Letters | 18 July 2009

A heated debate

Sir: One reason why we continue to live in an unsustainable way is that not enough people accept the reality and implications of climate change (‘The great climate change con trick’, 11 July). Green issues may be higher up the agenda than before but Professor Plimer needn’t fret: procrastinating politicians continue to encourage business-as-usual consumption and unsustainable growth. Sadly, Professor Plimer is not alone in his climate-sceptic views, as sales of his new book indicate. So he has, it would seem, every reason to be cheerful.

Nick Reeves
Executive Director, Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management
London WC1




Sir: It is sad to see the desperate wishful thinking that The Spectator is now engaged in over the climate crisis. From a cover proclaiming ‘Relax: global warming is a myth’ to James Delingpole saying ‘Imagine how wonderful the world would be if man-made global warming were just a figment of Al Gore’s imagination… Imagine no more, for your fairy godmother is here’, you are playing shamelessly to people’s selfish desire not to make changes to their lives to prevent our children’s future from being devastated.

The irony here is that the changes that we need to make to stop runaway climate change are in most cases the very changes that we need in order to make our world a better place. A huge drop in pollution, a relocalisation of our society, less stress, revived community spirit and the like. It is extremely unfortunate, to say the least, that in your desire not to have to change anything about the way that society operates, you are missing the chance to make the very changes that would make us as a people happier.

Councillor Rupert Read
Green Party candidate in the Norwich North by-election, Norwich



Sir: The normal suspects are fulminating because James Delingpole actually dared to thoroughly read and review my book Heaven and Earth: Global warming — the missing science.