Patrick Moore in Regina...

If you want sense about the environment - speak to Patrick Moore, ex-founder of Greenpeace...

He also spoke of fear of what he calls "invisible poisons" and campaigns that argue the alleged negative effects of pesticides.

He also spoke of research by the Canadian and U.S. cancer agencies, which looked at a relationship between cancer and pesticides. After the five-year study was completed, the agencies said they couldn't find a single piece of evidence linking pesticide residue in foods to cancer in people. He said the most current campaign that fits in this category is that against GM foods.

"The campaign against GM foods is based on fantasy, contrivance, sensationalism and outright misinformation," Moore said. "I find this to be the most despicable campaign."

Climate change has been blown out of proportion, Moore said. He said the Earth is only about two degrees warmer than it was during the last ice age, and despite all the talk of global warming, there hasn't been a warmer year than 1998 since the thermometer was invented.

"We do know that glaciers are retreating around the world," Moore said. "Why are glaciers perceived as something important? They are just big globs of frozen water. Nothing grows on them, they are basically dead zones. When the glaciers retreat, trees come in ... and a healthy ecosystem re-emerges. Ice and frost are the enemies of life."

Moore also stressed the need to use alternatives to fossil fuels, such as geothermal and nuclear energy. He said that in order to reduce emissions, these are the most effective types of energy. He claimed that Greenpeace is opposed to most types of current renewable energy, including hydroelectric power, which produces far more energy than other renewable sources.

"There is a super abundance of energy underneath your home," he said, referring to geothermal energy, adding the energy could be accessed by using a ground-source heat pump. "This is a revolutionary technology that could get fossil fuels out of every building in the country because it is universally applicable to any building."