Global warming does my head in

Feeling really confused about global warming and just don't know who to believe anymore. On one side there's a bunch of eminent scientists (a lot of them) saying we are all doomed unless we switch off standby lights; on the other there are another lot of scientists saying humans are arrogant to think we can reverse this natural occurrence.

My mother is firmly of the first opinion. But it's depressing how gloomy she gets. I refuse to lie in bed awake at night in anxiety over melting ice caps or sit in a sleeping bag wearing a fleecey hat while I watch TV in the evenings (ok that's not her either but I do know of someone who does that).

Equally I do my bit. I turn off the standby lights I can get away with without annoying the Prince. I wear cardigans and turn the heating down (sometimes). I do recycling to help prevent toxic landfill sites and use trains most of the time.

The Prince tells me I'm wasting my time and energy doing this. He says there's nothing we can do and I ignore him. But I'm so torn.

Who does one believe? The great mass of opinion on the IPCC panel that says we can slow this thing down and to ignore other views because they come from the right wing oil lobby? OR, the scientists who say the IPCC is a self-serving industry and has to keep its environmental grants flooding in (scuse pun).

Poor mum got a hot flush while we were discussing this yesterday because I got a bit cross when she said she'd been worrying about ice caps. I said she was resistent to hearing different arguments that contradicted her fixed view.

I do think she has a point in that some people use this other argument to justify lazing their pants off and doing sod all to change sloppy habits.

The Prince's mother who lives in southern Spain uses her tumble-dryer every day - even during intense heatwaves when small planes fly overhead trying to put out forest fires. There goes the drum - round and round, generating its own little heatwave in her laundry room.

Anyway, I don't much care for her anymore. But that's another story.