Hitting the nail on the head
I've noticed this on the BBC and it's good you've raised this
Certainly there is a consensus that climate change is happening due to human development. I find the arguements plausible, though obviously there is plenty to learn and reasearch there. Thereare sceptics on the science, some are nuts, but some are making palusible points and deserve their say.
However on the BBC I have often heard the sceptics referred to as "Global Warming Deniers" - obviously trying to imply that they are about at the level of Irving/Ahmadinejad. This has extended to the point that they are now roughly "Don't worry about the science, we need to act now!" and anyone who disagrees with the kyoto\shopping-bag bans etc is again in the same basket as Messers I& A above.
Now whist the is a fair consensus on what appears to be happening to the climate, they sure as hell isn't a consensus on what constitutes a good thing to do about it. All proposed actions will have multiple impacts and there are plenty of groups involved using climate change to push thier own agendas (Unions after more protectionism, Leftists wanting government control of everything, Greens wanting to reverse economic growth).
Bjørn Lomborg was somethime described as a sceptic, but in fact his argument was that there were more important things that the world should be doing to help the poor, against disease etc.
It's easy for the BBC to take this line now, but saying "Don't think about the science, it's above your head and you just need to do what we say" is a worring direction.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
