Sir, – Godfrey Bloom might be an MEP, but he clearly was not elected on the strength of his scientific knowhow. Britain has had a cold winter, he observes, therefore the planet isn’t warming up. One despairs of such ignorance in a public figure. Talk about little Englandism!

Mr Bloom confuses local weather with global climate and dismisses the concerted efforts of an international army of distinguished scientists as a scam.

There is room for sensible and informed discussion about how quickly climate change is happening, how drastic its effects may be, and to what extent it can be checked by political intervention.

The argument about whether it is happening at all, and whether human activity is at least partly responsible, has been over for some time.

I hope Mr Bloom is happy on Planet UKIP, which is probably flat, but D&S readers should not confuse it with the real world.

RICHARD BRADSHAW (REV) Westholme, Hutton Rudby.

Sir, – I hope Godfrey Bloom of UKIP was joking when he suggested that climate change is a scam. It would be scary to think that anyone could be so ignorant of the current science.

As an economist, Mr Bloom must know that long-term conditions often include shortterm fluctuations.

What murdered Mr Bloom’s begonias was not the long-term condition of climate, but a short-term fluctuation which we call “weather”.

Mr Bloom is entitled to deny that the climate is changing – he’s entitled to claim that the earth is flat, if he wants – but he would be in opposition to the vast majority of qualified scientists and national science academies.

Next time his hunting is snowed off, perhaps Mr Bloom should settle down with a good, basic book on the subject, such as Global Warming for Dummies (John Wiley, 2009).

NICHOLAS RECKERT Maison Dieu, Richmond.

Sir, – On your letters page last week, Godfrey Bloom, UKIP MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, seemed to think he had disproved climate change – a long-term, global phenomenon studied by thousands of scientists – because he had lost his runner beans to a frost by putting them out too early.

I wonder if the people who voted UKIP last year expected wisdom, insight and thoughtful analysis from their elected representative.

I hope they’re not disappointed.

DAVE DALTON Swale Cottage, Station Road, Richmond.