallel with Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, as they have been instrumental in wrecking any chance of a healthy, growing UK or Scottish economy by Brexit, as correctly highlighted most weeks in Ian McConnell’s business column.
In these days of wokery, I would settle for giving Nigel Farage and his fellow travellers a nipple-cripple and a wedgie before deporting them to the USA, where they should be welcomed with open arms and $10,000 speaking engagements by the assorted wingnuts about to take over in that country.
G Duncan, Stonehaven.
Warning for Labour
LABOUR got solid backing in the General Election from the electorate who wanted change in the UK, but so far the Government has got it all wrong as the UK economy is in worse shape with its negative taxation changes and ending the heating allowance for the elderly has lost the support from the grey vote.
The comfortable majority Labour has in Westminster will soon be eroded unless it moves to support the people of the UK instead of punishing them and with the Scottish elections just a year and a half away the party is unlikely to repeat the success in Scotland it had in the General Election.
Labour must start by working as a real Labour government and not some form of the “new” Labour that caused its demise in previous years.
Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen.
Shame on Netanyahu
EVERYONE’S despair at the slaughter of Gaza is understandable, but we never blamed ourselves for destructive attacks on the civilian populations of Hamburg and Dresden.
Hamburg had a direct strategic purpose but Dresden was about terror. However, as long as Hitler lived he wasn’t going to save his people by surrendering. As for his soldiers, their oath was to give their life for him.
Hamas pushed the civilians of Gaza into certain death to set a trap for Israel, and Benjamin Netanyahu stepped straight in and ruined the name of Israel as required. It’s also very questionable how he managed to let Israel get taken by surprise again.
Not really a case of a good man doing harm, because he has also been trying to cook the constitution of Israel in his own favour.
Hamburg showed good men can do terrible things if all the alternatives look worse, and many Israeli leaders have shown the same.
Mr Netanyahu has in my view shown that seedy and dishonest men can win wars. But he’s not doing that in a way that’s good for the children of Israel.
Tim Cox, Bern, Switzerland.
Benjamin Netanyahu: Is he doing Israel harm? (Image: Getty)
The case against Kate Forbes
KEVIN McKenna says (Diary, December 15) that Kate Forbes “has managed to stare down the abuse, disloyalty and misogyny to which she’d been subjected by the Scottish Greens and many in her own party, entirely for her religious beliefs.”
If he is referring to her statement that she would have voted against same-sex marriage, would it not be more accurate to say that what earned her criticism was less her religious beliefs as such than her preparedness to have the law clamp some of her religious beliefs on the whole population?
Paul Brownsey, Bearsden.
Early warning system for bridges
I WAS saddened to read of another accident with a double decker bus and a low railway bridge (“Major incident in Glasgow as double decker hits railway bridge”, December 15).
Can the roads department not erect a pole with an overarm dangling short metal pieces at approximately the average stopping distance before the bridge?
At the right height, the top of the bus hitting these metal chains would create a terrible noise and alert the driver.
I have seen these dangling chains on low-height car parks’ entrances where the van cannot clear the roof.
They seem to work.
Janet MacDonald, Tarskavaig, Isle of Skye.
A treasury of Lobey Dosser
I FERR enjoyed Robert Macneil’s article on Lobey Dosser (“Weegie sheriff who patrolled Arizona on two-legged horse”, December 15)..
It brought back memories as a kid of waiting each day to follow the adventures of Lobey.
There were also his cartoons that often covered affairs of the day and there are two that keep coming back to me.
One was when Lew Hoad won Wimbledon in 1953. Two wee wifies in tennis gear are standing at the net. One, holding out her racket, says to the other “Here’s hoo Hoad hauds his”.
The other is clearly in a butcher’s shop with the butcher standing behind the counter in his striped apron, pencil stuck behind one ear and with arms folded. A wee wifey, with a full shopping bag at her feet, is saying to the butcher: “ Awfie smell o bananies in here. Ye hivnie tramped oan wan, hiv ye?”
A whole page could be filled with more gems like these.
Gordon Stewart, Newton Mearns.