Coal kills and is certainly not 'common sense' - Yorkshire Post Letters

The sheer ignorance of William Loneskie in his letter dated June 4 is shocking. He blames a possible power cut scenario next winter on the Climate Change Act, Ed Milliband, Theresa May and Net Zero. Ludicrous!

His preferred climate strategy – double down on coal use, and reverse phasing out coal fired power stations. For his information, coal kills in many ways – just Google it.

His lack of understanding of basic facts is stunning.

He is correct that CO2 represents 0.04 per cent of the earth’s atmosphere but concludes this is an inconsequential amount. For decades climate scientists have established how that small proportion is vitally important. Currently it stands at 422 parts/million, rising almost 5 parts in the last year.

The scientific consensus is that 450 parts/million means two degrees global heating is inevitable, and catastrophic.

Then he says the UK only ‘‘contributes around one per cent of the world’s total’’ CO2.

Does he still not realise nearly a third of global emissions comes from countries whose territorial emissions are each one per cent or less of the global total; around half from nations that account for less than three per cent each? Shall we just ignore all of those too?

‘‘When will we have an energy policy based on common sense,” he asks?

Never, if we allow ourselves to be fooled by the disinformation spouted by William Loneskie.