We must resist division and work together to bring about climate action

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The government’s recent decision to temporarily halt shale gas production on geological safety grounds, although sound in itself, must surely highlight what is wrong with the world today.

In discounting the climate emergency as a reason it must be among the most selfish decisions made by any UK government.

The urgent need to stop burning fossil fuels is a global one. With more than enough conventional gas reserves in the world today there is no way anyone should be striving to drain the last dregs by exploiting unconventional fuels – it simply is not an option.

We not only can but we have to remove all fossil fuels from our energy mix.

Sadly most of those conventional gas reserves are outside the UK so this decision, by keeping the option open, has been made only in our own short-term self-interest – and we are not the only country acting in this way.

It is tough, but it is a truly global issue in which we are all going to have to pull together and help each other if our future generations are to have a life.

This, of course, is the problem. In today’s times the world is becoming increasingly divided seemingly everywhere you look and must be in danger of disintegration. But that is changing. In this climate emergency the peaceful many are more and more resisting division and demanding robust global climate action.

Governments must start listening to the right people.

Michael Leighton
Devon

Fracking gimmicks

If Boris wins the general election expect fracking to restart on 13 December.

Unfortunately for the environment and the future of our children and grandchildren this, in my view, is just one of Boris’s election gimmicks.

Valerie Crews
Beckenham

A citizens’ assembly on the climate

Brilliant that this is happening (Phoebe Weston, 2 November). But it will not achieve the impact it needs to if we do not have an equivalent one regarding our democracy and constitution.

Both require major reforms and changes in thinking, and reforming the way we are as a democracy is the only true enabler of the other.

Meirion Rees

Atworth

The electorate has a long memory

You have to admire Sir Vince Cable’s “altruistic advice” that people should abandon tribal loyalties and vote tactically to block Brexit, advice clearly impartial, not in any way electioneering.

I particularly liked the masterly understatement encapsulated in his conclusion on the part played by his party in the coalition: “We didn’t get everything right. I’ve been upfront about that and we need to learn from the things we didn’t get right. The bedroom tax would be an example of that...”

Not many need reminding of that, Sir Vince, nor will many forget student fees, austerity and privatisation of Royal Mail (a personal triumph), but more revealing of Lib Dem principles, was the alacrity with which Clegg leapt at the main chance and how the Lib Dems, including their current leader, merged seamlessly with their Tory bedfellows. To tweak Orwell’s parting shot in Animal Farm, “The voters outside looked from Tory to Lib Dem, and from Lib Dem to Tory, and from Tory to Lib Dem again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

Eddie Dougall
Bury St Edmunds

A new government

We have had enough austerity, grotesque inequality, homelessness, child poverty, creaking public infrastructures, skyrocketing prices and the threat of crashing out of the EU with no deal. Conservatives represent only the privileged and the elites. Millions are languishing in bad working conditions, more stressful lives and greater job and food insecurity.

What we need is a new government that gives more say to the people, full working rights, enough homes, sick pay, parental leave, safeguards against unfair dismissal, abolishment of tuition fees, universal credit and the creation of a humane system that allows people to reach their full potential without prejudices or discrimination.

Dr Munjed Farid Al Qutob
London

Television debates

I disagree with John Rentoul (Voices, 3 November) that there is no “fair” answer to excluding Jo Swinson from the first TV debate.

If all parties that stood in the last general election were allocated the same proportion of the total length of a TV debate as their party won in the total votes cast then it would be fair. This could be policed by using chess clocks, which can be turned on when the party leader speaks.

Obviously the smaller parties would get very little time and it would concentrate the others on speaking concisely. Imagine basing it on the last European elections!

Kartar Uppal
Sutton Coldfield

Not a clue

Boris says “Brexit” while Jo says “Remain” – but Jeremy says: “I’m sorry I haven’t a clue.”

Dr John Doherty
Stratford-upon-Avon