From Peter Cox and Hazel Jeffery
Clive Hamilton’s article on the debate over geoengineering highlights a regrettable tendency for discussion of climate change to be polarised by political dogma (17 July, p 22).
Hamilton mentions as proponents of geoengineering right-wing think tanks opposed to fossil fuel cuts on political grounds. However, increasingly, reputable scientists are considering the effectiveness of geoengineering proposals and their side effects. He describes as ironic the fact that some of those now advocating geoengineering are “climate sceptics”. Yet they may not actually be sceptical about human-induced climate change, just unconvinced about the rationale for cutting fossil fuel usage. We agree there should be a public debate on geoengineering before considering any large-scale deployment, but that debate should be informed by objective analysis rather than the politically polarised, caricatured picture that Hamilton paints.
Whimple, Devon, UK
