THE world is burning, but Dr Scott Marmion wants to add more fuel to the fire (“Take a closer look at fracking’s potential”, Letters, July 14).

Dr Marmion writes: “Long term we all need energy to be renewable.” Wrong.

If we are to have any chance of mitigating climate change before it gets out of hand we need renewable energy now – immediately and urgently.

To delay in this and other measures to combat global warming risks all our futures to the extent that for some of the more vulnerable species and communities there will be no “long term”.

He continues: “But this is still some way off being possible.” Wrong.

The technology for a wholesale switch to renewable energy is available right here, right now. What is lacking is political will (influenced no doubt by the powerful big-energy lobby).

Already offshore wind is beating coal in terms of electricity production and price. Despite the cut in subsidy, solar energy installation is surging ahead.

Onshore wind and hydro production are growing daily.

Finally: “So for now we should look at what is practical.” Correct, but perhaps not in the way Dr Marmion intends us to understand it.

The practical approach to the problems we face is to leave fossil fuels in the ground and press ahead with renewables.

With renewable energy the fuel is free and abundant, it doesn’t need to be dug out of the ground, doesn’t need to be transported or processed, and produces no harmful waste.

It simply makes no sense to even contemplate exploiting yet another source of dirty, dangerous and harmful fossil fuel.

Keith Ross, Risewood, Gate Helmsley, York