Great Global Warming Swindle - knuckles rapped

The UK's broadcasting regulator Ofcom has published its views on Channel 4's The Great Global Warming Swindle.

The verdict in a nutshell:

1. The programme did misrepresent several eminent scientists.

2. While the gist of the scientific argument was 'wrong', it was within the rights of Channel 4 to broadcast it.

Point 2 brings out a real tug-of-war in my head - normally I welcome freedom of speech to a degree which would make many others blanch, but this programme has been used by so many as 'proof' that climate change is just a massive hoax to raise taxes that I start spitting with rage.

It is not Ofcom's fault, it is a matter of our attitudes - if Channel 4 had insulted a person, a 'race' of people (eg Celebrity Big Brother) or a company, it would have been rightly condemned. But the concept of 'insulting' the plight of our life support system is just to big and complex for our little minds to cope.