Push to get global warming on the Howard agenda

There's been a recent push to get global warming on the Howard government's agenda – and it is coming from unlikely sources: farmers, amongst others. Or maybe not so unlikely after all, considering how global warming is driving the drought and affecting farming.

The Climate Institute published large advertisements in major papers across the countries yesterday calling for national leadership on global warming and legislation to ensure Australia's CO2 emissions go down, not up. Amongst other things. Why is this significant? Because of who'se involved. Amongst others, Clive Hamilton of the Australia Institute (who's been very vocal in his criticism of Howard's global warming inaction) chairs the board of The Climate Institute, and farmer Mark Wootton, who is from a 'conservative' area of Victoria, is also on the board. There's quite a range of people involved here, but this push suggests that farmers, scientists, industry people and policy analysts are working together effectively to shame the Howard government into action.

Importantly, they're taking their campaign to the bush. Let's hope this works. After all, the bush is where Howard can be hurt politically.

The Age had quite a bit of background coverage to the issue in Monday's edition (but I can't find the stories online, sorry), besides the paid-for advertisement. ABC's Lateline covered the story here, where you can also find a videocast of the story.