Letter: Forest shock

Sir: The horrifying news about a possible runaway greenhouse effect seems to be too immense in its implications for our Chancellor and government. The Chancellor's Budget was, at best, a gutless admonishment to wasteful energy usage.

The Government could at least demand a global levy on aviation fuel in the forthcoming Buenos Aires meeting. Flying is far and away the most energy-indulgent form of moving anything - from first-world global shoppers to ridiculous inessentials like cut flowers and mangetout from Africa. Enacted multilaterally, a tax would only disadvantage the inefficient and the indulgent - which is what taxes should be for.

Anand Zenz

London SE11