A shower of meteors is preferable to a global editorial

The news alerts, the backgrounders, the live blogs from Copenhagen- all great stuff. But is a single campaigning editorial line from 56 papers in 45 countries just what we need to launch it ? On the contrary, there’s nothing like a big chorus of unanimity to set off the discordant voices and stoke the comforting paranoia of grandstanding sceptics the Telegraph’s blog editor sympathises with in a – wouldn’t you know it? – last minute tilt at the BBC. Personally I’ve had it up to here with Climategate. Is there anybody who seriously believes the future of the planet depends on what happened over a few emails in the University of East Anglia? Recognise a PR gift to sceptics for horning in on the debate when you see it. Human failings is what they trade in, not scientific data. The subject is too vast for either a uniform approach or the old left-right divide to tackle. We need openness and integrity all the way- no slick shortcuts.

Brian Walker

Former BBC journalist and manager in Belfast, Manchester and London, Editor Spolight; Political Editor BBC NI; Current Affairs Commissioning editor BBC Radio 4; Editor Political and Parliamentary Programmes, BBC Westminster; former London Editor Belfast Telegraph. Hon Senior Research Fellow, The Constitution Unit, Univ Coll. London