Because most of us have brains Matthew.

Paul, Rochester, UK

Let us for the sake of discussion, assume that the article is correct in every detail. Does anyone say what the benefits of warming would be? Cold related deaths would go down-good. More water vapour from the increased sea area-more rain-good. More land that cannot be used because of cold available for cutivation-good. More water in the oceans, more fish-good That is just off the top of my head. Todays assignment, think of more.

Desmond Taylor, Houston, USA Texas

Van West takes the easy way out when faced with a problem too big to deal with easily - pretend it isn't happening. Unfortunately, if your house is burning down the flames will get to you whether you believe in them or not, and you give up the chance to call the fire brigade. Umpteen thousand of the world's top scientists have just agreed that our house is burning down. The analogy breaks down there, because in this case, if we don't all (or almost all) agree that global warming is a dire threat to the existence of the human race we won't be able to do enough, quickly enough to stop it.
Now will you please wake up and start dialling 999 (or in your case 911)?

Bill Linton, London,

can it also be part of the us setting off aproximately 1300
atomic boms and the russians the same plus the rest of
the countries also.action and reaction moving the earth that little bit closer to the sun.

drjh, alpena, mi.

In spite of the warnings of the 'its all our fault' climate lobby the earth will continue to get warmer quite independently of our actions. The influence of the sun's activity and changes in our orbit round the sun will completely swamp the relatively minor effects of increased CO2. In spite of Al Gore's lecture on this topic, global warming from other causes has invariably LED to increases in CO2 and not the other way round.

The sensible thing is to work on methods of combating global warming - not waste our resources in ineffectual attempts to stop it happening.

Anthony Back, Wellington, Telford, England

It is frightening and sad to think that our children and grandchildren will suffer . In the case of Chile, I have read that the forest of one of the most beautiful areas in our country is in danger. I hope the scientists work together to find a way to revert this situation together with the governments of the world.

rosalva, santiago, chile

Every day I think about earthquakes, global warming, trees going away, The constuction all around me the concrete jungle the vast distruction of trees and increasing sales of cars, stocks going up. Houses shirking, life becoming easier. New products on the shelf. I cannot understand how I can stop myself. Stop from buying chemicals, stop from using petrol, stop from using plastic, stop using sparys, stop using a fridge which is said ot emmit CFC's. I just feel every day I am degenerating this earth and not giving back. Can't we plant a tree every year by each student in each school in each country. Can;t we employ groups of 10 poor people per square kilometer to pick up plastic waste and supply to plastic manufacturer. Can't we stop manufacturing plastic, can't we just do away with petrol and pump in reasearch in Solar power. Can I not get fresh air to brethe. Can't we understand that we must stop multiplying and multiplying.

Aparna, Bombay, India

In case the alarmists missed it, Mars is having a minor global warming itself, the southern ice cap is less than a few years ago. Why? Could it be the sun? Solar flare activity, etc. causing the earth to warm? Of course not, cause Al Gore couldn't continue to be the huckster he is if that were the case.

van west, indianapolis,

some coutry just cann't see beyong his nose.what they only want to achieve is the economic benifit regardless of their actions threating the ecosystems .i only hope that any efficent messures can be taken before it's too late.

Transbill, guangzhou, CHINA

The report shows this time we all are in the same boat,Americans,non Americans, Blacks, Browns and all the rest have to find a scheme to mitigate the effects of the warming. It means perhaps governments will be forced to call for more intergovernmental meetings to devise a modus operendi, however imperfect. We cannot hide our faces in the sand any more because our whole house is on fire..

asit k.sen, houston, tx, u.s.a.

The current state of the Earth, in which vast areas, including the entire continent of Antarctica, are rendered uninhabitable to humanity because of the presence of billions of tons of ice, is not the usual or natural state of the planet. The Earth is in the last stage of an unusual (Ice Age) event and soon the remaining ice will have melted and we will be able to re-claim vast areas of the globe for human settlement and resource extraction.

The recent (past few thousand years) of low levels of CO2 in the atmosphere is also a rarity for our planet. Throughout the bulk of geological time CO2 levels have been much higher and the planet has been warmer. This meant that plant life, which uses CO2 for growth (photosynthesis), was more prolific and the animals that relied upon plants for food were more abundant and successful. This in turn assisted the process of Evolution, which has greatly promoted the successful habitation of the planet by our varied life forms.

Arthur Gibson, Melbourne, Australia

Simple solution: Just raise the gasoline tax in the US to $8.00 a gallon

Jim, Tulsa, OK

My thought is that it sounds as though the planet would be far greater off without humans, therefore the great alarm over all this confuses me?

Cliff Knight, Saint Augustine, USA

This is like a waking nightmare. Why arent more people in the UK taking this seriously as the global emergency it is rather than treating it as some minor lifestyle issue. When ecosystems collapse and millions of people are at drought risk, we will not come out of this lightly. If the climate doesnt get us, the wars will.

Matthew, London,

A free democratic combined with free economic society could bring high level living come along with greenhouse gas and emissions. A powerful tycoon is equal to a powerful politician who has always been seeking more money and power. There is only a way that we could keep up our presently high technology and reducing emissions .

Living with a type of internet mixing with horse as a transportation to creat a new form of lives.

Ben Hsueh, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Why don't we listen. ? it is frightening to think that people are so shortsighted so that they bury their heads and rpetend this global warming will heal itself. It is like a cancer gone wild. We have to do something soon.

Dina O'Sullivan, Edina, Minnesota