I see that Nigel Lawson has a book coming out April 10 (An Appeal to Reason), which seemingly says much the same thing as this piece. It'll be interesting to see how it will be received.

Edward Welsh, Lampeter, Wales

Oil and gas production will peak soon. Some analysts believe that they have already. We have therefore to plan for a different energy mix in the near future.

One can claim this is driven by climate concerns or security concerns - both issues force the same conclusion.

Paul , northwich, england

Lets assume that Global Warming is a fact; if we all regress to living in caves to "save the planet" those that survive will simply end up living in warm caves - the Chinese will have reason to laugh at us for our naivety!

If, on the other hand, Global Warming is a scam, and we all regress to living in caves to "save the planet" those that survive will simply end up living in cold caves - and again the Chinese will have reason to laugh at us for our naivety!

I'm beginning to see a connection here - why can't the ecomentalists?

Mike Bibby, St Albans, England -not EU

It is heartening to read the comments here which show that so many people have n't been taken in by the incessant climate change propaganda from the media in general and the BBC in particular.There is obviously a considerable constituency of thinking concerned citizens that is not being represented.

Edward Welsh, Lampeter, Wales

The UK comprises 1% of the population of the world and according to Tyrie, contributes 'only 2% of global warning' - perhaps a 50% cut in emissions is not unreasonable.

David, Exeter, UK

Since 1998 the world temp has not risen.
Co2 emmissions have risen,
There is no correlation between them.
But the media have not noticed or recorded this,
The BBC rarely accepts global cooling is a possibility,
Polticians do not speak of this.

Why oh why am I a skeptic

Bob

Robert Summers, Nottingham, UK

At last a politician who writes some common sense on this issue. Let's hope a few more will speak out. For more on this subject go to http://climatescience.blogspot.com

Derek, Southampton, England

This column seems to boil down to advocacy of further delay before we take any serious action. A case of fiddling while Rome burns? Few people can have had greater experience of the natural world and the effects of climate change on it than Sir David Attenborough. He has said that, after lengthy and detailed study of the scientific evidence, he is now convinced of the need for world leaders to take urgent action.

The argument about hitting the poor is a red herring. The way to deal with poverty is through the tax and benefits system.

Barry, Wallington, UK

Climate change doomsayers remind me of the EMU doomsayers who said we would be doomed if we didn't join the Euro. There's no science or economics from people like Paul Newbold and his 'perfect storm' (whatever that is)...just unfounded fear. By all means let's not waste finite resources, but at last we can see a Conservative politician who has had the courage to say the emperor has no clothes.

Philippa Pirie, London, England

I couldn't agree more. The whole carbon subsidy/reduction bandwagon is, to use current phraseology, unsustainable. The targets are completely unachievable, and entirely irrelevant. The scam cannot possibly last, but it will do a great deal of damage by wasting and misdirecting vast amounts of money that could be put to better effect elsewhere.

Such lunacy will eventually subside, but there will be lots of blood on the floor during the inevitable collapse of the man-made global warming charade; just watch the pseudo scientists run for cover when it does.

Jon Anderson, Guildford, UK

The world globally cooled by 0.65°C between Jan 07 & Jan 08. Much of the world is going thro' or has had its worst winter for decades. There has been no apparent Global Warming over the last decade from 1998. Europe's winter resorts have had the best snows in decades, with the £12M worth of snow machines redundant. Mysteriously neither the Met Office/IPCC or Sir David King perdicted this state of affairs despite the infalible computer models that must be relied upon at all costs! The sun has temporarily shut down with Solar Cycle 24 around 18 months late & still no sign of it starting save for a lone sunspot back in Jan this year! Only Austalia & parts of northern Europe had milder winters. This year saw Greece coverd in snow, the first snows in Bagdhad in living memory, etc. Who saw it coming? Only the sun watchers I suspect!

Alan Hannaford, Exeter, Devon

I have yet to meet anyone who considers this climate change lark as anything but a swindle. The fact that no-one is allowed to express dissent on the mass media while 'news' programs incessantly offer 'reports' which are clearly little more than propaganda is not escaping most people either.

The man who stole our pensions and exported our jobs to India wants to wreck what is left, it seems.

Roger, Ipswich,

"While we adapt - as mankind has always done" - is trite.

Mankind has never:
* had a population of 6+ billion (rising to 9 billion?)
* been so dependent on rapidly depleting fossil fuels (80% of our total energy).
* faced 400+ppm CO2, or a rate of change in climate that is the fastest on record.

We are heading for the 'perfect storm', sometime within the next 10 - 30 years, unless we act now.

paul newbold, sheffield, UK

As a retired teacher and conservative by nature,(please note the small "c") I read the media coverage of the teachers conference with interest. How did I miss the 'Loony Left' stuff?
Considering the mess that NuLabour has created in state education, all that appeared in the media seemed fair, reasonable and a good start to moving education in a direction which will see the UK catch up with educational 'best practice' in the rest of the world.
If being against handing over state high schools to business interests, calling them 'academies' and giving them licence to ignore both good education practice for students and labour laws to protect staff is either loony or left, I would think new definitions of both loony and left are required.
I have no idea what one can say about the attitudes of a Minister of the Crown who said at that conference that classes of 70 are OK - that's neither left nor right, just loony!

Kiwi Expat, London, Middlesex

The climate furore, Claudius surrounded by madness. The World may or may not be hotter but the claims for it certainly are febrile. Why the politicians, the usually sceptic, hesitant and otherwise preoccupied politicians, are so hot on this subject above others can only be a dog whistle issue. If a politicians can prove himself sincere and concerned on one subject then perhaps that person's currency rises all round? But why is Europe so taken up with this clamour, it seems like an imposed unanimity. European legislation is at the whim of the Council of Ministers either they have little to do or the cod science and the 'signs' have awoken their superstitious side. In Bali the Americans proposed that climate change be best tackled with science, as proposed here, that is rational. Pour masses of concrete, lay miles of wire and top it all with massive steel structures is a huge carbon outpouring that will take years to redress. Carbon tax is a tax on the poor.

Malcolm Turner, Alsager, England

Climate has always fluctuated. The tropical temperatures during the age of the dinosaurs in Uk was surely not caused by factory emissions. The sensible option is to use fuel efficiently and explore alternatives whilst not making ourselves uncompetitive with countries which have no such scruples. Adapt or die. Incisentally, it diesn't seem that long since the soom mongers were forecasting a global Winter with the UK being practically covered by the Arctic ice cap.

Carole, corridonia, italia

Why not make formula one go electric as a symbol of the need to change our ways?

michael, Tarifa, Spain

At last, a mainstream newspaper offering a sensible opinion. Did anyone notice that the BBC gave more airtime to the NUT with its loony left posturing than to the Manhattan Declaration of 4th March?

Glyn H, Devon,