ClimateGate: Are you sitting comfortably? Then let's begin...

Make yourself comfortable. Find yourself a spare hour. And then sit back and read all that The Guardian serves up regarding ClimateGate and the great big scandals surrounding 'global warming' turned 'climate change'.

Normally, this blog gives a two sentence summary of interesting news stories. The Guardian has so much to get through today that it's just impossible.

So, in order of interest to this blogger, we have:

How scientists kept the sceptics out

No apology from IPCC chief Pachauri for glacier fallacy

Email row scientist defends research

Stern denies he's a Tory adviser

George Monbiot: Scandal shames the University

Controversy behind the 'hockey stick' graph

If you manage to get through that little lot - well done. But where does this all lead us?

One of the great shames of this scandal is how little 'man-on-the-street' can trust anything we are told. At best, it is very clear that the 'man made global warming' turned 'climate change' case has been overstated.

When you scare the entire nation - and globe - with visions of apocalypse to only then have those claims deconstructed one by one AND to have allegations about conduct towards scientists who disagree enter the public domain... what is the public to think? Really?

Certainly, the public has a right to be cynical.

The marriage between politician and scientist adds to this sense of being conned.

Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have been telling us that the science is settled, there is no room for discussion, and anyone who wants a discussion gets insulted. Anyone who raises a hand to ask anything is branded, with some even suggesting that asking a question should result in a prison sentence or the death penalty.

That's not modern science. It's like a medieval witch hunt.

The political response - taxes and global institutions - adds to the cynicism.

As far as man-on-the-street goes, there's probably overwhelming sympathy with environmental good intentions. We probably all care about the planet and we'd probably all be prepared to do little things to try to make the world a better place.

However, the whole 'man made global warming' turned 'climate change' scandal - and scandal is what it is - has been used as a big stick with which to beat us.

For climatology to recover, the solution is simple.

In anything else that ever gets published on the topic, scientists should write: "This is what we think and this is how we did it."

Alongside that, they should have any opposing views: "I disagree. I found this conclusion by following this process..."

One of the other precautions is a difficult question on the inter-relationship between science and politician.

Fair enough, if science says 'issue X' and it requires a political response, then a sensible debate - or better still, civilised discussion - could take place.

But have we had sensible?

'Deniers', 'flat earthers', 'crawl back under a rock', 'mental illness', 'the science is settled' coupled with Environment Ministers threatening to go to war with anyone who disagreed with him...

That's not the way to have a debate, discussion, or form a consensus on a way forward. And any politician resorting to such conduct actually should be forced to resign. They are clearly not worthy of public office.

Then there's the business links. It is quite clear that there are people around who have made a fortune from the whole 'man made global warming' turned 'climate change' scandal and, what 'man-on-the-street' knows is that they are coughing up a fortune in taxes as a result of political decisions resulting from one side of the debate.

Spare a thought for man-on-the-street. In the last decade, we've had: two wars - one based on a dodgy dossier; the terrorists want to get us (and you're all terrorists now); we're all going to die of swine flu (which had been bird flu, too); we've got to take trillions of your tax money and give it to the banks; your MPs have been ripping you off for hundreds of thousands of pounds; you will have a referendum on the EU Constitution (unless we rename it a treaty in which case you can sod off and go along with what unelected people in Britain dictate you will have done to you); the biggest erosion and relentless onslaught against civil liberties in modern history... on and on and on.

In Britain, our public servants have turned into our masters and want to spy on us, catalogue us, and control every tiny facet of our every waking minute - in public or in private.

Maybe we're all a bit sick of it. Maybe we've reached the stage of suffering Apocalypse Fatigue.

Maybe we're tired of being pushed around. Maybe we're deflated with the relentless nature of it all.

Maybe we don't trust anyone any more on anything...

...and maybe the ONE group of people we thought were infallible and who MUST be telling us the truth was scientists - only to find that we'd been putting our faith in people who were unable to be as impartial as they should have been.

(Wo)man-on-the-street wants to put food on the table for his or her family. They want to feel loved. They want to have a little bit of a giggle and do a few interesting things.

A great many probably couldn't care less about a lot of political issues - environmental or otherwise.

However, the apocalypse scenarios have been rammed down people's throats morning, noon and night - non-stop for way too long on too many issues. Inescapably.

So, when man-on-the-street finally finds some respite in discovering that the apocalypse isn't coming yet again, guesss what..? He ain't gonna listen to those who keep insisting that the apocalypse really, really is coming this time - honest, guv.

Man-on-the-street heard it all before and doesn't trust any of the messengers any more.

And in that little lot, everyone has lessons to learn.