By Nordstjernan columnist Ulf Nilson, January 2010

A few days ago the authorities in France let it be known that that they had for sale: vaccine against swine flu!
In other words, it's not needed in France. No pandemic, only a few cases. Let us be practical about it.
As if this was not enough, several other European countries said pretty much the same thing. The pandemic never occurred, it turned out to be a non-event case of—dare I write this?—media hype and man made hysteria. That the medicine companies did their best to foster this hysteria changes nothing. It was television, radio, newspapers and—perhaps most importantly—the Web that turned millions and millions of people into true believers.
The relatively few cases found were presented under world war headlines. Reporters and commentators underlined, mostly without independent corroboration, that the situation was very, very serious. Politicians of all kinds saw fit to jump on the train, to warn of coming disasters is a safe and vote winning strategy—whereas he who says “take it easy” takes a real risk.
That's bad enough, but I have a strong feeling that in 2009 we were swindled in an even worse way by precisely the same folks that gave us the “pandemic.” I am referring to, of course, the global warming crowd.
As this is being written the better part of Europe is in the grips of the coldest winter in living memory. Here in Sweden it hasn't been so cold in the corresponding period of time in over 40 years and the same goes for most of Europe. Likewise, I hear that it is pretty cold over there, where you, dear reader, dwell. In other words: no warming!
I am the first to admit that what I just wrote merely offers an impression, not, of course, evidence. But evidence there is galore on other fronts. It has been established beyond a reasonable doubt that
+ there have been countless periods of warming and cooling in the history of the earth, and this long before combustion engines and coal burning were on the agenda;
+ the scientists that wrote the UN report which started the more and more hysteric campaign clearly doctored their findings in the worst possible way;
+ the politicians jumped on, as always intent on gaining elections and glory at the expense of—who else—the taxpayers;
+ particularly politicians in the poor countries saw a chance to milk the rich, primarily western countries in the name of common danger.
It's all been quite depressing. Not the least media's reaction has been awful. Each and every self appointed expert has had his or her say on television and in newspapers, even the most prestigious ones. A few warning voices have been heard, i.e., the great Björn Lomborg in Denmark, Lord Lawson (formerly British minister of finance under the name Nigel Lawson ) and Sweden's Hans Bergström, former editor-in-chief of Dagens Nyheter. All of the three and a few others have made clear that the carbon dioxide hysteria will lead nowhere. There has to be a plan B, such as more efficient engines and better insulated buildings. This will in time lead to both fewer emissions and—maybe indeed more important—less dependence on “oil states,” from Saudi Arabia, to Russia, to Venezuela, a political gain of the first magnitude.
So, there is still hope. Let the market do its magic. Don't let the Al Gores—and the cheating scientists of this world—fool us and win.