FOLLOWING your letter from Mr B Warburton last week, I suggest he should try using his loaf, or at least, get a book on GCSE chemistry.

When hydrocarbon fossil fuels are burnt e.g. coal, gas, petrol, they combine with the oxygen in the atmosphere to form water, carbon dioxide (if burnt efficiently) and a very small amount of carbon monoxide (again if burnt efficiently).

Indeed, the more efficient the combustion, the lower the percentage of carbon monoxide. This is what most fuel burning systems seek to achieve. Carbon monoxide itself is combustible - it burns with a blue flame (the old coal gas used 30-40 years ago comprised hydrogen and carbon monoxide in equal parts) - so large amounts of this gas and/or methane would be potentially explosive. Obviously, as in the case of carbon dioxide, they only exist at extremely low levels in the atmosphere.

I'm afraid that 42 years as an engineer working in the electricity supply industry does not allow your writer to pontificate on matters regarding chemical combustion. Likewise, on matters regarding wind turbines, whose technology has only come to the fore recently. I would say the jury is still out regarding wind power.

Regarding global warming, I am not expert enough to comment, but the majority of those with technical knowledge appear to support the case. I hereby rest mine.

PAUL TAYLOR (BSc (Hons) Applied Chemistry Tamworth Avenue Whitefield