Climate change to fan future bushfires: Climate change will increase the frequency and ferocity of bushfires causing further damage to Australia’s environment, according to a report from a policy research institute. The Australian Institute (AI) states a series of recent government reports has demonstrated bushfires are being fuelled by changes to the environment. SMH

Free trade to fight climate change: Peter Mandelson, Europe’s trade commissioner, yesterday called for global free trade in key green goods such as renewable energy, to combat climate change. Mr Mandelson said the best way to cut carbon emissions was by open markets for investment in environmental technology, rather than punitive taxes against countries such as the US which have refused to pledge cuts in greenhouse gases under the 1997 Kyoto treaty. Guardian

Wind farm plan given a stormy reception: Residents of Graveney, England are digging in to oppose the construction of an electricity substation on a nearby hill, a substation that will be a vital part of what will be the world’s biggest offshore wind farm. The Independent

Warming to carbon rations: Here’s the plan. Everybody in the country will get the same allowance for how much carbon dioxide they can emit each year, and every time they buy some product that involves carbon dioxide emissions — filling their car, paying their utility bills, buying an airline ticket — carbon points are deducted from their credit or debit cards. Like Air Miles, only in reverse. Japan Times

Google Earth gets space access: NASA’s climatologists have now hit on a simple way to make statistical data on atmosphere accessible, a software that superimposes data on the global 3D maps provided by Google Earth. Called iEarth, the NASA software scours EOS (Earth Observing System, developed to help scientists understand climate change) databanks for information and converts it into a file that can be viewed via Google Earth.  India Times