SINCE politicians, who have responsibility for energy matters, have become so occupied with Britain’s carbon emissions, many coal fired generators are being shut down.

Such a policy leaves the country vulnerable to power cuts and much higher and increasing electricity costs.

Carbon capture at the mechanical level seems to be stalled but biological methods of carbon capture has taken place since the beginning of plants existence.

Experts at Kew have found that plants grown in atmospheres of much increased carbon dioxide grow more rapidly.

So with the right investment in massive glass houses, carbon capture could work on an industrial scale using flue gases from coal furnaces first to heat such glass houses and to provide an environment to speed up plant growth for horticulture.

The cost of such massive glass houses would be enormous but the benefits to adventurous market gardeners would be huge too, i.e. for heating year round.

At the time of year when daylight is shorter, off peak electricity could be used to increase growing time.

The possibility of energy security by retaining coal as the main spring of electricity generation plus cheaper electricity and year round fresh grown British tomatoes would benefit us all.

N Gardner, Carlisle Avenue, Swindon