According to a new report from Graeme Pearman, the former head of CSIRO’s atmospheric research unit, the latest research indicates that the evidence of global warming has dramatically increased in the past 12 months. Dr Pearman’s report for the Climate Institute points out that the already sobering evidence presented by the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change is out of date and conservative.

“Greenhouse emissions are rising faster than the worst-case IPCC scenarios,” says Dr Pearman.

We have, he reckons, between five and 10 years to do something about, you know, saving the earth. This on the same day that we learn that Australians are among the world’s worst global warming contributors with power stations that are the world’s highest per capita producers of carbon dioxide.

Good on us.

All of which puts the domestic political discussion of tax ‘reform’, union power, childcare subsidies, school computers and fibre to the node broadband into a rather bleak and unforgiving light. The big question in this remaining week of federal campaigning is obviously this: if the planet sinks into irreversible decline within the next term of government, can I keep my tax cuts? That’s what we need to know.