At last, an important politician in power has recognised that the so called “long term” problem of climate change must be tackled now – and that it won’t be easy.  The PM even recognised that there are still climate deniers, not surprisingly because they are mostly in his own party. But he positioned himself as the pragmatic guy between the deniers and excessively emotional believers.

Come on, Rishi! Just think why they are so emotional.  So would you be (I hope), if you had known for years that nobody in power was acknowledging the real existence of a life-extinguishing problem.

I was at a fantastic lecture in Winchester College on Monday September 25 by Chris Packham on behalf of Winchester Youth Counselling.  He linked the themes of the death of natural species, biodiversity, the climate crisis – and mental health.  Yes! Our mental health is affected by the climate crisis, particularly the mental health of the next generation who are going to be hugely affected by it. No wonder that they, and those who love them, are emotional when our leaders have shown so little real interest for so long.

So, what have the Conservative politicians done about the problem since they came into power 13 years ago?  They have played with it, like schoolboys, for party political advantage.  This was what was happening at that breakfast in Number 10 described by Steve Brine’s Letter from Westminster.  This is how (something I know!) children at Eton and Winchester can sharpen their wits in their day-to-day banter, practising winning arguments almost regardless of facts.

One last thought. Why on earth has the government backed the drilling for oil in the South Downs National Park, overturning in the process the SDNP local authority’s refusal?  No wonder people become emotional.  This decision was neither pragmatic nor honest. National Parks exist for rural biodiversity and beauty, not fossil fuels. In its own way the act was as silly as licensing and subsidising from taxes the new maritime oil field at Rosebank for employment’s sake rather than upgrading our ageing electrical infrastructure.

Jock Macdonald,

Stockbridge Road,

Fulflood,

Winchester