Love them or loathe them, reality TV shows attract massive audiences. Just last week an old 'favourite' returned to TV screens in the UK in the form of Celebrity Big Brother. The usual array of C-listers, novelty dullands and one or two real stars was shut into the new and improved house. For those unfamiliar with the show, it is based on locking a group of people in a house with lots of cameras. 

On launch night, viewers were treated to a walk-through tour of the new Big Brother house by the show's presenter. Among the new features were a large outdoor hot tub, a patio heater and a heated couch (also outside). Now I know that global warming has meant winters here are warmer than they used to be, but it's hardly T-shirt weather outside. To keep the hot tub hot, the patio flame-grilled, and the outdoor couch toasty-warm for all those celeb butts, must take one hell of a lot of power and mean a big extra belch of greenhouse gas emissions.

 For a TV station (Channel 4) who warn "Global warming is arguably the most pressing issue we face today." this all seems a bit short-sighted. Then visit the same channel's tips for the viewing public on how to tackle climate change and, in the the 'Tips for Being Green in the Garden', you'll find this wee chestnut "Don't use patio-heaters or electric lights". OK, so Big Brother is about entertainment, but surely it's about time so-called responsible programme-making extended to climate change.