Kevin Rudd will probably just fall over the line with a vastly decreased majority.

We also have to take it to the Liberals about their intentions on censorship and reducing the power of the corporates over our lives.Barnaby Joyce talks about breaking up banking cartels.Is he serious or is this just more bravado?

The internet has both parties worried since now the electorate is beginning to shine the torch of truth in their eyes and they feel trapped by the glare.

We have to keep questioning both parties since both serve the same master and it is not us.

Atman,

What do you think will happen? Do you think that one day you'll wake up and everything will be different? Get a grip...the change is incremental over time and is unlikley to be a smooth linear transition.

The reason that many have deserted the site is that it's pointless to argue any more.

And, as I said earlier, people are bored with the whole argument...those that believe will carry on believing and those that don't will carry on not believing. Where is the point in arguing?

You are right Grahame when you say "attitudes to global warming is a cultural matter "but attitudes to war or impending disasters have always been subject to human values.Bagladesh people continue to live where they know a flood will come.If we had been warned that Haiti was going to have an earthquake soon, very few poor people would have moved away.Poor people have very few options.We in Australia have been the lucky country, the memory of war is far away.The Victorian fires have not been seen as part of G.W. We live for now and let tomorrow take it's course. Read "No Impact Man" by Colin Beavan and see how human life is affecting the planet.The "tipping point" is coming but no-one knows when.

Atman, you are so droll. Which part of the following statement do you not understand?

“Catastrophic climate change does not happen overnight".

For the information of others, the vast majority of climate scientists are NOT saying the world as we know it will end tomorrow.

What they are saying is that the ‘Earth system’ is “squealing”.

Anyone with a modicum of intelligence can look it up, and understand.

Atman -> “We won't get fooled again? Oh, yes we will.”

‘Debate’ what needs to be done, when to do it, and by whom – but it is a real fool who closes their eyes, clasps their ears, and rocks to the voices in their heads, Atman.

Apologies to the intellectually challenged.

This is an issue that won't be going away; the apparent shift in public priorities is likely to be temporary as whoever is in government will be getting scientific advice that continues to say this is serious and increasingly urgent. If those in government take their responsibilities to future generations seriously - or merely have concerns for how history will view their legacy - they will increasingly make serious efforts on this issue.

The Mainstream Media may feel that they set the agenda and appear to want to put this one on the back burner, but it's illusion - this will keep on coming back as a serious issue. Sure, their lightweight fluff concentrating on side issues and cold snaps has popular appeal but it will ultimately be seen as the misleading nonsense it really is by those who have a genuine interest in being well informed. For example January 2010, according to the latest satellite data is the hottest month in the satellite record, see - http://global-warming.accuweather.com/2010/02/record_warmth_last_month_accor_1.html - with much more of the planet showing hotter than average than colder. Definitely not the kind of data that favours abandoning all efforts on emissions reduction.

I meant to add that, when it comes to something that will impact us over decades and centuries, 2 years is barely a blink; whether the urge to take serious action will come soon enough to avoid the worst case scenarios is yet to be seen but ultimately it will be these few years of the popularity of denying AGW that will be short lived.