Toronto -- Gabriel Draven (Absurd Reasoning -- letter, Aug. 24) and all the multitude of critics of Bjorn Lomborg avoid the core proposition of his environmental skepticism. What he proposes is a discussion of our options rather than allowing an advocacy group to stampede us into a particular spending pattern.

These cynical advocacy groups want us to conform to Kyoto because it will be good for us, despite knowing, as stated by Mr. Lomborg, that this major sacrifice will simply delay the inevitable by a few years. Total adherence to the Kyoto accord might well take 10 per cent off Canada's prosperity.

If we follow this route, would we simultaneously raise our foreign aid in an effort to bring Third World peoples up to something approaching the lowest of First World standards? If not, then the UN population predictions go out the window as they are based on such an improvement. Without it, the population grows forever. (We can feed 50 billion but is that what we want?) Even Third World people are responsible for carbon emissions so there goes the small improvement brought about by our sacrificing to conform to Kyoto. And if First World countries conform, the price of fossil fuel will be reduced and the Third World will increase its consumption and reliance.

Obeying the Kyoto accord is a feel-good move that diverts attention from the search for a real political/economic solution to the world's very real social, economic and environmental problems.