Climate change is a challenge to be met by all

PETER Auty (Mail Box, March 11) calls for readers to contact their MPS in favour of continued use of peat in garden compost.

He has been campaigning for this and against what he calls the “green agenda” for some time here and in other newspapers.

Rather than trying to turn the peat-clock back, I suggest readers have a good look at the candidates in the upcoming local and general elections, and judge who is a) taking the climate and biodiversity crisis seriously b) has a programme to address it and its effects, c) is connecting threats to standards of living, health and wellbeing to the need to shift away from carbon, and d) is not trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes by pretending that all this can be done while carrying on as usual.

The problem we have to face is that, even if like Mr Auty we ignore the causes of the climate catastrophe, we and our children will not be able to ignore its consequences.

Sadly, it has to be repeated, our economies are built on two centuries of extraction and oxidation of stored carbon, whether it be coal, oil, gas or indirectly by digging up peatlands.

We know without a shadow of doubt that emissions from industry, transport and modern intensive agriculture including the peat business are rapidly changing weather systems all over the world.

They are melting ice, provoking extreme heat, drought and storms, acidifying oceans, raising sea levels, and pushing millions of species towards extinction. The results will be more than consequential for people and it is foolish to pretend otherwise.

Of courses Mr Auty is right that large countries such as the US and China have to develop large policies. As a country with traditional credibility despite recent chaos, the UK needs to ensure that we act with like-minded European neighbours, and all countries of good will. Climate does not respect borders. We simply can’t pick and choose.

What is required is going to be unprecedented economic and social change. We either take this seriously or we leave it to chance and pay a far greater price.

Decarbonising our country is going to be complex and difficult. Mistakes may be made on the way. But do it we must.

Mr Auty may be very good at growing tomatoes but his case is mischievous and false, and deserves to be consigned to history.

Dr Andrew Blewett.