It's a rule: When the data goes your way, it's a meaningful trend; otherwise, it's just a "fluctuation"

Hot air and the rising tide of doubt buoys climate cynics

THE number of climate change sceptics is rising in the wake of failed international negotiations, political posturing and damaging publicity about scientific research.
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Survey researcher Randall Pearce said attitudes about climate change were ''fluctuating''.

''We normally use polls to measure short-term things,'' he said.

''We don't normally use them to look at long-term things. We have to resist the temptation to say because [concern] has dropped it will continue to do so. What it's more likely to do is ebb and flow.''

The Australian National University Centre for Climate Law and Policy associate director, Andrew Macintosh, said the survey results showed the environment movement had failed to convince the public of climate change science. He predicted policy, including the emissions scheme, would flounder as a result.

''The deniers and sceptics have clearly got the upper hand at the moment,'' Mr Macintosh said.