Global warming.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)

SIR: In your June editorial, you say that "the public discussion of global warming in all its aspects is frequently affected by the espousal of its reality and urgency by so many people who have no real understanding of the issues". This is due to a lack of understanding among journalists and politicians, and their concerted efforts to hold a uniform message. They are supported by such scientists as Monash University's Dr Neville Nicholls, who aim to bully the public into acquiescence.

In early April, the Sydney Morning Herald launched a new section in its Tuesday edition, called "Eco". At the same time, the broadsheet's Earth Hour initiative happened. The Sunday night television news coverage of the event saw Ten, Seven, SBS and the ABC giving air time to pictures and numbers. Actor Care Blanchett was shown several times saying it was a "potent symbol". Even Al Jazeera's English-language station covered it, as did the BBC.

The rival Sunday Telegraph only gave it half of page 2 and led with a negative headline: "Symbolic gesture a turn-off". Since then, however, Rupert Murdoch has capitulated to the carbon-emissions lobby, announcing he will use his global media network to support it.

The climate debate really took off in the last quarter of 2006 as coverage of the continuing drought saturated the airwaves. Images of John Howard kicking dust in the bush presaged something big. Symptomatic of the resulting hysteria was Kevin Rudd saying that being a climate change sceptic was analogous to believing the earth was fiat. I called the Labor Party in May to complain. I spoke with a staffer who said he would get back to me but did not.

Nick Galvin, editor of "Eco", said he was "not aware" of bias at the paper and that "balance is a matter of judgment". If writing a story about evolution, he said, he "would not feel compelled" to give equal weight to the views of creationists.

Since these types of comparisons are commonplace, I believe that things have got out of hand. A new approach by climate sceptics is necessary.

We suffered the snarls of the ABC's drive-time callers recently when the national broadcaster screened The Great Global Warming Swindle. Brief research indeed reveals a ...