Newark Advertiser reader letters: Wake up to fresh, green technology
In his letter, Mr Sheppard cast doubt on the validity of scientific consensus.
Whilst I might possibly agree with him if only two or three studies from one subject area were involved.
However, when it comes to climate change, thousands if not hundreds of thousands of studies in many subject areas such as meteorology, oceanography, glaciology, ornithology, entomology, dendrology, etc. etc. have all pointed in the same direction which is that man-made climate change is an existential threat to humanity.
Climate scientists have never varied their position as to small changes in global average temperature.
They have been saying for many years that these small increases will lead to increased frequency of extreme weather conditions, and this has proved to be the case.
The result of this has been an increase in home insurance premiums around the world. The insurance industry realises that the cost of doing nothing far outweighs the cost of moving to renewables.
It is no wonder why British politicians are keen to transition to renewables.
The Germans have shown that relying on imported gas with varying prices is devastating for an economy.
Building the infrastructure for a carbon neutral supply system will be expensive and possibly a lot slower than the government is hoping, but in the long term the potential benefits for the country are huge.
Mr Sheppard is correct in that more money is being invested in green technologies than in fossil fuels, this is because the markets not only agree with the scientists that climate change is an existential threat to humanity, but they also see the opportunities offered to their investors by the transition to renewables.
One of the often lost aspects of transition to green technologies is that they actually perform better than the old fossil fuel powered equivalents and are cheaper to run.
Electric cars are quieter, smoother and need less routine maintenance than an equivalent petrol model, a well insulated house warmed by heat pumps is warm 24 hours a day not just whilst the heating is on, an electric lawn mower starts every time, with no need for messy refueling.
But it is not only burning fossil fuels that are causing the rise in CO2, it's also the food we eat. The global food system has a huge impact on the planet, emitting a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions.
Vegan diets cause 75% less climate-heating emissions. A vegan diet is not only better for the planet, it's also better for long term health, on top of which switching to a vegan diet could cut your food bill by up to a third.
I have supplied the Advertiser with links to reputable websites to back up all of my statements above. These are not just my personal views but those of major academic institutions, banks and government bodies.
Mr Sheppard should forget his dirty, dangerous polluting fossil fuel based industries and open his mind to the future and wake up and smell the fresh air of innovative green technologies. — N. Roulstone, via email.
