The UK Climate Projections 2018 study predicts significant sea level rise around the UK coastline by 2100 (Climate change ‘may force people to quit flood areas’, 27 November) and, in announcing the report, the secretary of state for the environment says “we will be looking at ways we can encourage every local area to strive for greater overall resilience”.

Yet only a month ago, the government’s own advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, argued strongly that current methods being used to protect England’s coastal communities are not fit for purpose. Their report showed that between 2005 and 2014, over 15,000 buildings were built in coastal areas at significant risk of coastal flooding and/or erosion.

And, if the government meets its ambitious targets, 90,000 homes might well be built in the next five years in areas of significant annual flood risk from all sources of flooding, including coastal flooding. There is clearly an urgent need for better joined-up thinking – and action.

Tom Spencer Professor of coastal dynamics, University of Cambridge

Gerd Masselink Professor of coastal geomorphology, University of Plymouth

• So the “power plant in Edenderry, County Offaly, no longer burns peat and relies increasingly on biomass” (Peat harvesting to end as Ireland grapples with climate change, 27 November).

This may indeed be worthy. However, peat is regarded by Finland as a slow-renewing biomass fuel. And, while the Irish can certainly do more to clean up their act, Ireland produces 7.3 tonnes of CO 2 per capita, while Germany manages a whole 8.9 tonnes. Other UK “allies” further up the list include the UAE (23.3), Kuwait (25.2) and the truly awful Qatar (45.5). (All figures World Bank data, 2014.) Let’s not bash our Irish friends too much.

Alastair Edwards

Nová Ves nad Nisou, Czech Republic

• While ending the cutting and burning of Ireland’s peat bogs (which are huge stores of carbon) is welcome the alternative is worse. As in Scotland, most Irish wind turbines are erected on bogland which can decompose for hundreds of metres round every turbine, releasing millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Wind farms may eventually emit more carbon than an equivalent coal-fired power station.

Dr John Doherty

Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland

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