coalition

In December 2009 at a gathering of climate change deniers in Copenhagen, Dr Tom Harris** was shimmering with enthusiasm for his latest project.

Dr Mr. Harris, executive director of the Ottawa-based sceptic group the International Climate Science Coalition, explained how he had managed to gather "hundreds" of signatures from "climate experts" who wanted to challenge "supporters of the hypothesis of dangerous human-caused climate change" to provide evidence.

Not only that, but it had taken him just "two weeks" to gather the signatures, which he then explained numbered 150 (so much for hundreds).

"This list is growing quickly," he said, "and we are going to maintain it as something called the register. We expect it eventually to be thousands."

With such a surge in supporters, how is the global register going a full 18 months on?