Published at 07:25, Friday, 31 December 2010

I NOTE with interest Gary Young’s letter (The Cumberland News, December 24) on the subject of climate change and can agree with him only on one point; that is we listen to the facts as researched by peer-reviewed scientists who are all very sceptical individuals. HAVING been a frequent visitor in the past to your lovely part of the country when we lived in Scotland, I read with interest on the websites here in New Zealand of the seismic activity in your area.IT WAS sad to read the obituary of Ruth Chance (The Cumberland News, December 10).AMONG readers of The Cumberland News in receipt of the Government’s Winter Warmth Payment there must be those who do not really need it.I HAVE read with disgust that Carlisle city is not included in the forthcoming legislation for an elected mayor.I AM in the process of finalising my 13th book on mining in Cumbria, the title of which will be The Mines of the Cumbrian Pennines.

The research and emails of the Climate Research Unit have been reviewed and not found wanting; there was no manipulated data.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has issued four lengthy reports which support the arguments for human-caused climate change.

A very conservative pamphlet was issued by the Royal Society in September, confirming that august organisation’s view that climate change is caused by our industrialised, carbon-burning societies.

The IPCC is not a discredited organisation but a body consisting of many of the world’s top climate scientists who, working by the truth-seeking process of peer-reviewed science, are concerned about the anthropogenic (human caused) warming of the planet and its consequences.

Even Bjorn Lomborg, the sceptical Danish environmentalist, has changed his view on the subject.

The facts are that the planet continues to get warmer overall, despite our colder winters.

I understand that this is being researched and the cause, changes in the jet stream oscillation, may be due to changes in Arctic ice.

Climate change may be causing the oscillation to change and making places like Greenland warmer and the UK colder.

However, the overall trend is up and the consensus among scientists is that it is caused by the unprecedentedly rapid anthropogenic warming of the planet.

There is no doubt, to my mind, that over the next 40 years much will have to change if we are to mitigate and adapt to a new age of changing climates.

Research by Sir Nicholas Stern for the UK Treasury has suggested that Business as Usual is no longer an option and the Sustainable Development Commission report, Prosperity Without Growth, indicates that progress can be achieved.

REV JOHN SMITHWaltonBrampton

My family and I currently reside in South Brighton in Christchurch, and no doubt some of readers would be aware that we suffered the same fate September 4.

The earthquake that hit us measured in equal size to the one that devastated Haiti earlier in the year.

Last night, not long after your own shake, we had our 4,013th aftershock since the main event in September.

So I’d like to cordially welcome The Cumberland News’ readers to ‘the moving earth club’, and sincerely hope that this wee shake you’ve had is the last.

GERRY CASSIDYChristchurchNew Zealand

Miss Chance, who was a little older than me, worked on my father’s farm in Hutton-in-the-Forest during World War Two, along with another Land Army girl, Miss Fisher from Penrith.

I would like to assure you that neither of the land girls had to wash at a cold water pump with us!

JIM CURRMain RoadFlimby

Somebody else does, desperately, in this cold weather and with rising fuel costs.

The Cumbria Community Foundation has opened a Winter Warmth Fund to receive donations of all or part of a donor’s Winter Warmth Payment and I encourage as many people as possible to contribute, in order to help vulnerable older people in this county.

Please contact the foundation on 01900 825760 or email: enquiries@cumbria-foundation.org

MYLES WALKERPenrith

As Carlisle is one of the oldest cities which has been inhabited since Roman times, why has this city not been included?

I do hope that our newly-elected Conservative Member of Parliament, Mr John Stevenson, will ensure that this omission is rectified urgently.

GEOFF BRAZENDALEStainton RoadEtterbyCarlisle

However, I am struggling with details of a particular, important mining family, the Reynoldsons of Brough.

Consequently, I was wondering if any readers could help with some information on the family.

They were active in the ownership of the Lunehead lead/baryte mine from 1884.

Initially the father, John George Reynoldson JP, was the owner, he died in 1929, I believe.

His son, Nathan Reynoldson, took over the enterprise and he died in 1937 which resulted in the closure of the operation.

The family lived at Stoneleigh in Brough.

Any further details or a photograph which readers could supply, would be appreciated.

IAN TYLERKeswick Mining MuseumKeswick

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