SIR - Keith Thomson obviously has a far wider knowledge of all mattera appertaining to climate change. That is why I am surprised he implies it was wrong for us to have had phenomenal economic growth between 1950 and 2000 but it is quite in order for China to do likewise over the next 50 years, albeit that they have perhaps learned from the folly of our ways and, in the areas he mentions, try to cut emissions of CO2.
China is still building fossil-fuel energy producing plants and I repeat that the comments of a high ranking Indian government official that the West's requests for them to curb their emissions "won't wash" are infantile, naive and dangerous.
Lastly, I still maintain reference to the emissions per capita is irrelevant. If someone bought a small island and he or she and small family started a production facility they could easily exceed per capita the emissions of those on the mainland but it would not figure in the scheme of things.
Is Keith Thomson saying it is OK for China to carry on until their emissions per capita are the same as the West's, which will be reducing?
Philip Bird, Nab Wood Terrace, Shipley
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