READING the many opinions by journalists and correspondents regarding methods and proposals to save the planet, I find myself glad that, being in my mid 70s I will maybe have another 20-ish years to endure the madness of the environmental police.

In recent articles and letters it is stated that Scotland and England are responsible for a minute amount of CO2 production. Now it's being proposed to limit or ban wood burning devices which, according to the latest designs, are very efficient with low emissions ("Air pollution 25 times more likely to kill city dwellers than a car crash", The Herald, January 27). Next some idiots will target cremation and funeral processions, especially if the latter are driven at a slow pace.

Moving on, when will they target the Waverley and demand that it becomes a static museum ship and likewise ask for a stop to the restoration of the Maid of the Loch?

Twelve years ago I bought a new diesel-engine car with very low CO2 levels. It still passes all of the latest MOT toxic gas maximums. But they would have me scrap it and use a more polluting bus service which is not really a usable service at all, being more than two miles from the nearest bus stop with a limited timetable.

I wouldn't mind travelling when I have to by rail, but the then they scrapped the local line in 1957.

And what about windmills? Manufactured mainly thousands of miles away. Makes me wonder if the environmental savings in use will be offset by the cost of transporting them here.

I could easily bore readers by going on and on and on, but perhaps my observations might be read by someone important who can demand a temporary pause in this headlong rush to be green and to demand joined-up thinking and connect what needs to be connected and do a planetary analysis that looks for proportionate action by all countries.

The point is that small countries such as Scotland cannot solve global warming on their own, but it does seem like, in a bits and pieces way, that that is what is being demanded. There appears to be no real regard for each and every individual community throughout our land and what may be the appropriate changes for each local community to make.

In my own case in our 100-plus-year-old house, I have put more than 300mm of insulation into the loft, have put in cavity wall insulation and use only electric heating set at 17C and not in all rooms. For this efficiency I pay the electricity supplier £1,800 per annum and that is slightly more than 10 per cent of my pension income.

Prior to 2008 I had hoped for a pension about 20 per cent higher, but thanks to Mr End of Boom and Bust Brown's policies, I am where I am, like thousands of others, while according to the snowflakes and millennials, my generation are the problem. Take heart you young ones, we won't be here for that much longer and you will be able to recycle us by putting us six feet under; no more burning from us.

Ian Gray, Croftamie.

THE Doomsday Clock has been kept since 1947. The decision to move (or to leave in place) the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock is made every year by the Bulletin’s Science and Security Board in consultation with its Board of Sponsors, which includes 13 Nobel laureates. It is the considered judgment of the world’s leading nuclear physicists.

But what do these people know? Rev Dr John Cameron (Letters, January 27) dismisses their considered judgment as “absurd”, because, well, he just knows.

Folk like myself who recognise our own ignorance, adopt the wise maxim of "experto crede”, and give their professionalism due credit. Not so the Rev Cameron; he scorns their knowledge.

His sense of superiority is lavish in its scope, including even Greta Thunberg, a popular hate figure of climate crisis deniers worldwide. She’s only a tiresome 17 years old, what can she know, compared to Dr Cameron, who just knows?

And how dare citizens "express themselves in all the ways available to them”. Everybody knows that democracy means putting a cross on a bit of paper once every five years then just doing what you’re told. Aye, right.

Our choice is stark and simple. We face speedy extinction in 12 years through environmental catastrophe, or instant oblivion in 12 hours through global nuclear suicide.

Our only hope lies in metanoia, or a change of heart. Christians used to be very keen on this. They called it repentance. Pity they don’t do this any more.

Brian Quail, Glasgow G11.