COULD someone explain why, amongst the various means of reducing carbon emissions and introducing newly-discovered sources of energy, new houses are burgeoning in places where there is little or no new employment and where public transport is at best minimal, thus forcing the new residents into commuting by car on our increasingly busy and often poorly maintained roads?

Also, why is new housing in towns and cities across Scotland not equipped with solar panels, as a standard planning requirement?

It would seem to make economic sense in that it would be cheaper to incorporate these at the construction stage, thus establishing a standard and preventing piecemeal additions. It would moreover represent added value to the properties.

TRM Montgomery, Carlops, Peeblesshire.

Stressed out

ANN Fotheringham reports on a survey which claims that “reading reduces symptoms of stress and anxiety” ("Poverty fight must be one for the books", The Herald, September 2). But surely it depends what you read? A few pages previously appear your reports on current politics, which made me feel more stressed and anxious. Perhaps I should have closed your paper and read The Very Hungry Caterpillar instead.

Kenneth Fraser, St Andrews.

Off-beam

I RECENTLY received through my door an advertisement for a BMW dealership. The marketing slogan was "Make the neighbours jealous". Has our society really got to the point where the main attraction of having a new car is that it makes the neighbours jealous? I can think of few messages less likely to want to deal with this company.

Hamish JA Scott, Bearsden.