Mountain of myths

Dr Michael Stevens (Letters, 4 August) attempts to excuse the blatant misrepresentation and exaggeration in Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth, by parroting Christian Aid's unscientific and alarmist prediction that up to a billion displaced people could descend upon the West. He also suggests the most likely reason for the disappearing snow on Kilimanjaro is human activity.

I know a little about Kilimanjaro (I was standing on top of it not long ago) and the poverty-stricken people living in the countries surrounding it, presumably the same people Dr Stevens envisions in endless hordes sweeping towards us.

Kilimanjaro has less snow because prevailing winds have become drier. This is due to several fairly complicated factors but it is definitely not caused by anthropogenic global warming; the local climate has actually cooled.

As for the people, most are already trying to get to the West. The reason, however, is not the weather. They want to escape the kind of inefficient technology, subsidence lifestyles, state planning and shattered economies the environmental doom-mongers want to foist upon us.

AEON McNULTY

Kenavon Drive

Reading, Berkshire