The Australian - Carbon trade lends charity greater vision

AUSTRALIAN aid agencies are getting on board the global climate change wagon as governments and private companies line up to pour money into environmental projects that will earn them carbon credits.

ABC - Govt seeks backing on emissions trading bill

The Federal Government is trying to convince the Opposition and the crossbench senators to support its emissions trading legislation.

The New Lawyer (AU) - Climate change lawyers cling to 2011 promise

CLIMATE change lawyers keen to get a new flow of work are waiting with fingers crossed for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) to pass through Parliament.

Otago Daily Times - Push to change climate change agreement

Mention global warming mitigation policies and agriculture, and the rural sector starts speculating that the end of the world is looming. Agribusiness editor Neal Wallace reports New Zealand Government officials have been pushing for a new approach to solve an issue that will not go away.

Radio NZ - Gloomy energy demand forecasts hit oil market

World energy use has been shrinking because of the global economic recession for the first time in a quarter of a century.

The IEA says the decline in oil consumption in 2009 would be the steepest since 1981.

Stuff.co.nz - Hailstorm caused almost $1m damage a minute

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research snow and ice scientist Dr Jordy Hendrikx said the effects of climate change meant the risk of extreme weather events was increasing.

Radio Australia - Indonesian climate change talks wrap up

Climate change talks in Indonesia have wrapped up with 75 countries agreeing to adopt the Manado declaration to protect the world's oceans and coastal communities from global warming.

Gold Coast Mail - Climate change strategy unveiled

GOLD Coast City Council has unveiled a draft climate change strategy, claiming it will help transform the GC into the “most liveable, healthy, active and resource efficient major city in Australia within 30 years”.

ABC - Climate change to cause wave of refugees

ASHLEY HALL: Australian scientists are warning there could be a wave of economic refugees from South-East Asia and the Pacific if climate change is allowed to devastate the Coral Triangle, north of the Australia.

The Age - China slams Rudd's climate 'U-turn'

CHINA'S top climate change official has accused the Australian Government of backtracking on international commitments by demanding action from China and India before it signs a new treaty to cut greenhouse emissions.

ABC - Developers urge revision of sea level predictions
NSW takes "Doomsday" approach. Alternately, developers take "Ostrich" approach....

Developers have asked the New South Wales Government to revise its forecast for sea level rises caused by climate change.

New South Wales has predicted the sea level on its coast will rise 40 centimetres by 2050.

But the development industry group, Urban Taskforce, says that is at least 10 centimetres higher than the level predicted by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

A spokesman for the group, Aaron Gadiel, says the state government has chosen to take a doomsday approach to climate change.

SMH - Climate change sparks electricity change

Australia is to change the way it makes electricity, with huge new solar power plants and cleaner coal facilities to be built.

The federal government will spend billions "greening up" electricity and says it wants to lead the world in the field.

NZ Herald - Talks tackle climate change finds

Researchers at a three-day science conference starting in Wellington today are looking at implications of new work on climate change.

Radio NZ - Coral reefs under critical threat due to climate change, say scientists

A new scientific report says that around 100 million people risk losing their homes and livelihoods unless drastic steps are taken to protect the coral reefs of the Southeast Asia/Pacific region.

TV NZ - PNG's climate change refugees feel curse

The world's first climate change refugees are fed up with the impact of celebrity on their increasingly fragile existence.

SMH - Govt mute over boost for coal companies

The federal government says it has had "constructive" discussions with the coal industry, but won't reveal if it has offered companies more cash to cope with the introduction of emissions trading.

Travel Blackboard - Climate change calls for complete transformation of business models

With climate change firmly on the agenda, an expert on the matter says now is the time to change our business models so that Australia targets fewer international arrivals, but more high yielding travellers.

SMH - Sea-level rise half as much as predicted

A RAPID collapse of the ice sheet in West Antarctica would raise sea levels by an average of about three metres, half as much as previously thought, a study shows.

The effect, however, would still be catastrophic, with a rise of just one metre causing devastation in coastal areas around the globe, scientists said.

As an editorial note: News articles don't report what is happening, they report what they think people are interested in. Last year my searches came back with a huge number of stories about the consequences of high energy costs. This year the same search terms return lots of stories about Climate Change. Lower energy costs have given people a chance to think about Climate Change. Will it last? Will we effectively use this opportunity?