After the Christmas break, readers returned to the site in force this week, posting a range of sharp, insightful comments. I enjoyed the highly charged exchange on climate change denial sparked by comments from the IPCC chair, Rajendra Pachauri, , while the debate on Malawi's national parks covered corruption, homophobia, development, tied aid and the assertion that most Africans will have never seen an elephant or rhino. Here's a taste of the other community activity taking place this week.
Debate of the week
Miss Earth hits the catwalk with a beauty contest from a different planet
• christiaanbriggs: "For the the protection of Mother Earth and yet no mothers are allowed to compete..."
• CBPodge: "I'm most confused about the "Best in Eco-Bag Design Wear" category. I'm pretty sure they just picked some semi-random words and pushed them all together while drunk there."
• scamorza: "This is all a bit Zoolander, in the vein of 'The Derek Zoolander Centre For Children Who Can't Read Good And Wanna Learn To Do Other Stuff Good Too' but even more ridiculous and a lot less worthy ... I suppose it's just another excuse to get young ladies to parade around in not very much."
• waxdom: "Lighten up, it's just a bit of fun. So many people are turned off by the morose sanctimony of Al Gore & Co that it might be a good thing if these women can turn them on again."
If you only read one thread ...
Tips on how to cycle in the snow
Travel disruptions mean cycling, with a few adjustments, may be the best bet for getting to work vaguely on time, writes Matt Seaton
Best comment
mysticism: "I would urge all genuine anthropogenic climate change sceptics to as a minimum read the summary of the IPCC's fourth assessment report."
Posted on: Pachauri: Climate change has no time for delay or denial
Elsewhere on the web
David Meddings wrote on Facebook: "We could undo the Enclosures Acts of the 1800s, the commons, the setasides, the National Trust? Make rural Britain alive again."
In response to: Grow your own food revolution plans to seed unused land
Funniest post
pahaleeese: "I greatly admire Mr Monbiot's courage, lowering his jewels so squarely on the chopping block of this whole affair"
Posted on: Britain's cold snap does not prove climate science wrong
