Green ideals brought down to earth. (David Varney speaks on environmental policies of the petroleum industry at the Freight Transport Association conference in London) (Column) (Brief Article)

David Varney, managing director for downstream oil at Shell U.K. Ltd., is fed up with woolly green sentiments.

"Two fundamental misunderstandings flaw current environmental debate," he told delegates at a Freight Transport Association conference in London.

"The first is an unwillingness to recognize the limitations to our understanding of the environment and of the technologies that affect it. The second is the widespread belief that major environmental improvements can be achieved at little cost."

Varney cited fears of global warming. Scientists have not yet measured the effects thoroughly or even agreed there is a greenhouse effect. Yet "the …