Scientists predicted the floods

Sue Doughty, of Berkshire (Starmail, August 6) believes the devastating floods happened "as a result of listening to so-called environmentalists".

Sigmund Freud would have referred to Ms Doughty's accusation as 'psychological projection'.

This is a defence mechanism in which one 'projects' one's own undesirable thoughts, motivations, desires, and feelings onto someone else to reduce one's own anxiety'.

In 1997 scientists of the UK Climate Impacts Programme first gave their detailed forecast of what global heating had in store for Britain in the 21st century - and high up on the list was rainfall, increasing both in frequency and intensity.

Environmentalists' claims about a link between climate change and extreme weather events are nothing new, but something major has shifted now.

More people see the floods as a wake-up call and are listening to what the scientists are saying, and this is what irks Ms Doughty so manifestly.

Huw Peach, Shrewsbury