Dr Holford (NDL Letters, September 1) perhaps hasn’t consulted world temperature data since 1998, but nine of the hottest 10 years on record have all occurred in this century, and 2015 is on track to be the warmest yet.

Citing ancient temperature records under conditions of natural variability ignores the salient point at issue: back then, human beings were not also adding gigatons of additional greenhouse gases to the atmosphere against the background levels.

Dr Holford may wish to disregard the impact of human activity and retreat into the past, but sensible scientists and policy makers are all too aware of the future risks posed by climate change.

The most dangerous path I can see is the one where we rip the heart out of the Liverpool Plains to dig up coal to ship to a country where coal demand is now in structural decline as the Chinese have begun to shift their own energy policies towards solar and other renewable sources.

Coal has had over 250 years to lift the developing world out of poverty and has failed to do so. 

China is now so “prosperous” that people can’t breathe the air in Beijing for several months of the year.

It’s time for renewable energy to shine.

Mercurius Goldstein

Glen Innes

New England Greens candidate