Letter: Global warming lies

Letter:

Global warming lies

Sir: The comments of Dr Topfer ("Too late to stop global warming", 16 September) on the Kyoto agreement are a refreshing dose of honesty in a debate characterised by lies.

We are no longer in a position to discuss preventing climate change; the fact that average global temperatures continue to rise year-on-year should be evidence of this.

When Tony Blair committed Britain to reducing CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2010 in 1997, The Independent warned that there would have to be "big changes" to our lifestyles. Other than a hike in petrol duty, we have seen few such changes.

If we are to limit the damage, we must act soon, and drastically. Unfortunately such action is unlikely to be forthcoming and it is the selfishness of people, not the timidity of governments, that is to blame.

There are many, especially in the United States, who will deny that climate change is going to happen until the entire state of California is under water.

The "scientists" who were employed by the oil lobby to do "research" into the potential for climate change prior to the Kyoto summit, and then told the public that there was no problem, will be remembered in the same way as those who told us cigarettes posed no threat to human health.

DAVID ADAMS

Portchester,

Hampshire