In Denial or In Cahoots?

There's been a bit of a bust up in the wonderful world of climate change denial this week. First George Monbiot alleges in his new book that most of the 'institutes' generating reports saying that climate change may not be happening, or that it is part of a natural cycle, are actually PR front organisations set up and funded by big business. Initially they were funded to cast doubt on the link between passive smoking and cancer, but now, showing remarkable versatility, have become experts on climate science. The funding is alleged to be in the order of £1.5billion and the results are often quoted by Melanie Phillips in the Daily Mail, David Bellamy and others in their campaigns against "political correctness gone mad".

Now this is fairly standard stuff from George M, but the Royal Society then weighed in, writing to Exxon-Mobil asking them to stop funding these groups. The big oil company got sniffy and retorted they now believe that climate change is man-made and that they've stopped funding such companies this year.

Progress of a sort, I suppose...