Rob Colmore (The Weekend Sun, July 19) accuses me of being 'alarmist” with 'no scientific evidence to back up [my] insults”.

If he defines someone trying to explain the urgency of addressing a developing crisis as an 'alarmist”, I'm obviously one in his eyes. But to say there's no scientific evidence for my views, which reflect those of more than 97 per cent of climate scientists, is ridiculous. So who is 'insulting”?

Some corrections to Mr Colmore's statements: ”5 per cent of CO2 is manmade.” In fact atmospheric CO2 has increased by 35% - all manmade - since pre-industrial times, to 415ppm. This is the highest level since West Antarctica and Greenland de-glaciated 3.6 million years ago and sea levels rose over 10 metres – a process now underway again.

'CO2 is portrayed as a pollutant” and 'is incapable of altering our climate”. Both statements incorrect.

'Scientists have removed water vapour out of the greenhouse gas equation”. Incorrect: it is factored in as a major greenhouse gas with a serious feedback effect: The warmer the atmosphere, the more water vapour = higher temperatures = more water vapour = still higher temperatures etc.

Mr Colmore says he has 'a good grasp of real science”. Incorrect.

Peter Otway, Omokoroa