AS I write extreme heat is being experienced across the vast bulk of Europe and Britain is sweltering. Each year the temperature records rise, the forest fires and moor fires seems to get worse and the climate becomes more unstable.

Faced with this steadily deteriorating problem the current plan of world leaders is to carry on making the situation worse for another 28 years.

We are promised that if every nation sticks by its commitments made in Edinburgh then by 2050 the amount of Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere will finally stop rising. Imagine another three decades of the weather getting worse and of increased flooding, extreme winds, droughts and deadly heat waves.

It is therefore somewhat disturbing to discover that so many of the candidates to be our next Prime Minister cannot be relied upon to stick to the pledges that Britain has made to help tackle the problem.

Instead of helping people and businesses to cut their fuel bills by subsidising better insulation and installation of solar panels we are hearing promises to cut taxes on fossil fuels. A policy which in the past has simply resulted in increased profits for the suppliers of petrol who have praised the government for the generous subsidies and then proceeded to charge extra and pocket the gains.

Is this really what we want to see from a new Prime Minister and is this really setting a new and more constructive tone for British politics?

Andy Brown

North Yorkshire County Councillor for Aire Valley

Green Party

Cononley