Running from the Storm: The Development of Climate Change Policy in Australia

Climate change on a global scale has been described as 'the mother of all environmental issues', with many scientists warning of the dire consequences already facing us, even if remedial action is undertaken immediately. It is almost certainly the largest, most difficult environmental challenge the world now faces. And it has also provided the Australian federal government with one of its most awkward political issues - with the nation being transformed in the eyes of many from a world environmental leader into an international pariah. Running from the Storm is a timely book from one of Australia's most prominent commentator on the issue. It provides a lively, comprehensive and provocative account of the key issues that affect climate change policy in Australia. It details the many policy failures, the murky politics of climate change, the corruption of the policy process, the influence of the fossil-fuel industries on our politicians and policy makers, and the ethical issues that underpin the public debate. All of these are discussed in the context of the momentous international developments before and after the landmark Kyoto Protocol in December 1997.