THE relationship of climate change denialism to the rest of the world might best be described by a crude analogy: The last bus of the evening arrives at a busy stop, where 100 people are waiting. Ninety-nine people board the bus, reach a consensus that the bus should at least move forward down the street, but as it does so are otherwise engaged in an animated discussion about how fast it should go or what lane it should use.

Meanwhile, the lone person who did not board the bus remains standing at the stop as the vehicle grows smaller in the distance, stridently demanding that someone, anyone debate with him whether buses actually exist, or for that matter, roads.