The fact that each time the arguments of climate alarmists are bunked, and they desperately produce 'new' findings, which are also denbunked - and the whole producing of nonsense starts again, suggests that their motives are more to do with political and economic control over everything and everyone, rather than with the climate or the environment.

Being so far behind in climate changes, ignores so many obvious happenings, which is going to be astronomical in fall-out.
Ice is not just melting it is gaining pace in leaps and bounds, and putting massive amounts of C02 into the atmosphere. Trapped in perma; frost for thousands of years now being released.
Air temp in the arctic has risen 5*C Changing air currents that circulate the globe. There is a guarantee that with each year passing year violent storms and floods will continue to increase in intensity, and ferocity. God help the denialist' brigade.

I am pleased to see that Mark Lawson is tackling the toughest and most critical issue in the whole climate debate: what is the real cost attributable to the various kinds of damage caused by each additional tonne of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere and do the benefits of eliminating that extra tonne exceed the costs? As well as pointing out the serious problems in establishing a single damage cost figure, Mark notes that the rational cost/benefit approach is simply not “acceptable to the many activists in this debate. As far as they are concerned the climate damage has happened now, there will be much more of it in the future and we have a moral obligation to cut emissions early and often.” Economics does not appear on the enthusiastic environmentalist’s horizon. Climate change must be stopped at any cost because it’s a moral issue.

As well as being reluctant to acknowledge the cost/benefit approach, these activists carry another distorting belief. They are already convinced that all future energy can be obtained from wind and sun with no adverse economic impact. So why bother, they would ask, to waste time on figuring out costs when they already know that renewable resources are abundant and cheap, so long as just a bit more investment in new technology occurs?

Those are the beliefs that define the battlelines. Of course, one can avoid the issue altogether by denying that carbon dioxide can cause climate to change. That’s an easy way out but intellectually lazy and scientifically ignorant. We may not know how bad climate change will be but its physical basis is pretty clear.

So again, I thank Mark for re-entering the fray through the right doorway

All so true, & so damning, & you have not mentioned that many not in a green straightjacket have suggested that a further 50% increase in CO2 would be very much to the advantage of the planet's flora. A bit of an increase in temperature, although unlikely would also be great for the flora. This is the flora all fauna depends on for our survival.

I have never seen a single genuine argument, other than global warming is bad, & the oceans will turn acid, all garbage, all totally disproved, to justify the ridiculous expenditure on Mickey Mouse technology, & academic game playing.

Do keep up the fight, or the ratbags will wear us all down, & destroy our civilisation. The day of a new dark age looms.

Not surprising to find denialists and obfuscators in a country that exports vast quantities of polluting carbon. A paycheck is a wonderful argument, although condemning your children to blistering droughts, wildfires, and tropical storms seems a countering aspect.

I have to go. The strawmen are giving me hay fever.

Mark Lawson here - guys thanks for all of that..

Doog - where does all this stuff come from? ice melting in leaps and bounds.. releasing CO2 in the atmosphere.. that's activist stuff and mostly straight wrong. Check out official CO2 readings http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/#mlo

CO2 in the atmos is increasing, for whatever reason, but its certainly not accelerating. The sea ice story is more complicated but also nope - sorry - best to check your sources..