Letter: Climatic hot air

Sir: Your report "World's coral reefs are dying in the heat" (13 November) supports worrying evidence from WWF's projects overseas that the world's coral is dying out. The finding that this is mostly as a result of rising sea temperatures is yet another example of the need for the world's governments to take immediate action to tackle climate change.

As the Buenos Aires negotiations come to an end this evidence reinforces the need for countries around the world to stop stalling, stop looking for ways to buy themselves out of the problem and start taking action to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide. This can only happen if limits are placed on the use of all "flexible mechanisms" such as emissions trading, which act as a loophole to allow countries to avoid making reductions at home. Only when these limits are in place will the hot air have been squeezed out of the argument.

RUSSELL MARSH

Energy and Climate Change Officer

WWF-UK

Godalming, Surrey