From Hansard:
Mr Oakshott: Yesterday was a significant step forward. We finally have on the record both party leaders in this chamber in a bipartisan way expressing full confidence in the science community of Australia and their accepted advice on man-made climate change. At times it has been like pulling teeth—and I fully respect that, within the ranks of both major parties there are differing views—but it is important, if we are going to establish certainty for the future of policy and a...

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The case for more ambitious targets from Australia continues to build as China proposes stronger action.

“China, the world’s biggest polluter, is proposing to set a cap on greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2016 in a move that is being hailed as a potentially transformative step in the fight against climate change.

According to news reports from China, the powerful National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has proposed setting absolute caps that would divorce the growth on emis...

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More from Business Spectator on the rumoured behind the scenes ALP struggle over the carbon price: It may prove mere coincidence that the day Business Spectator breaks news of Shorten possibly maneuvering on carbon pricing, Combet declares removing it would be “immoral”, arguably his strongest line since the policy was enacted.Regardless, his doorstop interview makes for intriguing reading in light of the Shorten speculation.
Journalist: Is Labor still committed if you find yourself in Opp...

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Is there a battle brewing between Shorten and Combet for leadership of the ALP after the election - if they lose? Is Shorten sounding out colleagues about walking away from the carbon price like the Coalition did with WorkChoices?

From Business Spectator: "… some strong proponents of climate change action believe Bill Shorten has begun lobbying members of Caucus to abandon carbon pricing as a Labor policy after the next election.
The argument follows the precedent set by the Coalition over Wo...
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Have a look at this infographic on the importance of the 400ppm figure.



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Two Liberal MPs want Tony Abbott to review or consider abandoning parts of his $3.2 billion plan to combat climate change in light of ''dire economic circumstances''.

Mal Washer and Dennis Jensen made the comments about the Coalition's Direct Action plan in the same week MPs broke ranks to publicly criticise Mr Abbott's paid parental leave scheme as economically irresponsible.
Western Australian MP Mal Washer said: ''If we are not going to get a big environmental bang for our buck then we ought...
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The unprecedented collapse in European carbon prices is shattering Australia's budget assumptions just as corporate resistance to the market weakens in the developed world's biggest per capita polluter.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/carbon-economy/eus-carbon-crisis-blows-back-on-australia-20130509-2j8t0.html
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Electricity generated by Australia's highly polluting brown coal power plants has fallen 14 per cent since introduction of the carbon price, while renewable power has soared. However, there are many factors at work.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/less-electricity-from-brown-coal-20130509-2jals.html
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Latest analysis by expert pollster Anthony Green suggests that the Liberals could win control of the Senate and thus be able to repeal the carbon price.

As reported in The Age:

If current polling continues, and Mr Abbott wins a majority in the House of Representatives, then to repeal the carbon tax he would need 39 votes in the Senate. Currently the Coalition controls 34 out of the 76 seats. 
The Coalition will win another seat in Tasmania and is likely to claim Greens' Senator Sarah Hanson-Youn...
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Read part 1 here.
Read part 2 here.
Read part 3 here.
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Some good news from a poll by World Wildlife Fund. More and more people are concerned about climate change and extreme weather is an important contributor to increasing awareness. It’s another reminder of the value of campaigning on personal impacts. People are more aware of and more concerned about issues that affect them directly – coal and gas in areas that are subject to the impacts from mining or fossil fuel power, sea level rise in coastal areas, fire risk in bush-fire risk areas an...

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