If we can't be confident in our diagnosis, we shouldn't be commencing "treatment." Despite our best intentions, we may make the situation worse rather than better.

In the 1970s the experts were telling us the planet was at risk of a new Ice Age - and bemoaning the fact that politicians weren't doing enough to prevent such a fate. A few decades later, they now say global warming will lead to disaster.

The fact of the matter is that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, and that homo sapiens have only been around for 250,000 years. For billions of years before we were even thought of, the Earth's climate was in a constant state of change. Glaciers came and went. Species were born and the...

If we can't be confident in our diagnosis, we shouldn't be commencing "treatment." Despite our best intentions, we may make the situation worse rather than better.

In the 1970s the experts were telling us the planet was at risk of a new Ice Age - and bemoaning the fact that politicians weren't doing enough to prevent such a fate. A few decades later, they now say global warming will lead to disaster.

The fact of the matter is that the Earth is 4.5 billion years old, and that homo sapiens have only been around for 250,000 years. For billions of years before we were even thought of, the Earth's climate was in a constant state of change. Glaciers came and went. Species were born and then went extinct. Global temperatures warmed and cooled.

Mother Nature has a mind of her own. To imagine that we currently understand enough about her to, through our puny actions, halt what may be perfectly natural forces is a kind of arrogance. It seems to me, anyway.