Forest emissions

MR Stuart Goodall (Letters, 12 March) criticises my letter about research indicating that foresters' methods increase greenhouse gases and warm the air. He writes that I "list some spurious claims", but fails to rebut the research or my list with evidence.

He asserts it was in response to such research that the government commissioned Professor Sir David Read's report. He cannot have read the report. It was not commissioned in response to such research. It was commissioned not by the government but the Forestry Commission.

The authors admit that cultivation methods induce emissions, and recommend more study of this. They ignore, however, the obvious emissions in transport, felling machines, burning and some other common practices. The title, Combating climate change: a role for UK forests, evinces a one-sided view, political rather than scientific. Only time will tell which research or view is reliable.

I have no financial or other interest to declare on forestry.

DR ADAM WATSON

Crathes

Banchory