The plight of the bee population is one of many symptoms that point to our increasingly dangerous use of the global environment (Scottish Government fails to ban pesticide blamed for poisoning bees, News, December 23).

Think weather patterns and soil degradation. Politicians are largely oblivious to such fundamental issues, but shame on the SNP Government for following Scottish farming's number one enemy, Westminster's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Meanwhile, agricultural bureaucrats hug their desks as food production, via seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, falls into multinational hands. Expect more reports from Rob Edwards. As the planet steadily goes out of kilter, geo-engineering will take off. Keep your heads down, folks.

Iain R Thomson

Strathglass