30th December 2005

Martin Kirby's recent colourful attack on environmentalists and their 'free-range, wind-powered, happy-clappy fantasy world' may make interesting reading, but would carry more credibility if he actually answered how we are to make a safe future for ourselves and future generations (Citizen, 12/12/05).

Our CO2 emissions are on the rise, we won't meet the woefully inadequate Kyoto targets and the recent Montreal conference only agreed to talk more about talks. What does Mr Kirby think about the vast majority of scientists who say we need to act now to avert the effects of catastrophic climate change?

Furthermore does he also dismiss the oil companies who say we are reaching a 'peak' (now or in a few years time), from when we will produce less oil than we do today? One industry-insider suggests within 5 to 10 years we will have only 70 percent of the oil we have today when we would need to have 150 percent. It is a problem of staggering economic proportions.

I would suggest that it is Mr Kirby that is living in a fantasy world. We have to start shifting away from oil use and if we are careful and bold about how we do it we can avoid impacting heavily on the poorer sections of our society - but we have to act now. We cannot afford to ignore economic or environmental realities - or for that matter try and make a joke out of those who are proposing the very solutions we desperately need.

David Wood, Stroud District Green party
Chalford Hill