From the SMH

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has appointed former Coalition environment minister Robert Hill to head a key element of the Government's emissions trading scheme.

Mr Hill will chair the Australian Carbon Trust, a $75 million initiative that will promote energy efficiency in homes and small businesses, and allow individuals to feel they are making a difference by letting them buy carbon permits.

Mr Hill held the environment portfolio in the Howard government and his appointment has the potential to embarrass Malcolm Turnbull, also an environment minister under John Howard.

Mr Turnbull is grappling with trying to achieve a consensus in the Coalition on climate change.

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see toon at top as well...

Liberal frontbenchers have played down Coalition divisions on climate change policy following backbencher Wilson Tuckey's scathing attack on Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Tuckey sent an email to all Opposition MPs and Senators criticising Mr Turnbull for suggesting the Coalition could back an emissions trading scheme.

The Coalition party room has already declared it will not support any legislation before the United Nations climate summit in Copenhagen at the end of the year, but blocking the bill will provide the Government with a potential double dissolution trigger.

Mr Tuckey accused Mr Turnbull of being "arrogant" and "inexperienced" in going against the party room decision.

But Liberal MP Scott Morrison and Senator George Brandis have backed Mr Turnbull's comments and say the majority of the party room does not agree with Mr Tuckey.

Mr Morrison told Sky News Mr Tuckey's actions are unhelpful.

"I think they go against very much the spirit of what the understanding was and I think it's a time for really trying to get some progress on this issue," he said.

"As an Opposition, if we have an opportunity to improve this bill, to lessen its damaging impacts on Australian business, then that's a responsible thing to do."

From Andrew Glikson at Unleashed

Inherent in any attempt at challenging published scientific theories is the need to conduct research, or advance discussions, submitted to the peer-reviewed scientific literature: the core of the scientific process allowing discrimination between credible scientific work and ambit claims.

While many papers do not succeed to be accepted, serious scientists proceed with further research which, when found consistent with measured data and with basic physical and chemical principles, constitutes a contribution in the respective discipline.

Not so the so-called "climate change sceptics" who, rather than follow scientific procedures, mostly publish in politically friendly media channels.

"Climate change sceptics" scan the field for real or imagined, major or minor errors, inferring such errors undermine major databases, theories, or even an entire branch of science.

A classic example of this approach is the eternal search for errors and gaps in Darwin's evolution theory by creationists, based on their belief in a supernatural creator.

In a similar vein "climate change sceptics" make the assumption climate change either is not occurring or, alternatively, is of a natural rather than anthropogenic origin, repeating long-discarded arguments indefinitely.

To explain their reluctance or inability to publish in the peer-review scientific literature the "sceptics" invoke a conspiracy theory on the part of journal editors, reviewers, climate research organisations, the IPCC, indeed of the entire scientific community.

Some specialise in ad-hominem expressions. The "sceptics" commonly use qualitative or semi-quantitative expressions, avoiding up-to-date data-based arguments.

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Read more at Unleashed and peruse the graphs. Spread the words... See toon biffo at top.

Meanwhile:

... Mr Tuckey described Mr Turnbull as "inexperienced" and "arrogant" on the issue of an emissions trading scheme.

"Every family has an uncle who goes a little wild at a family wedding," Mr Hockey told reporters in Sydney.

"Well Wilson is still a member of the family and he will still be invited to Christmas dinner."

Federal Liberal frontbencher Tony Abbott has not denied that he recently said the argument on climate change was "absolute crap".

Mr Abbott has strongly backed Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull's argument that the Coalition should negotiate with the Government on the emissions trading scheme (ETS) rather than voting against it outright.

But Mr Abbott has told Channel Nine that does not mean he is convinced about the climate change science.

"I think that the science is far from settled but on the insurance principle you are prepared to take reasonable precautions against significant potential risks, and that's I think why it makes sense to have an ETS," he said.

"But it's got to be the right one not one that destroys Australian jobs and damages Australian industries."

Meanwhile, Federal Opposition frontbencher Scott Morrison says the Prime Minister should be supporting the Mr Turnbull's stance on an ETS.

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From now I will refer to politicians who don't understand the science of global warming as "idiots". They should not be in politics with the power to deny the world, its future. The ppms of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are rising at an alarming rate. Should one know the science of the carbon equation since the beginning of this small planet, one would know the massive danger we face, as stated by the lastest predictions.

I could not agree more with the greens that the Rudd government's plan is too little too late, and unfortunately for the Liberals it's too much too soon. But in my mind, it's a START. Thereafter we can enfore more rigorous restrictions one emissions.

Abbott talks crap, but good on him to support Malcolm...

From the SMH

Former Liberal leader Malcolm Turnbull has crossed the floor of Federal Parliament to vote in support of Labor's emissions trading scheme.

Mr Turnbull sat with government MPs in the lower house on the second reading vote to pass the carbon pollution reduction scheme. He was joined by independent MP Rob Oakeshott.

But the Coalition avoided further embarrassment when it declined to call for a division on the final vote, depriving Mr Turnbull of the opportunity to cross the floor to support Labor.

It was passed on the voices alone with MPs remaining in their seats.

Some Coalition MPs appeared to want a division but the manager of opposition business in the house, Christopher Pyne, jumped to his feet to make sure it didn't happen.

"No division," he repeatedly told the Deputy Speaker.

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May I applaud Mr Turnbull, even if the ETSs are not the panacea to end global warming. They are a small start to a long road of cutting down on emissions. The Greens should support the ETS in the Senate, even against their will — in order to stop Abbott and his sneaky fake populist ramblings of simplistic backward sommersaults. Sure we need to plant more trees but we need to stop cutting them in the first place — and do a lot more... see toon at top and in between.