Denial is no answer to global warming

IN his letter on global warming (July 5), Patrick L O’Brien argues that because the earth’s climate has changed naturally in the past, present climate change cannot be man-made.

This is a non-sequitur. The reasons for past changes, which have taken place over tens of thousands of years, are well understood by scientists (precession, sunspots, etc). The changes taking place now are occurring over a matter of decades and the only feasible scientific explanation is that they are man-made.

Climate change is set to accelerate. Far from ‘squandering resources’, as Mr O’Brien claims, nothing has been done. Governments are controlled by powerful forces like the oil industry and road lobby which bankroll the professional contrarians and spindoctors.