Madam, — Fr Séan McDonagh (February 2nd) reminds us that “Climate change theory is not just a vague hypothesis”. Everyone can agree with that – even David Bellamy, whom he criticises in his letter. However the disagreement is focused on the lack of real evidence for carbon dioxide levels being the only driver of climate change and the defining of the gas as a pollutant.
Man affects the climate in many other ways – through deforestation, agriculture, urban heat islands and aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere, for example. Scientific debate on what the data is telling us is very active and it is right that such debate be heard. I agree with Fr McDonagh that you won’t read about this debate in The Irish Times. – Yours, etc,