I had to laugh at Trevor Alford’s attempt to ridicule my arguments for a cleaner, healthier society (Argus Letters, July 22).

It seems he is unable to come back with sound arguments so has to resort to parody and insults. For the record, I neither ride a horse nor wear clogs, but I’m sure that won’t stop Mr Alford. As to whether my ideas are from a ‘minority green persuasion’, let’s look at some of the big issues facing our time.

Threat of man-made climate change: not a Green fringe idea but one accepted as real by the vast majority of academics.

Air pollution: the World Health Organisation concluded that all outdoor air pollution was carcinogenic with no known safe levels, while Public Health England recently reported 115 deaths each year in Brighton and Hove due to particulate air pollution.

Obesity, diabetes and mental health issues: not a figment of my imagination but very real issues costing the NHS billions every year.

Yet Mr Alford’s vision of the future is more of the same. Never mind the cost to our wallet, our health or our children’s future. I don’t see why we should accept that broken vision and I make no apologies for trying to change things for the better. In contrast, this Government appears to have handed control of the country to the fat cats from industry and commerce.

It has installed a housebuilder as the head of Natural England – the Government’s advisor on protecting the natural environment – a person who was chairman of a company heavily involved in fracking to the Environment Agency which licences fracking and largely dismantled the planning system at the behest of big business, which now threatens many local green spaces around the city.

Apparently this is what we, as a country, need. Don’t make me laugh Mr Alford as I might just cry.

Chris Todd Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth Hollingdean Terrace, Brighton