With the Copenhagen climate talks imminent the climate debate is becoming very heated and polarised, with those who say CO2 levels have no effect on climate, and those who would sacrifice their granny to prove just such a link.

The only observation I will make is that the Hadley MET model got it right about increased warming at the poles.

The Inuit people tell us that due to melting permafrost their houses are collapsing. Also some of their hunters have died crashing through thin ice that has always been safe in the past.

Australia is suffering, as rain-bearing winds have moved south due to a warming Southern Ocean, as the Murray basin, the food basket of Australia, perishes in drought.

If this is taking place with a low average global temperature, once it starts climbing as predicted the situation will be very grave. There is at least 2C warming already built in to the climate according to the model.

Gordon Brown says he wants to give £1 billion to developing countries to combat climate change. If there is this sort of spare cash available then it must be spent on British companies in projects in the developing world.

I know a member of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and I will quote him on just this subject: “I’ve just survived two major world summits – the fifth Summit of the Americas, and the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government – and have learned, first-hand, that the great majority of heads of government neither know nor care about climate change, except that those from developing countries see this as the best chance in a generation to get huge amounts of money that they can embezzle.”

So please no blank cheques from the UK, unless they are buying our equipment and our projects.

Chris Clayton, Hempland Drive, York.