Matthew Laverack (Letters, July 26) cites the late David Bellamy to support his contention that man-made climate change is not a real problem.

Bellamy was a indeed a great botanist and environmentalist but on this subject he was wrong. His view that glaciers were advancing not retreating was shown to be based on false evidence and he subsequently withdrew the claim.

No one disputes that the earth’s climate has been cyclical in the past. The problem is that the current warming is raising temperatures to new highs and at a speed never seen before. For clear information look at Nasa’s online site ‘Global climate change’.

Climate catastrophe was forecast back in the seventies but people preferred not to believe it and we have carried on burning fossil fuels, digging peat, logging rainforests and damaging the seas.

Instead of trying to restart an argument that has already been won, why not get better informed and urge our leaders to help improve things? David Attenborough has said the future of human civilization is at stake. The time left to save ourselves is getting shorter. Turn on the news. Look at the floods and fires.

Sue Norton, Wentworth Road, York