IN response to Giles Chichester's letter December 3, I write to suggest that the challenges of diminishing oil and gas resources, coupled with climate change, demand more serious attention than he is able to give. We all know that electricity and gas prices are going up; this is because these resources are becoming scarcer.
We all notice climate change — the roses are blooming in my garden as I write; the polar ice is melting more quickly than we predicted.
The scientific consensus (still) is that climate change is the result of burning those huge reserves of fossil fuel over the years. MEP Giles Chichester confesses to a fondness for old-style incandescent light bulbs which produce 90% heat and 10% light — but I believe he would do better to focus his attention on locating a secure source of electricity which powers them.
Wind turbines not your thing? Then make sure we harness the wave, tidal and hydro electric resources which abound in our beautiful South West. Concerned about the economic recession? Then let's invest in 'green' jobs and technologies, to ensure that our lights stay on and our houses warm.
Politicians and people of all political hues are waking up to the ecological crisis fast approaching us — we need courage to look at the bigger picture, and vision to find new approaches to living in the 21st century.
Chris Simpson
Whitchurch Road
Tavistock