Dinner party guide to the climate change debate

IT WAS not long ago when the rule for polite conversation at dinner parties was to avoid religion or politics. If one could not find a neutral topic, then the suggestion was to "talk about the weather". Alas, this is no longer applicable, as the weather - like politics and religion - has become a controversial topic. Indeed, any freak or extreme weather event is almost invariably accompanied by a knowing nod and reference to climate change.

Belief in global warming has itself become a quasi-religion, and one is faced with the obvious choice between enlightened affirmation or "anti-science" denial. For those not willing to be bound by this binary straitjacket, here …