I DON'T often agree with Chris Davies MEP, but on this occasion I do.

I am referring to his letter concerning the world's burgeoning population and whether global warming is caused by burning fossil fuels.

There is the problem of feeding all these people, the impact on the world's resources and the damage caused by deforestation.

The population of the United Kingdom has increased, over the past 50 years, from 54 million to 60.5 million whilst the populations of other countries have increased by staggering amounts.

The population of India in 50 years has increased from 320 million to 1,010 million at an annual rate of 1.38 per cent.

Pakistan has increased from 33 million to 166 million at 2.09 per annum.

Bangladesh's population has risen from 42 million to 147 million, also at a rate of 2.09 per annum.

Indonesia's population has gone from 80 million to 245 million at 1.41 per cent per annum and China from 582 million to 1,311 million at a rate of 0.59 per cent.

The populations of South America are also increasing rapidly, but with the use of contraception not being acceptable to certain religions, I don't see anything but huge problems in the not too distant future.

R S WHITAKER, Orchard Street, Great Harwood, Blackburn.