Carbon debate has just begun | The Australian

IF you read the Gillard government's $4 million mail-out last week about what a carbon price means for you, one lingering question remains unanswered. How will a carbon tax on the Australian economy combat global warming?

The government informs us, more than once, that the carbon tax will "cut 160 million tonnes of pollution from the atmosphere each year". But not once does the government inform us by how much the carbon tax will reduce global temperatures. The reason for the silence is simple. The carbon tax will make no difference to global temperatures.

Conab trims its view of maize crop after frost damage

BRAZIL will harvest less maize this year than previously forecast after frost damaged winter crops, according to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture.

CultureLab: Basics and batik of climate change

"IT TURNS out that there is a hoax involved in climate change. Only the hoax is being perpetrated by public relations efforts by the fossil fuels industry." Thus begins the most memorable chapter of Global Climate Change.

Better known for his exposés on the flaws of coastal engineering, geologist Orrin Pilkey has turned his attention to this century's hot environmental topic: climate change. There are no surprises for those familiar with the subject, but the book does a good job of explaining the foundations of climate science to an interested novice.

The chapter on climate change sceptics stands out for its passionate description of how industrial groups spread doubt among the public. Energy empires were systematic in their approach: identifying vulnerable audiences ("older, less educated males" and "younger, lower-income women"), and the sources they trusted ("technical sources"), before releasing targeted documents arguing, for instance, that climate change would be a boon for plant growth. As the authors point out, that is only a half-truth.

Al Gore Slams Climate Sceptics Over Pseudoscience - Irish Weather Online

Speaking in Congress in April, President Obama said: “There are climate change deniers in Congress and when the economy gets tough, sometimes environmental issues drop from people’s radar screens.”