GEOFFREY Bulmer wishes he could be as laid back as I am about global warming (HAS, Dec 29). I hope the following will help.

There have been periods of global warming and cooling in the distant past which weren’t caused by people driving cars and using central heating.

The atmosphere contained a small amount of carbon dioxide 250 years ago – ie, 0.028 per cent.

Today, it is 0.038 per cent. Still only a small amount. Some climatologists say this increase is causing global warming.

Others disagree. No one knows for sure.

However, political leaders have decided global warming threatens the human race.

Gordon Brown said a successful Copenhagen conference was essential to “save the world”.

The conference was a failure, so we are doomed. Or are we?

If we are facing doom why doesn’t the Government, among other measures, immediately reduce speed limits to 60mph on motorways, 50mph on highways and 20mph in towns?

Why doesn’t it ban sales of cars with engines above 1.5litres and pour money into developing cars that run on batteries, fuel cells and biofuels?

Why doesn’t it get on with building nuclear power stations, or invest in power generation based on underground coal gasification, as in Australia?

And why doesn’t it abandon inefficient, expensive and almost useless wind farms? Search me.

Jim Allan, Hartlepool.