I can see that the heading of this letter is going to get a lot of people’s backs up at an early stage so let me explain it. Do I mean by the heading that global warming is not taking place? Of course not, as we have evidence to prove otherwise. What I do dispute is the concerted efforts of organisations and governments to convince the people of the world that they can do something about it, for a price! That is where it becomes a scam.

If you want to know what causes global warming then I suggest you take a look skywards. You will observe a large yellow object called the sun, which has been involved, in global warming for over 4.5 billion years. But what about Co2, I hear you say, doesn’t that cause global warming? In a word: “no”. There is absolutely no proof to connect a slight increase in Co2 levels with a rise in global temperatures.

Let’s look at a few facts about Co2. Has there actually been a measurable increase in the levels of Co2 within the earth’s atmosphere? This is something which can be determined quite easily by taking ice core and sedimentary rock core samples and the answer is yes. In the past 150 years, the level of Co2 in the earth’s atmosphere has increased by one part in 10,000. I am using the past 150 years as an example because this amount corresponds with the highest outputs of Co2 in earth’s history due to the industrial development over this period.

So how much of the earth’s atmosphere is actually composed of Co2? Not very much actually. Atmospheric gas is primarily composed of 78 per cent nitrogen, 21 per cent oxygen and one per cent argon. Carbon dioxide manages to sneak in there somewhere at 0.038 per cent. So according to the doom and gloom merchants every ill which befalls the earth is caused by global warming which in turn is caused by Co2 which is approximately 1/3 of one per cent of the entire atmosphere, and which has remained almost unchanged since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Total nonsense!

Carbon dioxide is important to the survival of the earth and should not be treated as some sort of doomsday pollutant. The indisputable fact as borne out by core samples taken from sedimentary rock and glaciers show that Co2 levels in our atmosphere were much higher in ancient times than they are today. Times we must remember when there were no cars, planes, ships or any other fuel-burning machines to blame it on. So why is Co2 so important to our survival?

Studies have shown that the level of Co2 in the atmosphere governs the rate of plant growth on earth. As Co2 levels increase, plant growth also increases. Plants breathe in Co2, extract the carbon element to use as food and breathe out oxygen. Therefore Co2 is the base of the food chain for all animal life on earth, including humans. Co2 levels today are actually extremely low by historical standards and by reducing them further we could well have an adverse effect on plant growth. This could lead to a devastating fall in world food supplies, at a time when they are already being affected by the increase in the growth of grain for bio-fuel production.

So why then are we being told that “global warming” is down to us pumping Co2 into the atmosphere? In a word, control. If governments told us the truth that global warming was caused by solar activity they would have to concede that we have no control over it. However by linking global warming to Co2 they can make us all responsible which means they can tax us to hell and back. My late father used to say, “If the government could tax the air we breathe, it would.” Well guess what Dad, they just found a way!

James A. Tyrrell

County Antrim,

N. Ireland