Sunday Times Should Be Criticising Climate Commissars

Letter: Sunday Times Business Editor

Your environment section could do with a little balance.

Your Environment Editor Jonathan Leake reports, with apparent approval, that the carbon Nazis are about to descend on businesses, forcing them to jump through hoops and generally be bossed around to do things which will make no difference to the climate. Leake seems to like the ideas of the Environment Agency’s Ed Mitchell, in the battle against climate change. Does Leake really think that we have the power or the know-how to change the climate? There is a growing and vocal section of top climate scientists in the U.S. who are pointing out the weakness of the scientific case that humans can do this. They say this attempt will cost fortunes, ruin the economy, and have no impact on the climate.

Leake quotes Mitchell saying “The (CO2) inspectors will carry warrant cards giving them powers of entry to collect evidence. We will also have access to company accounts with suppliers.”

This is the language of the climate commissar.

I would have thought the Sunday Times would be appalled at this development. Surely, a simple carbon tax would make sure we use energy in a responsible and economic way, and avoid an army of clipboard bureaucrats swarming over British business?

Your article on Prince Charles and climate change also assumes all the way through that humans have the power to change the climate, and includes the remark from Aled Jones that these P8 people want to invest in things that mitigate rather than exacerbate climate change. Maybe you could ask him to provide the firm scientific evidence (and not computer models loaded with biased assumptions) that will guide him on his way.

 Neil Winton