Climate crisis and energy

Sir, – David Torney urges urgency in tacking climate change and tells us "the solution to our dependence on Russian fossil fuels surely cannot be to make ourselves massively dependent on fossil fuels from other regions. We need instead a rapid transition away from fossil fuels" ("Climate crisis – many of the solutions we need are already available to us", Opinion & Analysis, April 9th).

This sounds like all we need is enough ambition to wave a magic wand so we can stop using fossil fuels, festooning the countryside and coastal waters with wind turbines and solar farms. Dr Tormey fails to tell us anything about how we keep the lights on during the many years – decades, probably – while other backup sources of non-intermittent electricity generation are developed.

Legally-set carbon budgets will not survive if the result is power outages for voters or their employers. – Yours, etc,

PETER GORMAN,

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Mount Merrion,

Co Dublin.