Madam, - A friend once described "pub talk" as social gossip in pursuit of entertainment at the expense of the facts. The purpose is to entertain not to enlighten. Maurice Neligan's Heartbeat column of June 17th falls into this category.
For a cardiologist to deny that human behaviour is having a profound and damaging effect on the earth's climate is equivalent to a climatologist denying that obesity and excessive smoking are damaging to health. In each case there is abundant evidence to prove the contrary.
There are many people leading healthy and happy lives who have good reason to be grateful for Mr Neligan's skill and expertise. But future generations may not be grateful to those who use their influence to obstruct necessary behavioural change to reduce our carbon emissions. The cost of getting it wrong is too great to trivialise this subject. The future of the human species on earth is at stake.
I sincerely hope Mr Neligan will acquaint himself better with this topic in the hope he will revisit it in a future column and undo the damage he has caused. - Yours, etc,
FERGAL COSTELLO, Ashton Park, Monkstown, Co Dublin.