Titchmarsh is a Turnip

Alan Titchmarsh is many things. TV host, novelist, horticulturist and sex symbol for the nation's toothless Countdown watchers I can just about accept. Last time I checked, however, the Yorkshire-born, ex-Songs of Praise presenter was not an environmental scientist.

Despite this, the Daily Express today decided that Titchmarsh's calls for the public to be given the "whole picture" on climate change is worthy of a half-page item in the news section of its esteemed publication.

Sounding suspiciously like a man who huddles in corners whispering conspiracy theories, the BBC Radio 2 fixture has offered his views on the 'great global warming swindle'.

Referring to the fact that there has been 30 ice ages interspersed with warm periods in the Earth's history, Titchmarsh said: "There is a denial that this has ever happened before, as if we are children who cannot be told the full story.

"These facts are almost swept under the carpet because they are inconvenient truths".

Far from being denied as Titchmarsh claims, the International Panel on Climate Change acknowledged the role that natural events play in global warming in its fourth assessment report in 2007.

However, the study disclosed that the geological record has shown that nature's timetable of climate change is very different from the current warming cycle and that our planet has never warmed at this quick a pace before.

Now, I will admit that I have limited national newspaper editing experience - precisely none actually - but what senior editor in his right mind would define Titchmarsh's vague mutterings about "facts being swept under the carpet" and people being treated like grown-ups as news? Step forward Mr John Ingham - the paper's environment editor.

Ingham has been steadfastly flying against all rational logic and scientific evidence in his current post and would have played a part in the newspaper's outlandishly stupid Snow Chaos: And They Still Claim Its Global Warming story earlier this month.

What's next? Piers Morgan discussing the consequences of sea level rises on the world's biodiversity? Jordan and Peter Andre debating the implications of climate change on future water resources for the Indian sub-continent across competing ITV4 reality shows? Jedward hypothesising about the role that peatlands play in global carbon dioxide emissions in a GMTV special hosted by Lorraine Kelly?

Please stop it Ingham - for all of our sakes.