Letter from William Potts (From Swindon Advertiser)

Letter from William Potts

11:11am Wednesday 1st September 2010 in

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IN his letter (August 26, 2010) Anthony Nicholls states that a previous writer (Basil Jones) has “no scientific knowledge”. Mr Nicholls continues with; “car exhausts produce carbon monoxide, not carbon dioxide.”

The letter then follows with a number of paragraphs about the relative dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2). His information in this area is no doubt correct but is not relevant.

Car exhausts contain both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. As Mr Nicholls states; carbon monoxide (CO) is much more toxic than carbon dioxide (CO2), but as the output of CO2 is about twenty times that of CO, Basil Jones was hardly incorrect to refer to this in his earlier letter. CO is not CO2; but Mr Jones never said that it was.

Since April 2002 company car tax has been based on the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. The government accepts that cars emit carbon dioxide, even if Mr Nicholls does not.

WILLIAM POTTS

Prospect Place

Swindon