Terri Jackson’s letter (20 January) about 2014 being the warmest year since records began is seriously misleading. For the 80% of Earth history when temperatures were higher, there were only micro-organisms, or humans had not yet evolved, nor was there a nexus of other linked human-caused problems with which to cope. The current climate change problem is about how fast the temperature is rising and the destruction of the natural systems that have been able to accommodate more modest rises in the past. But perhaps Terri would like to return to being a blue-green bacterium.
Emeritus Professor Brian Moss
University of Liverpool
• Terri Jackson should get a Nobel for knowing what Earth’s climate was like 6bn years ago. Most scientists think the planet has existed for only 4.5bn years.
Tim Evans
London
• Surely the matter of whether to leave the lavatory seat up or down (Letters, 20 January) has long been settled – it’s down, because the lid itself should also be down, to minimise the aerosolisation of the contents. This practice has multiple benefits – it’s more hygienic, and any inconvenience associated with touching either the seat or lid is shared equally between the sexes.
Edward Collier
Cheltenham
• Chivalry of a kind prevails in our household. The user, regardless of gender, always replaces the toilet seat in the upright position. This is to facilitate our collie bitch ease of access to her favourite tipple.
Dinah Hickish
Tremeirchion, Denbighshire
• “Happy birthday to you, / If I don’t come, you’ll sue, / Whilst rejoicing, you’re invoicing / Your friends; why so few?” (Boy, 5, invoiced for no-show at party, 20 January)?
Fr Alec Mitchell
Manchester
• Page 3 goes tits up (Report, 20 January)?
Tim O’Malley
Stone, Staffordshire
