Making the weather

sir – Finally, a world leader has refused to be hoodwinked by questionable climate change science (“Trump confirms US will pull out of Paris climate accord”, report, June 2).

Reduction in manmade changes to the climate, such as they are, will come through advances in technology, driven by economic benefits, not through government diktats which cost every single person a significant sum. Nick Parry

Chester

sir – In view of the huge cost of renewables like wind and solar power, and their intermittent supply nature, perhaps we should be returning to coal and shale gas or nuclear power as reliable and cheap sources of energy.

Any electrical energy resource, whether fossil-fuel-based or renewable, requires much more research to make it cheaper and greener. Wind and solar power require a quantum leap in battery technology. Equally, research into the safe disposal of radioactive waste is necessary.

Probably the saddest indictment of our past efforts has been the cutting of all research on carbon sequestration of emissions from coal-fired, oil-fired and gas-based power plants. When both the American and British governments suspended research in these areas several years ago, the technology was on the verge of spectacular success. Perhaps President Donald Trump is right to make us think again. Professor R G Faulkner Loughborough, Leicestershire