Tim Flannery’s mystical notion that the Earth is a self-regulating organism indeed has no place in scientific discussion of climate change (‘Earth mother has no answer’, The Australian, 4/1), and as you call for scientists to “ask the eccentrics and extremists to shut up”, I trust you will be applying the same policy to the equally-unscientific deniers and “invisible hand” market-worshippers among your own columnists.