SO "temperatures will soar" and "the Met Office has moved to undermine climate change sceptics" ( WMN, November 26).

In this article I noticed the interesting language the Met Office used to convince us of its scientific accuracy about global warming; words like: "predicting", "forecast", "chance of", "likely to", "suggest that" and "fairly consistent".

These inconclusive words were, however, used in the same article that spoke of "the natural fluctuation in the Earth's climate system".

These alleged scientific facts culminate in an "official global average temperature" which will be announced at the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen "to maximise their effect".

Sadly this is yet another attempt by the "global government" people to convince us that mankind has the answer to the world's problems. The last time we tried to have a global government was at the Tower of Babel 4,500 years ago, which God promptly abolished.

And as for mankind controlling the weather, I can't help but think of poor old King Canute trying to stop the tide coming in; all he achieved being to get his feet wet.

The Met Office telling me that "there is a 50-50 chance that next year will be the warmest to date" is as much use as telling me that there is going to be a 50 per cent chance of rain tomorrow. As the Met Office technology can't accurately tell me what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, I shall remain sceptical about its scientific data predictions on any climate change in years to come.

In the meantime I'll continue to put my faith in the Lord, whose word alone controls the climate, and pray for the humanists whose craving for global power is doomed to failure.

Gareth Jones

Horrabridge

Enlightening article

ROD Birtles, of Devon Wildlife Trust (letter, November 28), poses the question "who would you trust?" regarding the issues of climate change – and therein lies the dilemma for those like me who must judge from conflicting opinions of "experts".

Mr Birtles dismisses the sceptic opinion of such as Ian Plimer, professor of geology at the University of Adelaide, but I found Prof Plimer's recent article in the Daily Mail the most informative and enlightening explanation of the Earth's natural climate changes occurring over millions of years.

I would like to see it printed in the Western Morning News to allow those of the opposite opinion to counter his explanation with fact rather than personal denigration.

Ken Tuckett

Newton Abbot

Staffing goes well

YOUR article about the establishment of the Marine Management Organisation ("Staff refuse to relocate", November 16) does not paint a true picture of staff recruitment for the new body created by the Marine and Coastal Access Act.

Recruitment is well under way and the first two rounds of new staff have completed training in London and are working in Newcastle, with more to join them in the coming months.

We understand the decision of a number of staff not to relocate to Newcastle, but this would have been an issue wherever the MMO was based outside London, including Plymouth. Staff not wishing to transfer have the option of other posts in Defra.

The Marine and Fisheries Agency has coastal offices across the country, which will remain open so that local contact with the fishing industry remains. MFA head office in London will be relocated to Newcastle, providing jobs in the North East, and I am confident that the MMO will be staffed by experts and operational by April 2010.

The MMO's chair-designate, Christopher Parry, reports that recruitment for MMO board members and the chief executive is also progressing well.

He has been visiting marine centres of excellence throughout the UK – including those in the South West – to establish those essential links for the MMO.

Huw Irranca-Davies

Minister for Marine Environment

Fair game?

A YOUNG man kills a pigeon, intending to eat it. Shock, horror, arrested, charged, sentenced, made to pay costs.

Toffs in fancy dress on horseback set out deliberately, and in contravention of the law, to chase a small animal, set dogs on it to tear it to pieces, not to eat it, not (despite pretence) for vermin control, but for fun.

That makes your paper and the whole Conservative Party rise up and demand legalisation of the latter.

J S Stuart

Exeter

Brown cries wolf

GORDON Brown and his Government are telling all who will listen that the world has days left to be saved for humanity.

Why should we believe him this time when he has been so wrong in the past and misrepresented the truth so willingly?

Eric Davidson

Macduff, Banffshire