Emily - what's the point of the article? Rather than rehash, yet again, the climate debate we should look at practicalities. Is it now possible to reduce emissions sufficiently to avert this crisis, be it real or imagined? No - at least not according to the theory. The doom is upon us. In any case a firm international agreement on limiting emissions isn't possible. The best that can be hoped for is a series of voluntary targets for each country - the Paris meeting later this year, will probably decide this. But without a firm, enforceable hard-target agreement, any local attempt to limit emissions is a serious waste of time.

So why not dump the pleas to limit emissions, accept that climate will change (assuming it will change in the expected way) and think about adaptation measures. The advantage of these is that they can be tailored to what actually happens, rather than what is forecast to happen - and save us from long, rambling articles.

If 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real, what does it matter what the geologists, biologists and or paleontologists (other scientists) think?

Albeit in the case of the latter, knowing what actually happened before under similar conditions, is the best guide to what would happen when we replicate them!

And given we know what happened when these conditions were virtually replicated; the time for endless debate is over; to be replaced by action, none of which need to impact negatively on the economy! In fact, just the very opposite.

We have enough cheaper than coal, thorium to run the world for 700 years; or all our own industries for thousands for half what they pay now, if retained as our principle (export) industrial power source!

And the average household power bill can be reduced by around 75% just by turning our waste into bladder stored methane; and then using that in ceramic fuel cells; to not only power our homes 24/7, but provide endless free hot water!

The waste products from this application more than suitable to also support large scale algae farming, and following that, an arable land, food and energy imputation free, equally large ethanol industry.

Some algae are up to 60% oil and two types currently being trialed produce naturally occurring and virtually ready to use diesel and jet fuel.

Some industry experts are on the public record saying; even with a fuel excise imposed, these fuels could be retailed for less than 44 cents a litre.

All of the above are vastly cheaper options than that currently available, and just happen to also be either carbon free or carbon neutral; as are solar thermal arrays, now able to produce competitive base load power 24/7! Thanks to recent technological advances/economies of scale!

Solar thermal heat can be used to SAFELY create endless very low cost hydrogen, for just a few cents per cubic metre; using the older catalytic water molecule cracking method.

Are so dumb as to need proof beyond any doubt whatsoever, just to accept and use vastly cheaper energy?
Rhrosty.

Sweaty you started out looking like you were going to actually say something. Then you faded out to a clever bit of bumph, which said nothing at all.

6 for clever 4 for content.

You can do better.

The reason that a lot of people have lost interest in climate change is that they have concluded that it is only a symptom of a much larger problem which the media is committed to ignore. This problem, is, of course overpopulation, which we are not allowed to even discuss anymore, as the only thing that George Bush, the Ayotollah, and the Pope agreed on was that nothing must be done to limit human population. Coupled with a conviction that climate change was a disguised way to justify higher taxation and give more aid to the third world, which is currently the chief offender in the population department, many people just switched off.

Quick off-topic prediction:

When the drug smugglers are executed, Abbott will respond by stopping foreign aid to Indonesia.

This will please EVERYONE.

The lefties will like it because they oppose capital punishment, and those on the right will like it because it will mean wasting less money on foreign aid.

'if you live on Planet Earth and absorb mainstream media, there’s a high chance you’ve been confused by climate change activists and the denialists and'

actually Emily you are very kind to call the alarmist 'climate change activists' and paint those demanding evidence instead of pseudo scientist as denialist. The denialist are those who still can't come up with any evidence except their scare nonsense in order to keep the funding coming.

‘morning Emily,

Welcome to OLO. You appear young, pretty, intelligent and much is going for you. Unfortunately, like so many in your age group, you are also profoundly confused.

You ask “what is going on?” The answer, it’s going backwards.

You work in media, you are socially active on your blog and on social media and yet you cannot convince yourself to step outside your self referential world, to seek an explanation for your confusion.

When you can begin to do your own research and question what you have been told is an unquestionable truth, there may be hope for you.

A great many people have been dragged into their beliefs by their parents, circle of friends, educators, media, politics and social networks. They come to believe in a great many absurdities they later find impossible to accept. By the time they're able to start thinking about discarding what they know full well to be a lie; they have expended a great deal of emotional energy and are unwilling to admit to themselves that they have made a costly mistake. Such is human nature.”

Don’t leave it too late Emily.

"There are three forces, the only three forces capable of conquering and enslaving forever the conscience of these weak rebels in the interests of their own happiness. They are: the miracle, the mystery and authority".
F. Dostoyevsky The Brothers Karamazov

Sadly, your beliefs in AGW have all the elements of the miracle, the mystery and authority, it’s up to you to reconcile these or stay exactly where you are, confused because you refuse to question!

Best wishes for your future.