Adam Corner spies denial

Dear Editor,

I read with astonishment Viv Regan's factually inaccurate and irresponsible opinions about whether environmentalism is 'good' for the developing world (SPA, December 2006). Environmentalism is not simply some puritan ideal that the affluent world seeks to enforce on developing countries. Rather, some of us are gradually waking up to the idea that the lifestyles we currently lead are unsustainable and constitute a grossly unfair allocation of the world's ecological resources. This point is crucial: the resources available to us are finite and, like a child who mustlearn to save their pocket money if they want to make it last through the month, we have a moral obligation to preserve the resources we do have for future generations – that is,our children.

Read George Monbiot's latest book and his proposal for global carbon allocation and note that it is not developing countries who must cut back on their emissions – at least,not yet – but the USA and the UK who bear the obligation to rein in their use of ecological resources.

I would like to think that, deep down, Viv Regan realises that writing ‘but people want jacuzzis' as a response to a global politicalissue that requires urgent and considered action is extraordinarily shortsighted, and an example of denial on a staggering scale.

Adam Corner is at the Department of Psychology, Cardiff University