Sir, – With COP26 we can reflect ruefully on PM Thatcher’s 1989 address to the UN on criticality of climate action, ironically undone by her trust in market forces.
Her admirable address ended with Milton, while PM Johnston in 2021 ended with Kermit the Frog. Thatcher’s address as a scientist was heartfelt, honest.
Johnson’s influence for years was the opposite with his mocking scepticism in Telegraph pieces giving credence to climate crisis deniers.
Read the hypocrisies in his UN climate speech including the lie that “I committed £11.6 billion…to the rest of the world… to tackle climate change… in spite of pressures by Covid…have kept that promise to the letter”, while that money is more than clawed back by cuts to 0.5% in foreign aid until at least 2025.
Climate action can be driven by ordinary people, beyond political interest. The principles akin to Thatcher’s 1989 address, and now seminal pressure from the likes of Greta Thunberg, on climate must become unavoidable for political leaders.
I trust Alok Sharma can promote success at COP26 on behalf of the UK. Any moves to Johnson grandstanding, that may serve his ratings in the UK, would undermine COP26 actions as he has few (zero?) true friends among world leaders.
Time for Johnson to “grow up” in his words if he wants a decent epitaph, to facilitate but back out of the spotlight – stopping lying would also help. May the world unite in Glasgow.
Mike Hannan, Cults, Aberdeen.
Summit must lead to definite goal
Sir, – For too long world leaders, concerned only with economic wealth, have ignored the growing ecological crisis.
In 1982 world climate scientist Professor Ehrlich wrote: “What we do now will decide the future of the Earth for thousands or even millions of years.”
Well, as 2022 approaches and with temperatures rising by over 1.5 degrees C, time is running out to avert an irreversible climate chain reaction. With global fires, flood and famine increasing, along with polar ice caps melting, this is a stark reality; which has been greatly accelerated by man’s pollution and relentless exploitation of our planet’s resources.
The fact is scientific evidence is now clear that if temperatures rise by 3 degrees C disaster will happen. Therefore this COP26 summit must produce a definite global plan of action to tackle this climate emergency. If not, planet Earth will survive but mankind will not.
Grant Frazer, Cruachan, Newtonmore.
Words need to convert to action
Sir, – Whatever is decided at COP26, leaders of governments will then have to convert this into action. The media, opposition politicians, experts, pressure groups and the public will no doubt scrutinise, analyse, criticise, and maybe even eulogise statements or announcements by Boris Johnson as they did with his pronouncements from the podium during Downing Street Covid briefings.
This is entirely correct in a democracy such as ours. However, in their inevitable attempts to grab some virtue signalling headlines during COP 26 and beyond, it is far from certain that similar pronouncements by the SNP/Greens will get the same treatment.
Nicola Sturgeon’s Covid briefings were meekly accepted at face value with little airtime or newspaper column inches being devoted to serious scrutiny. Indeed, she was praised for her leadership in presiding over what is turning out to be, at very best, a mediocre outcome.
Much of what is decided in Glasgow will be the responsibility of Holyrood to implement in Scotland. Sadly, the SNP’s poor record on converting words into action, and their failure to meet their own environmental, alternative energy and green jobs targets thus far, does not inspire much confidence.
Sturgeon herself calls for “credible actions” to limit climate change. Credibility can only be achieved once all the right questions have been asked and answered and this is not a trait associated with the SNP. We have too much to lose to allow them to get it wrong.
Mark Openshaw, Earlswells Road, Cults, Aberdeen.