I write further to the Skipper's article in the Packet on January 10 on livestock gaseous by-products. After reading in "Between Two Carns," the history of Carnkie village, Illogan (and published by the Carnkie History Forum) that before the advent of the tramway at Portreath it took about 1,000 mules a day to carry the ore, I did wonder how much methane early 19th century transport might have produced in total and how that compares with the carbon emissions from internal combustion. Could it possibly be that more modern methods are actually less harmful?

Happy (and continually provocative) New Year.

D Curtis, Mountstephens Lane, Falmouth

SKIPPER'S amusing tirade about the farting cows reminds me of years ago when I lived in Worthing working as a reporter on a local paper.

One of my jobs was to cover council meetings. A problem of great concern to the council at the time was the amount of dog mess in the streets and on the pavements.

A certain flamboyant councillor, Ivan Robinson, suggested that the council should make dog owners plug up their pets with babies' dummies, only taking them out in places where it was appropriate for the animals to perform their function.

The idea was not adopted, with one councillor saying that although it was a good idea, they could not risk the alarm, and possible danger, of dogs exploding in the streets!

D Humphreys, Helston Road, Penryn