PM pledges $500m to fight climate change: John Howard has announced a $500m fund, established by federal and state governments and business, to tackle global warming. This came as the Australian Climate Institute launched a public advertising blitz urging the government to take decisive action. News.com.au

Climate change reshapes US politics from below: While Washington is trailing behind on climate change policy, the framework of energy politics in America is changing at a local level instead. Cities and states are, in effect, creating their own energy policies – with almost 300 cities (a quarter of the population) having signed up to the Kyoto Protocol. Open Democracy

Beyond our means: According to a new study by WWF, the earth’s population has been living beyond its ecological means for more than two decades. Using United Nations projections of population expansion, the report predicts that “large-scale ecosystem collapse” is likely by the middle of the century. Times

Monarch butterfly next to go: The monarch butterfly, with its unique migratory cycle, is especially sensitive to climate change, according to researchers from the University of Minnesota. Colder and wetter conditions in the butterfly’s wintering areas, combined with hotter summer conditions, mean that the monarch could be the next victim of climate change. Scienceline

Former Shell chairman gives us ten years to act: Lord Ron Oxburgh, former chairman of Shell UK, talks with Lateline‘s Tony Jones about global warming and the future of energy in Australia.  Read the transcript here.