Whatever the weather...

When I had a go at Mark Durkin's Great Climate Change Swindle, I wasn't in a position to comment on the science. If the programme is still nagging away at you then have a look at this sober review of its scientific arguments from the chair of one of the IPCC working groups.

In the meantime, Professor Mike Hulme, of the the well respected Tyndall Centre in the UK, has said today we should be careful not to exaggerate the effects of climate change. He has carried out a study on communications which suggested that people shown doom-laden messages tended to believe the problem could come to a head further into the future. These people also felt there was little they could do to affect the planet's future.

The bizarre thing about all this is that I sometimes find myself almost wanting climate catastrophes to occur in order to vindicate the eco argument - then I have to remind myself that I'd be as one-eyed as Mr Durkin would like me to be. Other times I pray to the gods that climate change isn't happening so I can rack up a few (more) airmiles... So hurrah for the Prof's timely reality check in this oft-overheated debate.