AS we wallow in salacious stories from Westminster, George Kerevan in Monday’s National writes common sense on an issue which may yet prove more dramatic (Scotland should think twice before joining new arms race with Russia, May 2). World tension mounts. Gas-hungry Germany, a leading player in Nato, is becoming restless. The UK may up its spending on defence, likewise involving Scotland which harbours the greatest threat of a World War Three.

READ MORE: David Pratt: The perils of Russia's changing war in Ukraine

Behind current political follies lies an over-riding danger, the changing flow of currents in the North Atlantic and elsewhere on the planet due to a rapid warming of the oceans poses a threat to food production. Will politicians learn to prioritise?

Are we, the public, to blame by voting in myopic minds? The world needs leaders prepared tackle the three major issues facing us: global warming, ridding the world of nuclear weapons, and making Scotland an independent nation that leads in helping to save the planet for the common good of all humanity.

Iain R Thomson
Strathglass