JIM Allan poses some pretty interesting questions about climate (HAS, Jan 14).

The Royal Society and others state the following: ● The average global temperature has increased by 0.74C in 100 years. This is based on direct measurement, sea level rise and glacier recession and is larger than can be accounted for by natural factors such as changes in the Earth’s orbit, sunspot activity or volcanoes.

● The “tiny” 0.037 per cent CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than it has ever been during the past 650,000 years. This is based on analysis of gas trapped in polar ice. The radioactivity and chemical composition shows it is mainly sourced from burning of fossil fuels.

Water vapour is indeed the most significant greenhouse gas, but its overall effect on climate depends on so many weather conditions – eg, clouds, convection, etc. That is less damaging than CO2.

There are a lot of sceptics and, equally, some people jumping on the green bandwagon.

Is it all a fairytale like “The Emperor’s New Clothes”, or can it just possibly be true?

I do agree with Mr Allan that wind turbines are useless. You can’t guarantee the wind and government subsidies hide the true costs.

Tim Glanvill, Northallerton, North Yorkshire.