LIKE many of us , I have just been notified that my future electricity and gas bill for the month is to rise by 230%.

Even as a pensioner, I think I might have just enough money laid by to cover such an amazing increase but my heart bleeds for all those young couples who are also having to deal with a rising mortgage and having to feed and clothe their families.

What really amazes me is how our Scottish and UK Governments have been stupid enough to allow us to get into such a ludicrous financial state regarding the production of electricity and gas. Some years ago I remember the Scottish Government closing down and eventually demolishing the Longannet power station, which produced electricity for central Scotland, simply because it was using coal.

Our atomic power stations are on their last legs and many of our wind turbines are owned, not by Scots, but by foreign investors who will no doubt be passing the profits back to their native countries.

While I have never been in favour of nationalisation, I am now forced to consider, that for the good of our nation, all electrical and gas supplies, and their distribution, should be nationalised and the profits put into the public purse.
Archibald A. Lawrie, Kingskettle, Fife

Face the real risks of wind farms

AS politicians of all colours herald the massive expansion of offshore and onshore wind, we have to wonder if their heads are so deeply buried in the sand that they do not see or hear of the environmental catastrophe being reported from overseas.

Multiple whales are washing up on the beaches of New Jersey and Nassau County. Twelve mayors are now calling for a halt to offshore wind pre-construction activity in order to investigate what is happening. One was a tracked whale named Luna that had been studied for four decades; it was halfway through its life when the wind developers started speculating in the ocean that was its home.

Do those who purport to represent us think that such carnage is not happening here? Just because we haven’t yet witnessed the multiple bodies of marine mammals on our beaches, that does not mean they are not lost out at sea. Out of sight out of mind perhaps?

Wind supporters often retort that cats, windows and cars are the biggest killers of birds. Whataboutery! If a member of the public killed or injured an eagle the media would go ballistic and the criminal prosecuted. Why do wind developers/operators appear to have a Get Out Of Jail Free card? Why won’t our policy makers look at the experiences of other countries? Why do they seem hell bent on repeating their mistakes?
Lyndsey Ward, Beauly

Calmac crews deserve our thanks

THANKS for the Big Read (“Calmac crew take brunt of public frustration over ferry fiasco”, The Herald, February 4). My wife and I have been travelling with Calmac for over 50 years and have always found their crews to be most helpful.

Last autumn, travelling back from Craignure to Oban, the ferry was delayed for nearly 45 minutes due to fog. Worried that we might miss our bus to Glasgow, my wife spoke with the purser, and shared our concern, explaining that I couldn’t walk fast as I had mobility issues. His response was to organise a seaman to wheel me, with my walker on my lap, in a Calmac wheelchair, through the crowds on Oban pier, and get us to the bus with seconds to spare.

The Calmac crews surely deserve the support of the public, not criticism. They’re doing a difficult and at times stressful job in challenging circumstances.
John Harvey, Glasgow

Lack of readiness on recycling scheme

AFTER 15 years in power, 11 as a majority government, the Still Not Proficient Scottish Government has come away with a poorly thought out deposit return scheme for glass, aluminium, and PET plastic single-use drink/fluids containers. The current collection service will still run in tandem, so any 10p deposits not reclaimed, for whatever reason, will become an automatic income stream for the government.

We currently rely on home delivery for our bulky and heavier items and liquids definitely fall into this category, so do we assume that whichever supermarket we use will accept all recyclable material without proof that every item came from them initially?

The scheme is currently set to start operation in August. It would be helpful if the government would spend some time in promoting this scheme well ahead of the start. Many people are, in effect, about to have 10p added to a good few of their shopping purchases, without easy access to redemption points.
George Dale, Beith

Enough of the fairytale fantasies

WHAT is a woman? It is astonishing that elected leaders in Scotland have such difficulty in defining this. They tie themselves in knots with, clearly, SPAD-written answers that dance round the question. Informative they are not. What on earth is wrong with “female adult human”?

The fact that they were being asked specifically about a convicted double rapist when the legal definition for rape in Scotland is clear means that with the SNP we really are now in The Emperor’s New Clothes territory. We are living under an administration with fairy tale fantasists in charge, making laws and forcing views on us, no matter the absolutely certain problems they will bring or the illogicality involved.
Alexander McKay, Edinburgh

The hidden cost of potholes

MANY people will be surprised to learn from the local authority umbrella group Cosla that road repairs are non-statutory services. The devious Scottish government said it was up to the local authorities how they spent their budgets. So the public and businesses pay income taxes, Vat, council tax, NIC contributions, car tax, fuel duty, death duties, capital gains and much more yet are denied decent roads. The Scottish Government has wasted millions of pounds on vanity projects. Local authorities are not blameless. Giving free electricity to rich EV owners has cost millions and it cost one council £260,000. A lot of pothole repairs.
Clark Cross, Linlithgow

Fix the problem in schools

I CAN'T thank you enough for the "toxic positivity" article (“Teacher reveals failings causing turmoil in Glasgow school", The Herald, February 2). You have said what has needed to be said for a long time. More people should know just how bad it is for everyone in schools.

Now could someone with power and influence actually do something about this sorry mess?
Yvonne Armour, Irvine

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