It’s depressing to hear that the oil companies have been given permission to drill for oil in the deeper waters off the Scottish coast.

One wonders if this will continue until every removable amount of fossil fuel has been taken from the earth, despite the fact that a great deal of damage has already been done to this world, with increases in wind speeds, higher levels of rain and snowfall, more dangerous hurricanes and the loss of ice from the poles, producing an ever an ever increasing risk of rising sea levels.

Things can only get worse, but does anybody care?

Isn’t it about time that a serious attempt was made to cut back on the use of fossil fuels by, for instance, raising the cost of vehicle fuel to a level that will really deter people from using road transport.

Let’s face it, the majority of cars and lorries are quite unnecessary.

Derrick Holt, Fortnam Close, Headington, Oxford