Climate Change Sceptic

Recently, I spent some time with my brother, which, I have to admit, I don't do very often. There is nothing wrong with my brother, although we probably couldn't be more different. He lives in Queensland with his wife and kids, which is the main reason I don't see him very often.

We don't really have a whole lot in common, he's more John Howard and I am more Julia Gillard, if you know what I mean? Still, he is fine and generally we get on okay.

We were driving home after being out, chatting away, when he told me he was a climate change sceptic. It is not often that I am lost for words, but on this occasion I was. He is a scientist or, at least, he studied science at university, not that he really works in that field now. He went on to give me his reasons for thinking the way he thinks and I remained stunned into silence.

"But surely, the huge amount of evidence from scientific research points towards man mad climate change as being real?" I said.

"No it doesn't," he replied. "The research is inconclusive. They haven't proved conclusively that anything man has done has caused climate change."

I suddenly felt like I was being driven home by Tony Abbott. I was quite amazed by him, and not in a good way.

He has a touch of the Tony Abbott's about him, actually. He's married with three daughters. There is no doubt in my mind that he votes Liberal.

He is very conservative in his thinking.

I have never specifically discussed me being gay with him. My mum told me once, though, that he said my sexuality was all in my head. Whatever that means? I responded to this, to my mum, by saying that all people's sexuality is "all in their heads."

I guess there is a reason why people live in Queensland.