THE efforts of Cllr Dyan Jones and Cllr Giles Archibald of South Lakeland District Council towards a zero-carbon South Lakeland are doubtless commendable but it should not be assumed their efforts will have any effect in the great scheme of things.

You have only to look around our towns to see reducing carbon footprints is not something which comes naturally to people. Cars get bigger every year, commuting distances longer and how many of the countless housing developments rubber-stamped by South Lakeland District Council require owning a car: there is no infrastructure, not even a corner shop.

In addition, buildings are commonly overheated (it is now accepted that personnel in supermarkets dress as if they are in the tropics - whatever happened to the woolly jumper?) Moreover, double doors are commonly left wide open so heat is blasted out into the great blue yonder while in another part of the store refrigerated air is often being dissipated.

To make the country zero-carbon will require an unprecedented effort: probably no private cars, no jetting off several times a year to exotic locations and no out-of-season fruits and vegetables flown in from halfway round the world. Will the populace vote in politicians who implement such policies?

Efforts to make our society greener are commendable but we must be clear that to stop global warming requires a major sacrifice by everyone.

However we are in danger of introducing costly but ineffective measures and convincing ourselves we are doing good.

Kent Brooks

Kendal