IT is good to see your correspondent Mr Warburton praising Jonathan Horenfield's essay How to Make Bury Greener, but some of his points invite a reply.
Far from being influenced by the government's propaganda, Jonathan is helping to make sure that our political leaders take issues such as climate change seriously.
It is only by the efforts of individuals and pressure groups such as Friends of the Earth that the government has been persuaded to produce a Climate Change Bill and the task now is to ensure that its greenhouse gas reduction targets are not watered down.
Mr Warburton's assertion that power stations, aeroplanes and motor vehicles emit no carbon dioxide is simply wrong.
A typical household's annual electricity use causes the emission of about two tonnes of CO2 at power stations; a car's engine might emit around four tonnes of CO2 in a year, and a family of four taking a return flight to the USA results in the production of about six tonnes of CO2 from the burning of aviation fuel.
Friends of the Earth and similar groups believe that actions to reduce environmental damage are not in vain.
Taking the figures above as an example, we can all cut our CO2 emissions from our electricity use by choosing a supplier which offers a green' tariff; we can reduce our car miles and buy a fuel-efficient car, and, of course, we can choose not to fly.
Mr Warburton also dismisses the contribution wind power can make to our electricity supply.
Whatever the arguments about the desirability of wind turbines, the grid system can support a much larger proportion of electricity than we have at present from wind farms. Such sources produce no CO2 in their operation, they reduce the need to burn irreplaceable fossil fuels and they reduce the UK's dependence on fuel supplies from overseas.
Working with Bury Council, the local group of Friends of the Earth is organising a poster competition, Our Global Future, for young people aged between four and 16, inviting artwork on the themes My Town and My Home.
Details are in local libraries, on the council's website, www.bury.gov.uk, and on Bury Friends of the Earth website, www.buryfoe.co.uk.
DAVID ARCHER Bury Friends of the Earth
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article