Although climate change seems to be insidiously disrupting our social fabric, it makes the newscast only when there's a dramatic natural disaster. But given the strong consensus between the media and environmental advocates that objectivity doesn't do justice for climate change how can the news media provide effective coverage of climate change?

Let's pretend that global warming isn't happening. Or, if you prefer, it's happening, but that it's a natural occurrence -- nothing to do with seven billion people spewing carbon dioxide, and other pollutants into the atmosphere.

Climate scientist Peter Gleick recently leaked documents from the Heartland Institute's board of director's meeting, proving the organization is using its taxpayer-supported status to spread lies and misinformation. Stealing is wrong, but Heartland is wrong when it lies about the most serious threat to humanity.

A favourite coping mechanism is to think that this climate change thing is something distant. What happened in 2011, however, takes away that "something distant" excuse. Whether it was about Quebec's flooding in the spring, or warm winter weather, we've had record-breaking wacky weather from coast to coast all year.

We do not live in an era in which facts, reason, and understanding are what drive decision-making. Unless liberals uncover what it is they believe and articulate it compellingly, another narrative will remain in ascension: that egoism is a political virtue, that compromise is for weaklings.

Let's stop wasting our time on deniers. It would be better spent trying to resolve the serious problems we have created.