MR Ray Quirke of Okehampton and Dartmoor Against Turbines would be on very flimsy ground to deny that humankind is and has been a major contributor to climate change, as the science is very robust with hardly a dissident among those who are experts and work and research in this field. Their reports accept the effects of sunspots and natural patterns, but demonstrate very strongly (conclusively to most people) that these do not match with or account for the large increases in global temperatures since the start of the 20th century. These increases have been caused by industrialisation, transport and population growth which have meant higher CO2 emissions due to greater use of fossil fuels. Experts in climate change are united, almost without exception, in the view that we need to act now to reduce CO2 emissions by burning less fossil fuels. A recent example of this is a report last month from the UK?s leading climate change researchers. ?The UK will need to make major emissions reduction over the next couple of decades,? according to a study by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. This is a world-respected establishment which, as well as advising government organisations in this country, has been consulted by the White House and the Pentagon, both of whom have been notoriously slow (like Mr Quirke) to accept mankind?s contribution to global warming. But even they are finally showing signs of accepting what the likes of the Tyndall Centre and their own scientists at NASA have been telling them. The consensus in the scientific community is there - climate change is happening, we are contributing to it, and we need to do everything in our power to reduce that contribution before it is too late. With uncontrollable climate changes approaching very rapidly and fuel requirements increasing, we urgently need replacement sustainable energy supplies. At present, commercial wind power is the best and cheapest proven technology, though its use is limited. There is no single easy answer to the problem, and every option will come with a price, with the best options being local and varied. Nuclear power does not even rate as one of these options. It is neither sustainable, nor does it reduce CO2 emissions significantly. This is because of limited supplies, the emissions in mining the fuel and in its transportation. Wind power can help us to reduce emissions by reducing the amount of energy we need to generate from fossil fuel power stations. Even if like Germany, we do not close them altogether, by reducing the power they produce we limit the damage they do to the climate. Paul Baker Managing director Devon Association for Renewable Energy
