Climate skepticism hot air balloon on an up

London 8th February 2010 -* The British public are becoming more sceptical about the reality of climate change. A nationwide poll of 1,043 people by Ipsos on behalf of ad agency Euro RSCG London showed that just 31 per cent of people now believe that climate change is a definitely reality, down from 44 per cent a year ago.

In contrast, 31 per cent of people now believe that climate change is over exaggerated. This figure is up from 22 per cent in January 2009.  Additionally, only 25 per cent of people now believe that it is up to the individual to act on climate change, a figure that has fallen from 31 per cent last year. 

Which all just goes to show how gullible corporate journalists are. They like to think of themselves as hard-bitten and cynical, but in fact their ability to dig below the surface is weakening year on year. You expect it of the Daily Mail, Express, Telegraph and Times, but it is intriguing to see even Guardian journalists wobbling and falling off the wall one by one. I asked the Guardian editor if Simon Jenkins was the new Melanie Philips, hoping to get it into the cliche correspondence.  Fail.

Despite the hugely successful smokescreen puffed up by industry-funded climate skeptics, the science remains robust as it ever was. Human emissions are adding to the natural greenhuse effects, and our added emissions are the only explanation for present global temperatures.

I feel oddly detached from the affair. Sure, it is going to reduce our vote this time around, but in time, as things get worse, as reality closes in, these self-same same journalists and skeptics will start wailing "Why was something not done sooner?" 

Meanwhile, all we can do is refer genuine enquirers to the CC FAQs, continue to reduce our energy usage, keep on pressing Government to put money where their mouth is, and plant trees.