Mr P D Somerville’s latest effort (August 10) is supposed to be about climate change, but repeatedly brings up a figment of his imagination that he calls Eric Alexander. Since that’s my name, I take leave to object, and to assure your readers that I do not suffer from any of the delusions afflicting the character he has created.

I’ve said that recent prolonged spells of dry and wet weather, in the USA and UK, are caused by excessive carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, through the effect on the jet stream. Mr Somerville seems to think that they’re caused by small deviations of the planet’s orbit from the simplified version most of us accept.

I’m concerned about the effect on climate of mankind burning an ever-increasing quantity of fossil fuel. He reckons this effect can be ignored because it hasn’t been going on long enough to matter.

I leave your readers to judge which of us is more deluded.

Eric Alexander, Dovecot Road, High Wycombe