Global warming

The reaction to this error – that Himalayan glaciers will melt by 2035 – by sceptics is “wildly alarmist” as the scientific consensus on climate change remains the same, despite the error. I do concede that an error was made, a huge one, calling into question the reliability of other findings by the IPCC. However, this was one mistake in a voluminous report and goes no way towards disproving years of thorough research by countless scientists that indicate anthropocentric climate change.

The mistake was highlighted by climate scientists and not deniers, lest we forget; the deniers have pounced like vultures. The sceptics are mostly politically-motivated lobbyists, unable to provide any substantial scientific research of their own to support their claims. Instead, they resort to pointing out errors in the work of proper scientists.

A slower rate of retreat for the Himalayan glaciers is still a huge concern;, the repercussions are already being felt. Climate change is a sinister problem of the utmost concern for any reasonable and sound-of-mind person. We need to act swiftly to curb the effects.

Jonathon Heslop, Billingham.

IT is becoming increasingly clear that politicians who say “climate change is real and it is man-made” have apparently been basing their thinking on flawed science.

More than 17,000 scientists have signed a petition circulated by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine which states that “there is no scientific evidence that man-made CO2 emissions, methane or other greenhouse gases are causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate”.

Professor John Beddington, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, said recently that climate scientists should be less hostile to sceptics who question man-made global warming. He added that large-scale climate modelling is subject to great uncertainties regarding the rate of change and local effects, empirical evidence and the computer models themselves.

I believe it is now necessary for our political masters to review their present intention to see thousands of wind turbines built, onshore and offshore, in the mistaken belief that they will achieve a large reduction in our CO2 emissions.

The wind farms will have to rely on back-up fossil fuel power stations to compensate for changes in wind speeds and this will result in the back-up stations generating electricity at three times the rate of that by the turbines.

Jim Allan, Hartlepool.

I WOULD appeal to critics of wind farm efficiency for a little patience as industry will eventually design better shaped blades, and other components, producing more power. These wind farms will eventually “come good”. They have to.

Fred M Atkinson, Shincliffe, Durham.