We need to look at hard facts on climate

Sir, – I should like to clarify the caption to the photograph included with my letter in The Courier (May 11) about netzero.

I believe that the actions of man cannot significantly change the climate, however it is continuously changing and always has.

The change is primarily due to our primary energy source,

the sun, which overshadows all other natural sources.

The sun varies in strength, causing warm periods during Roman, medieval and modern times with the Dark Ages and the Little Ice Age in between.

Global warming finished in 2000 and, over the last 20 years, while CO2 continued to rise, satellite records show a change of just 0.08°C in global temperatures.

This proves conclusively that carbon dioxide has an insignificant influence. It is also true that by far and away the most prolific and effective greenhouse gas is water vapour and clouds.

Water molecules are about twice as active as CO2 at absorbing infra-red radiation.

In addition the infra-red bands of CO2 are saturated and contribute a negligible amount to any greenhouse effect.

The amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide is overwhelmed by water vapour by a factor of around 90 to 1, yet this is hardly reported.

Since carbon dioxide is not the culprit, being essential to

humans, animals and crops, the COP26 international decision to adopt the net-zero policy to gradually reduce and eliminate the use of fossil fuels has an insignificant effect on the climate and is actually harmful.

As there is nothing we can do to change the climate, we should continue to use fossil fuels while becoming as energy independent as possible, and also developing the best alternative energy sources which do not include unreliable and costly wind.

Scotland has a wealth of alternatives from oil to gas, hydroelectric, tidal generators, clean nuclear power, with nuclear fission on the horizon, all of which, with cleaned-up emissions, would considerably lessen our burgeoning cost-ofliving problems.

If we were more attentive to the facts, we could be leading the world with these initiatives instead of running them down.

Sean Galbally.

West Altamount Lane, Blairgowrie.