I DO hope nobody took Mr Manns' crushing indictment of the views expressed in my letter too seriously because he seems to have misinterpreted everything I said.

I did not advocate food rationing now. I merely pointed out that during the war, when we lived on a simpler diet rations supplemented by whatever we could produce ourselves we were healthier than now.

This was just backing up Mr (Friends of the Earth) Carver's letter of November 2, in which he deplored the vast imports of exotic foods from thousands of miles away, as an extravagant use of fuel.

I did not suggest closing airways, and certainly not "pricing the motorist off the roads."

I personally don't go along with the idea of increasing the price of petrol/diesel. There are too many people with big cars who wouldn't bat an eyelid at this. And many who really need their cars are already struggling to keep them.

Some kind of rationing would be fairer, if voluntary economy cannot be exercised. I thought I had made that quite clear.

In his letter of November 30 Mr Brewer presents some very disturbing facts about the effects of climate change.

Some of these may, as Mr Manns points out, be due to the forces of nature (abnormal solar activity etc) but I am sure we are responsible for most of the damage and whatever the cause, the effect must be tackled.

Admittedly, this is a global problem but that is no excuse for us just to sit back and do nothing in our little patch.

Take for example the alarming increase in the incidence of asthma in children and chest problems in all ages due to the pollution caused by heavy traffic.

MURIEL CLARK

St John's Close

Marlborough