We need to get away from fossil fuel use

Sir, – In response to Neil J Bryce’s letter (‘Let’s stick to the facts over climate change’, May 31), critical of the assertion that global temperature dipped during the pandemic due to reduced human activity, I thought it would be valuable to provide a small extract of the data that Nasa provides which is open to anyone to read and absorb.

The increase in temperature can be visible annually from 1880 to 2021 by expanding the online graph. The temperature had increased by +0.72C; 2015 +0.9C; 2016 +1.02C; 2017 +0.92C; 2018 +0.85C; 2019 +0.98C; 2020 +1.02C; 2021 +0.85C.

It can be seen that there is a steady increase in temperature year on year until 2016, a slight dip 2017 to 2019 then back up to 2020. Then the Covid pandemic kicked in during 2020/21 and the global activity decreased, as did our economies, which are still slowly recovering.

Further information on the same site states that 19 of the hottest years have occurred since 2000.

This information is broadly in line with the University of East Anglia – Climate Research Unit and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

It is clear therefore that the temperature did decrease, and did not increase as Mr Bryce asserted in his letter.

Nuclear fusion may well in future result in a valuable energy source.

However, and it is a big however, the investment required to bring fusion into a viable and economic base load provider is staggeringly huge.

Currently, fusion has operated for seconds rather than years.

The energy input required was exceptionally high to produce this few seconds of fusion. It will improve through time and effort and, of course, money that currently may well be another “unplanned cost”. As I stated in a previous letter on this subject, the selling story for nuclear fission energy hailed “free electricity” for all.

Nuclear fusion will not be free either.

As Mr Cole alludes, in his

letter (‘World has to stop using fossil fuels, May 31) use of fossil fuels correlates to global temperature increase, and we humans are responsible.

We have options to reduce our use of said chemicals and retain for future use, which will result in a transition plan.

Mr Bryce’s letter seems to agree in transition planning, the disagreement seems to be on the pace of transition. There is no planet B so let’s get on with reshaping/reducing our energy needs, rather than throwing spanners in the works.

Alistair Ballantyne. Birkhill,

Angus.

The effect of fossil fuels is seen up close as a Polish village is cloaked in smog from coal stoves.