The International Whaling Commission decides whether to allow commercial whale hunting to resume.

I hope this never happens. Dolphin's brains are comparable with humans, but are more complex in certain areas, and whales can be six times as large. Although we have the advantage, having evolved on land with great manual dexterity, a case can be made for saying humans are comparable in thinking power to both of these magnificent creatures.

There is another threat from climate change. As CO2 levels in the atmosphere increase, so the oceans become more acidic, which could break the delicate food chain that sustains marine life.

Corals are already dying. We seem to be destroying hundreds of millions of years of evolution. We need to change the economic model to one that does not rely on unsustainable growth and become the guardians of our world, rather than the exploiters. Is it possible?

Chris Clayton,

Hempland Drive,

York.

Updated: 11:16 Wednesday, June 22, 2005