Extinction Rebellion may be a nuisance, but climate change is no longer something that can be ignored

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

As a Londoner who has this week repeatedly suffered travel disruption caused by the climate change protesters, I have at times felt more than a scintilla of irritation at their actions (although I do get their point). But unlike Andrew Brown, embracing "right-wing populism" is a reaction that hasn’t even remotely entered my head. Perhaps he should take a long hard look in the mirror.

Marc Patel
Dulwich

Andrew Brown asserts that Extinction Rebellion are a nuisance. Their actions may be, but their intentions are good – many scientists are warning us of the terrible threat posed by climate change and it can be argued that thousands are already dying as a result of our carbon emissions.

Energy efficiency is a key element of reducing carbon emissions, and it saves money. Extinction may be an inevitable consequence of our governments taking too long to devise and enact a route to sustainable living.

Michael Mann
Shrewsbury

Two of your letters on 16 April fail to see the connection between our present political crisis and the imperative of tackling climate change. Norway’s oil revenues, Ms Taylor, are not infinite – and even if they were, energy based on fossil fuels is killing the planet.

Finally, Andrew Brown: his arrogant attitude explains precisely why direct and urgent action is necessary to prevent short-sighted populist policies making our common home uninhabitable.

Richard Greenwood
Bewdley

Brexit has shown how difficult independence would be for Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon claims there will be "nothing disorderly" about Scottish independence, were it ever to happen. It would seem the years of Brexit chaos have passed her by – and we haven't even got down to the detail yet.

What? It's taking many years of bitter, fraught negotiations to extricate us from a "semi-detached" political union with the EU. It seems optimistic in the extreme to suggest severing 300-plus years of closely intertwined social, cultural, political and economic relationships will be a walk in the park.

Opinion polls shows the majority of us don't want an imminent IndyRef2, however we may vote. The truth behind Ms Sturgeon's rhetoric is that she knows voters are sick of hectoring politicians forcing referenda on us, with the potential to cause protracted constitutional chaos.

Martin Redfern
Edinburgh

Porn restrictions are a disaster waiting to happen

So the government is outsourcing age verification systems, many of which will be based around ownership of credit cards, to the porn industry. Now doesn’t that that sound a brilliant idea, on an intellectual par with contracting for ferries which don’t exist!

Presumably the hope is that when there is an Ashley Madison event, and gigabytes of personal details are released or stolen, to be pored over on the dark web, that the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will hope they can deny all responsibility. Dear Conservative government, I don’t think “it’s nothing to do with us” will cut it!

Arthur Streatfield
Bath

Remaining is the only sensible option

As a Remainer, fearful of being guilty of closing my mind to opposing arguments, I have read books critical of the EU and, in addition to The Independent – dare I say it – occasionally taken the Daily Telegraph.

True the EU has its faults and needs reform but the facts reveal that leaving it is not the answer. By remaining in the EU we can act as a catalyst for change as we’ve done before when, for example, we spearheaded the introduction of the single market. Also, with us in, the EU will have greater influence in helping to address global problems such as climate change.

That’s why it is important, if elections do take place, to vote for candidates (and political parties) dedicated to making the EU work rather than those who are lukewarm or want to disrupt it. Because, if we remain, all our MEPs should work for us – not just the few.

Roger Hinds
Surrey