Will living a perfect Green sustainable lifestyle really help to save the planet?

TO REDUCE carbon emissions to zero, all gas boilers will have to be removed by 2050, meaning electricity capacity would have to double. Where will this come from? The Government has taken away many of the incentives for solar power . Extending the Drax power station with its wood-burning supplies from Canada is a real no-no. Wind power is unreliable and costly. The major problems in the nuclear generating industry will take decades to be resolved. Air pumps, heat pumps, biogas, biomass, carbon capture and hydrogen substitutes are not proven reliable solutions. What about the cost to householders? Home heating bills could increase five-fold. With UK carbon emissions responsible for only one per cent of the world’s pollution, is it not a more reasonable strategy to lobby the governments of the major polluters, the U.S., Russia, China, India and Japan, to make changes?

M. G. MORTLEY, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset.

CLIMATE change is caused by people who drive cars, heat their houses, fly in planes and eat food. The problem is that reducing the world’s population is not an easy subject. When Sir David Attenborough highlighted the pollution in our oceans caused by discarded plastic, it caused an immediate reaction. But even though he has spoken many times about the problems created by the ever-increasing world population, he is ignored. Reducing the birth rate is fraught with difficulties. More people means more growth so politicians will not listen, many religions are against contraception and in some developing countries, contraception is a cultural taboo. However, ignoring the primary cause of climate change will lead to all other initiatives eventually failing.

PETER AMEY, norwich. THE recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change should have taken into account the carbon footprint of food imports. In the Sixties, our meals were based on UK-grown seasonal produce. If the farmers grew more local produce and the supermarkets stocked only seasonal food, we would also be much healthier. w. purvis, newcastle upon Tyne. THERE are more than 30 million cars in Britain. For just three million electric cars travelling 50 miles each day, we would need two more power stations. If we want to ban petrol and diesel cars by 2030, a great deal more electricity generation has to be made available. Practical? No way. Just another policy decision without doing the basic sums.

alan stackman, Calne, wilts. OUR eco warriors will go to virgin heathland, where people hike and the birds soar. They will dig holes to fill with tons of concrete as a base for wind turbines. These can catch fire, kill birds, emit a disturbing noise and only last 20 years. To connect to the National Grid, miles of trenches will be dug. But they think this is the way to save the planet. terry payne, Banstead, surrey.