Doing nothing about CO2 production is not an option

Sir, – Contributors Dr Wardrop and Mr Cross are entitled to their views but repeating them in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary is very disappointing.

CO2 is one of the primary causes of global warming and its presence amplifies the water vapour content in the atmosphere due to evaporation from land and water sources, which also adds to the temperature increase.

However, water vapour cannot on its own leap into the sky and drag CO2 in with it.

The effects of cosmic variations on global temperature has been investigated and discounted by several other scientists knowledgeable in the field.

It is not the cause. Likewise, variations in the orbit of the sun and increased sunspot activity have all been investigated and are not causal factors.

Charles Wardrop continues to insist that a faulty computer model is driving the incorrect direction. Once more, several others in the business of climate computer modelling refute this view.

Dr Wardrop advised that the web blog page Electroverse is a sound basis for his viewpoint. It has been reviewed by media fact checking services and has been defined as low credibility and pseudo-science, hardly something you would want to bet the planet on.

Yes, I agree with his point, that we will need oil for many years to come for many uses, but we should not be ‘burning it’ in internal combustion engines or power stations.

Mr Cross cites other countries – that are generally the larger producers of CO2 – are still building coal and oil-fired power stations. He appears to imply that Scotland and the UK should not be taking any action until these producers put their energy conversion systems into reverse gear.

It is at least positive that he does not deny something needs to be done to reduce CO2 production. He doesn’t think EVs are the way forward, but what to do Mr Cross? Nothing? Surely not.

There is no Planet B, we had better look after this one.

Perhaps we should consider adding a CO2 tax on those items produced in countries that are still using fossil fuels to produce power. That would feed through into costing us the consumer more, but market economics should encourage local manufacture and recycling.

Doing nothing is not an option.

Alistair Ballantyne. Birkhill,

Angus.