from Colin Knipe re climate

Hi Tim

I have not been ignoring you, but merely overloaded with emails having been diverted onto other things over the last few months, including an enjoyable holiday.

My views on climate change are still the same:
**  The hyperbole and lurid warnings about climate disaster that were spouted at COP28 verge on the ridiculous and most have no basis in observed facts.  (How is it that corals have thrived on earth for the last 500 million years when the temperatures for most of that time were well higher than today?!  How is it that agricultural production for most if not all staple crops has markedy increased over the last few decades?  In all parts of the world, many more people die of cold than from heat, so surely there would be a net reduction in deaths from some warming.)

**  The earth's climate is slowly getting warmer but natural processes rather than human activities probably exert the greatest influence - for example, El Nino is having a big effect at present.

**  There has been no significant rise in temperatures or even a small decline over recent decades in some parts of the globe, e.g. mainland USA and much of Antarctica;

**  The Earth is a remarkable self-regulating body whose temperatures have remained within a relatively narrow range over the last billion years, for much of the time when atmospheric CO2 concentrations were very much higher than today, so why should we expect a 'tipping point' if the global average temperature rises by, say, 2 degrees above supposed pre-Industrial levels??

**  Phasing out fossil fuels and achieving Net Zero by 2035 or 2050 or 20-anything else is a pipe dream.  Yes, we should seek to cut down on consumption, increase efficiency, and conserve natural resources, but that's what scientists and engineers try to do all the time.  And we will always need some oil, gas and even coal for power generation and especially for the myriad of other applications and derivatives.

**  The financial costs to society of blindly aiming for Net Zero and phasing out fossil fuels over the next two or three decades are unaffordable and crippling.  It would be far more sensible to invest in mitigation measures whilst keeping our economy going (and that of other countries, including poor, developing countries.)

I could go on but won't bore you any more about climate change.

As for local trams and railways, I agree with you that the Metro extensions are a monumental waste of cash and are taking an inordinate time to construct.  I don't know enough about the potential revived and new rail opportunities and how they would stack up economically.

I hope you enjoy the festive season and have a good 2024.
Best regards
Colin