Let’s stop the climate change mud-slinging

PROFESSOR Bruce Webb recently suggested that ‘exploiting fossil fuels is not the answer’ and he is especially negatively critical of Mr Paul Mercer’s earlier comments.

Unfortunately, the die hard ‘XR’ zealots don’t want to listen to any debate and they cause ill-directed havoc to innocent people already doing their bit and more.

Yes, there are some at the other end who seem to deny that ever since the climate was created it has been changing and impacting the world, a natural process yet one where human beings also elevate our status beyond the influence we think we really have. Yes, temperatures have cooled and warmed long before humans were involved too.

However, it is not denied that human interactions cause changes to the climate and are indeed causing changes. Let us agree that the extent of that is subject to debate – it is not linear nor absolutely proven in all extents.

Even if you earn lots of money from replacement technologies and the trillions from governmental and charity research and education channelled into them. Yes, there are plenty of seriously financially compromised stances being taken in this debate, protecting their own financial existences too! That said, it is common sense to be cleaner if we can and better at using our resources.

What seems to be being ignored is the fact that yes, we are reacting (and the UK more than many) but it cannot be overnight change. Present naïve policies for changing to renewables have been likened to a new prototype IT system being available next week but turning-off the old one today in anticipation – not recommended.

In fact, the developed world’s excessive pariah status of fossil fuels has added to short-term supply issues and the rocketing prices by making it so difficult and costly to provide the supplies to ensure the world’s poorest can continue to heat and eat as we transition (this winter is going to be awful and compounded by these past policies).

Causing such difficulty to our most vulnerable in this way is not the solution nor the encouragement to bring them alongside climate change objectives. Indeed, we have found that our pious ‘mature’ policies have driven the same fossil fuel entities to be concentrated upon Russia, China, India and the developing world which don’t care like we do and yes, for pennies they have been buying our heavily regulated ‘dirty’ bits from great multinational companies.

We pump out 1% of carbon – China nearly 40% and we all share the same world.

Guess where the attention should be concentrated.

So let’s stop the mud-slinging and start to realise that yes, we should still be digging coal out from under our feet, exploiting our remaining North Sea oil and gas, fracking and also growing our nuclear power alongside our green initiatives as well. And by all means, let the academics work harder on carbon capture when we burn this cheaply accessible carbon fuel.

After all, they say we have 200 years’ supply of coal here.

Philip J Milton

Devon