Richard Macey | [I blame George Bush]

In February 1791, for example, Watkin Tench of the Royal Marines detailed a heatwave powered by north-westerly winds that howled for three days.

At Parramatta, he wrote, "an immense flight of bats, driven before the wind … dropped dead or in a dying state, unable longer to endure the burning state of the atmosphere".

Birds suffered the same fate. "The ground was strewn with them in the same condition as the bats," said Tench.

Jennifer Marohasy » We Need a Steady Voice: A Note from Phil Sawyer

This situation has created an enormous constituency that basically subscribes to the barbecue wisdom that ” the greenies have too much influence over governments.” But, aside perhaps from the Nationals, voters have nowhere to go to cast a vote against environmentalism.

[Yep, the same prize that the IPCC and Al Gore won]: Michael Jackson now 20/1 for 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Bookies Paddy Power today slashed the odds on Michael Jackson winning this year’s Nobel Peace Prize from 100/1 to 20/1 following reports that the late star’s fans are campaigning for him to be nominated.