The climate change debate is frequently couched in quasi-religious terms. There are the ‘believers’ on one side, and the ‘sceptics’ and ‘deniers’ on the other. Religious concepts like original sin (our carbon footprint), penance (carbon credits), fasting (a meat-free diet), and an apocalyptic vision of the future (complete with a Noah-like global flood caused by melting polar caps) are all features of modern climate change activism.

And there is little wonder why.