I CONCUR with Rex Hora (letters, February 18) regarding the premature closure of Didcot A power station being due to dodgy science, ie the CO2 theory of climate change.

What Mr Hora didn’t mention was the dark hand of the EU in this – viz, their Large Combustion Plant Directive, aimed at reducing emissions across Europe. Yet Germany is currently building new coal-fired power stations, following their decision to scrap nuclear power.

Like Mr Hora, I have been researching climate change, and have found some interesting facts. Firstly, increases in CO2 levels historically follow global warming, rather than the other way round. This scuppers the theory that climate change is due to CO2 emissions.

Secondly, the biggest greenhouse gas is not CO2, it is water vapour, by a factor of at least 30. This comes from evaporation from the world’s seas and rivers, as well as by transpiration from plants. There is nothing we can do about this of course, although cutting down all the remaining forests might reduce this slightly!

The current level of CO2 in the atmosphere is 400ppm, up from 280ppm pre-industrial revolution. However, the increased CO2 is actually benefitting plants by making them grow faster, a bonus for farmers as well as for endangered forests.

So why the witch-hunt against CO2 emissions? Could it be because a few people are making a load of money from selling carbon permits? That plus the big business interests of wind turbines, and the landowners who receive subsidies for hosting them, would seem a likely reason.

As for the EU Commissioners, I wouldn’t trust them to run a drinking session in a brewery.

STEPHEN NASH
Washington Terrace, Middle Barton