It does have a lot to do with the motivations of those exploiting the issue.
As I write this, rich idiots and politicians are declaring that they can use as much oil as they need for their "higher purposes" since they're planting trees or purchasing "carbon credits." This includes Al Gore.
What the usual gangs of idiots are doing with information isn't always related to how true the information is. They do seem incredibly defensive about skepticism, though. But that would be a different "sign."