LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Reasons to be cheerful as we head into New Year It’s not all doom and gloom as we head into the new year Do disasters make push for net zero a futile pursuit?
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While last year seemed to be one of doom and gloom in the world, including ongoing war in Ukraine, conflict in Gaza and the cost-of-living crisis, there was in fact much to celebrate.
Medically, we are seeing a pace of progress that has not been witnessed for a century. Artificial intelligence and 3D printing provide amazing opportunities, and thanks in part to Covid-19 and the vaccines devised to tackle this, there also is the opportunity to help eradicate certain types of cancer.
The rise of renewables also became unstoppable, and according to a report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), they will provide half the world’s electricity by 2030. The year also saw the Amazon rainforest breathe a little easier, with rates of deforestation down more than half compared to last year. This follows efforts to halt tree loss, most notably in Brazil.
The list of endangered species continued to grow in 2023, but some creatures bounced back from the brink. One of them was the scimitar-horned oryx, which until 2023 was listed as ‘extinct in the wild’ but has been successfully reintroduced to Chad using captive animals. Other notable successes include Scotland’s surging golden eagle population.
There were also notable wins for the LGBTQ community as a clutch of countries broke down some of the barriers to same-sex partnerships. For example, Nepal registered its first gay marriage in November, becoming one of the first Asian nations to do so. Latvia, a laggard in Europe, also voted to legalise same-sex partnerships.
So, while for many of us last year may seem one to be despondent about, there were some notable positives to be celebrated.
Alex Orr
Marchmont Road
Edinburgh
Since time began Mother Nature has unleashed volcanoes, earthquakes, tornadoes, cyclones, tsunamis and hurricanes.
In today’s world these create massive structural damage which needs to be cleared up and then rebuilt creating greenhouse gases. Mother Nature creates more greenhouse gases than Mankind can ever save.
The Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Hamas wars plus another 29 conflicts worldwide create even more greenhouse gas in the manufacture of weapons and missiles and then clearing up and rebuilding the shattered infrastructure.
Strange that those in the lucrative climate industry never mention this when they dictate that we must not fly, but buy expensive heat pumps and EVs, cycle, use public transport and eat less meat.
This shows the futility of net zero.
Clark Cross
Springfield Road
Linlithgow
Get in touch by emailing newsdesk@hnmedia.co.uk, referencing Ross-shire Journal.
