Scotland leading?

As I would expect from Roseanna Cunningham, MSP, the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, she, or one of the numerous spin doctors, paints a rosy and exaggerated picture of our environmental achievements (“Eco-activism helps make Scotland a better place”, Platform, The Scotsman, 3 July).

Some beautiful soundbites which might impress the SNP followers but not the majority of better-informed people: “Scotland leading global action to address environmental challenges.”

So what can Scotland do about the fact that 90 per cent of plastic in our oceans comes from ten rivers in Africa and Asia? Not a lot of people know that.

Then: “This summer is also the time for us to draw up plans to build on our environmental leadership.”

Perhaps Ms Cunningham can tell us who Scotland is leading? Not China, which is still increasing its emissions; not countries which are building coal-fired power plants; not countries which are burning fossil fuels; not countries which use petrol and diesel to fuel their transport; not countries which are exploring for shale gas which Nicola Sturgeon has “banned”, or has she?

That really leaves very few countries for Scotland to lead.

CLARK CROSS

Springfield Road, Linlithgow

David Morris interprets my letter (2 July) as an attack on renewables and on the safety of using hydrogen rather than natural gas for energy generation.

My main points were, in fact, that, 1) hydrogen is very difficult to make safe in generating energy; 2) hydrogen production’s dependence on electric power from any source incurs CO2 release; 3) nuclear power for electricity generation still needs technical improvements for safety, and 4) claims that excess atmospheric CO2 is the vital cause of climate changes have been much exaggerated.

Thus David Morris has greatly mistaken my letter’s intended messages.

(DR) CHARLES WARDROP

Viewlands Road West, Perth