Mr Garrett had called for free bags to be banned by the end of the year, but at a meeting of environment ministers yesterday, South Australia was the only state willing to meet the target.

The organiser of the National Plastic Bag Campaign, Jon Dee, says the result is disappointing.

"People were left with the impression from Peter Garrett that he was going to move ahead with a phase out of plastic bags by the end of this year, if necessary with legislation," he said.

"Now that has not happened today. We have wasted a great opportunity."

Total Environment Centre director Jeff Angel agrees.

"I know Peter is not long in the job, but this was his first crucial test because there was a very clear election promise to ban the free supermarket plastic bag by next year and he has patently failed to deliver that," Mr Angel said.

Mr Garrett has acknowledged today's meeting of environment ministers in Melbourne will include robust discussion about whether a plastic bag levy should be imposed.

He told Channel Nine that the Federal Government remains firmly opposed to a levy and his aim for today is to convince his counterparts to agree.

"When we sit down with the states today we've got to come up with something which is nationally consistent which doesn't impose additional costs on families and which starts to see much less of these bags ending up in the litter stream," he said.

Victorian Environment Minister Gavin Jennings says he is inclined to support a levy on plastic bags, but says he is not convinced banning bags would be effective.

"A blanket ban assumes there are viable products already that are available to consumers at no cost," he said.

Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown has told Radio National a national levy on plastic bags is workable.

"I would expect there will be a phase-out or a prohibition on the use of plastic bags at the check-out coming up, if not there should be a levy," he said.

"We know that's worked in Ireland, it will work in Australia, it just has to overcome the resistance of the big supermarket chains."

-abc.net.au

The Climate Institute has released its second annual report on Australians' attitudes towards climate change.

It found that three-quarters of Australians believe that any new electricity generation should come from clean energy.

Climate Institute chief executive John Conner says most Australians expect the Government to take strong steps to reduce emissions.

"They want real leadership on that and they're setting out those markers in terms of what our overall levels are," he said.

"They want those pollution levels to be going down by 2012 and they want new forms [of power generation].

"They want all new electricity to come from clean energy [and] they want their homes to be efficient and their cars to be energy efficient as well."

"They're hungry for action and they're prepared to take action themselves, but they do expect the Government to lead as well.

"So this is an important time and an important opportunity for this Government which is showing some intent but Australians are hungry for more."

-abc.net.au

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says this will help protect the habitats of native species like the pygmy possum, which is threatened by climate change.

A recent report from conservation group WWF found only 10 per cent of Australian land is protected in nature reserves or national parks, which is less than many developing countries.

Mr Garrett says the funding will target land affected by climate change.

"Today's announcement is a substantial investment to meet a massive challenge - building the resilience of our environment in the face of threats from climate change, and helping give Australia's unique animals the best chance of survival," he said.

WWF spokesman Martin Taylor says the Government's commitment to extending nature reserves is a significant step.

"People out there really care about our native wildlife, they hate the idea that what we are doing is causing the bilby to go extinct, or the hairy-nosed wombat to go extinct," he said.

"I think people can be pleased that there is a significant increase in investment to saving the last refuges of our wildlife."

-abc.net.au

This year's quota has been set at 275,000 seals.

Paul Watson, the head of the Sea Shepherd Society, says he and other members of his group will document what they describe as the "perverse abomination" of the seal hunt.

Mr Watson says his boat, the Farley Mowat, is a Dutch vessel with an international crew, and it will remain outside of Canada's 20-kilometre territorial limit.

He says it would be an international incident if Canadian authorities tried to board the ship.

Canada's Fisheries Minister has threatened Mr Watson with prosecution and warned him to steer clear.

He says Canada will not be bullied or blackmailed into forcing out people who depend on the sealing industry for their livelihood.

He describes the Sea Shepherd Society as an extremist organisation that often jeopardises the safety of seal hunters.

-abc.net.au

The Murray-Darling authority has spent nearly $2 million buying irrigation water to sustain a rare bird-breeding event in internationally-recognised wetlands.

The Murray-Darling Basin Commission said on Tuesday it made the one-off purchase of 11 gigalitres of water over Easter to boost the Narran Lakes wetlands in NSW's north-west.

The Narran Lakes Nature Reserve - listed under the Ramsar Convention listing as a wetland of international importance - is experiencing its first major breeding event of water birds in nine years after being flooded earlier this year.

But the area is drying up fast, endangering thousands of chicks which have hatched.

It's started at much lower water levels than at any other event in 50 years of records," commission chief executive Wendy Craik said.

"Water's evaporating and it's going down about one to two centimetres a day and we're trying to sustain the duration of the flood," Dr Craik said.

The amount purchased from an irrigator over the border in Queensland is the equivalent of about 5,000 swimming pools and cost the commission $1.98 million.

"We are pleased to have reached a commercial arrangement with a seller to secure the water which began to flow on Easter Saturday and will continue to be delivered over the next six weeks," Dr Craik said.

The Japanese Government has taken issue over the images and is expected to lodge a formal diplomatic protest.

Mr Rudd has told Channel Nine Australia maintains strong ties with Japan, but the Government has a responsibility to keep up the pressure.

"We think it's the right course of action to collect that evidence," he said.

"The second part of the process is then to accumulate that evidence with a view to forming a decision about whether it is winnable to proceed with a legal case before either the International Court of Justice or the relevant tribunal of the law of the sea.

"I know this'll be a bit rocky, I understand that."

-abc.net.au

The footage, released by the Government today, shows a slaughtered minke whale and its calf being hauled up the ramp of the Japanese ship, the Yushin Maru.

The Government is extending the duration of its whaling surveillance program and says the Attorney-General is still considering what kind of legal action should be taken and who it should be brought against.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett says the pictures released today support Australia's position.

"I think it's explicitly clear from these images that this is indiscriminate killing of whales, where you have a whale and its calf killed in this way," he said.

"To claim that this is in any way scientific is to continue the charade that surrounded this issue from day one.

"This is the indiscriminate killing of a whale and its calf. It's not scientific, and these pictures make crystal clear what's actually happening in the Southern Ocean, and make crystal clear why we so strongly oppose the activities of the Japanese whalers there.

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza located the Japanese fleet early this morning after 10 days of searching.

Greenpeace says the Nisshin Maru will be prevented from whaling as long as it is being pursued.

Government spokesman Chris Bowen is calling for restraint.

"The people actually at the site, on the high seas, need to be very careful," he said.

"They need to exercise restraint because their own personal safety is at risk, and the personal safety of others is at risk.

"The Government's very concerned that nobody puts themselves in harm's way unnecessarily."

Greenpeace says it has not yet had contact with the Federal Government since it intercepted the Japanese fleet this morning.

Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive officer Steve Shallhorn says he expects the Government's ship, the Oceanic Viking, to be in contact soon.

"The stated mission of the Oceanic Viking is to monitor the Japanese whaling fleet," he said.

"So we would expect that they would arrive on the scene in the next couple of days [and] begin their documentation with the possibility of pursuing legal action in the future."

The crew of the Esperanza says they will follow the vessel for as long as possible.

Crew member Sara Holden says when they contacted the fleet they made it clear they would not do anything to threaten the crew.

"The first thing that we did when we were certain of their identity was to send a radio message, in Japanese and in English, asking them to leave the whale sanctuary and informing them that if they did not then we would take every measure that we could to fully protest and stop them from whaling," she sid.

"We'll continue to follow them and continue to push them to keep running, so they are unable to whale."

-abc.net.au

Greenpeace protest ship the Esperanza located the fleet in the Southern Ocean early this morning and the environmental group has vowed to stop the Japanese fleet from killing any whales.

But Japan Foreign Ministry spokesman Tomohiko Tanaguchi says the annual whale hunt is not breaking international law and has urged the protesters not to use violence.

"According to the International Whaling Commission, scientific research is perfectly legal and the Japanese fleet is engaged in the legal activities," he said.

Greenpeace said they contacted the Japanese fleet and made it clear they would not threaten the crew.

Mr Tanaguchi says the whaling will go ahead regardless of the pursuit.

Earlier, Federal Government spokesman Chris Bowen urged Greenpeace members on board Esperanza to be cautious.

"The people actually at the site, on the high seas, need to be very careful," he said.

"They need to exercise restraint because their own personal safety is at risk, and the personal safety of others is at risk.

"The Government's very concerned that nobody puts themselves in harm's way unnecessarily."

Greenpeace says it has not yet had contact with the Federal Government since it intercepted the fleet.

Federal Government ship the Ocean Viking will be monitoring the whaling fleet and is expected to reach the scene in the next few days.

-abc.net.au

The former Liberal senator has told ABC's NewsRadio he wants to use his experience as an environment minister in the Howard Government to help Sea Shepherd block Japanese whaling ships.

But Mr Campbell admits he was once a critic of the group and its founder Paul Watson.

"I was worried about his tactics because Paul was making comments to the effect that he was prepared to lay his life on the line and I just don't think anyone should ever go to sea and seek to hurt someone else," he said.

"But I'm convinced that using really aggressive tactics, you can pursue aggressive tactics.

"I like his aggression. I like his passion. I like his dedication. I don't want to temper that."

Mr Watson says Mr Campbell is a "true friend" of the whales and a "welcome addition" to the advisory board.

-abc.net.au

Environment Minister Peter Garrett said he would like to see plastic bags phased out by the end of 2008.

The Government is under pressure to act quickly after the Chinese Government yesterday announced plans to ban free plastic shopping bags within six months.

The Australian Retailers Association says retailers already reduced their use of plastic bags by 50 per cent and consumers will be the ones who pay if the ban goes ahead.

The Association says the Government needs to offer other solutions and alternatives.

The Opposition's environment spokesman, Greg Hunt, says plastic bag pollution is a significant problem and the Coalition is willing to examine the idea of a ban.

But he says there should be a range of solutions to the problem.

"First and most importantly, how do you reduce the waste?" he said.

"Secondly, what will be the effect on retailers and consumers, and thirdly, let's make sure that we're not increasing wood-chipping to make paper bags in order to replace plastic bags.

"That's why the biodegradable option also needs to be considered very strongly."

-abc.net.au

Australia looks set to finally join the plastic bag revolution taking place around the globe.

The announcement by environment minister Peter Garrett to potentially ban plastic bags in supermarkets by the end of the year has been greeted with relief by environmentalists.

"It's something that we have pushed for a number of years and its good that it may finally happen, although it looks like the federal government has taken a cautious approach," Clean Up Australia spokesman Paul Sheridan said.

"We could've taken steps much earlier than now."

It's a slow start for Australia as several countries, including many African ones, have long undertaken a plastic bag ban.

Countries like Rwanda, Uganda, Taiwan and Bangladesh have all banned plastic bags with great success.

Ireland introduced a levy of 15 cents for each bag bought, initially reducing usage by up to 95 per cent.

It was also announced that in addition to Australia potentially joining the plastic ban club, China will ban all plastic bags as of June 1.

Up to 3 billion plastic bags are used by the Chinese every day but within a few months, stores will have to charge customers.

That's a potential saving of 1.1 trillion plastic bags.

Australia uses about four billion plastic bags every year, a tiny fraction compared to China.

The Victorian Environment Assessment Council wants five national parks created to protect the forests.

The Rivers and Red Gum Environment Alliance is carrying out a public awareness campaign along the river against the proposal.

Spokesman Max Rheese says many visitors are alarmed at how it would adversely affect camping and other recreational activities.

"They get a brochure, they get a bumper sticker, we shake a collection tin and hopefully they will give as a donation there that will help fund the awareness campaign," he said.

Mr Rheese says 250 volunteers are handing out leaflets and talking to people along the river.

"[They are talking about] how it will affect them with their camping, their fires, their dogs that they bring with them, boat access, those sorts of things," he said.

"We've canvassed thousands of visitors over the past few days."

-abc.net.au

Oceania Project spokesman Wally Franklin says it is heartening to see the Government acting on Japan's plans to kill 50 humpback whales for the first time in 20 years.

But Mr Franklin says there is already a strong case to seek an injunction in an international court against Japan's intentions.

"There probably isn't really a further need for evidence, that's why I think it's very important for the Prime Minister to look at other options," he said.

&"I think to throw the light on what Japan is doing in Antarctica is going to bring a very strong reaction from the Australian public, there is no question of that."

-abc.net.au

Mr Rudd leaves Australia on Tuesday to attend the United Nations climate change conference in Bali.

On Sunday he has hosted the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark, at his Brisbane home.

New Zealand is supporting a 25 to 40 per cent cut in pollution by 2020, but Australia has not yet set such an interim target.

Mr Rudd says despite the different approaches, he is looking forward to working closely with New Zealand.

"We'll be in close contact as governments on the challenges we face with climate change, the challenges we face with the Bali plus negotiating agenda over the next couple of years," he said.

"It's going to be a tough, hard negotiation, but when you've got friends with common interests then we can work these things through."

-abc.net.au

The US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns, met with senior ministers from the Rudd Government yesterday.

Mr Burns says there is agreement on the critical need for action.

But he has told a Sydney forum it is important to find a pragmatic agreement.

"We do not see eye to eye with Australia and other countries on the wisdom of signing the Kyoto regime, that's obvious," he said.

&"But we do agree that it is a critical question and vital question that we try to agree on a post-Kyoto regime, global regime that will reduce carbon emissions."

-abc.net.au

Mr Rudd says it is the first official act of the new Government and demonstrates the commitment to tackling climate change.

The ratification document will be sent to the United Nations and it comes into effect 90 days after that.

Mr Rudd says Australia will be a full member of the Kyoto Protocol before March next year.

The agreement means Australia's greenhouse gas emissions should not be higher than 8 per cent above 1990 levels.

Ratifying the treaty was one of Labor's major campaign promises.

The Greens say the move makes today a historic day for Australia, but comes years too late.

Mr Rudd, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Treasurer Wayne Swan are now preparing to go to Bali next week for the United Nations conference on climate change.

-abc.net.au

Wave, clean coal and gas projects also were promised funding from the coalition if it wins Saturday's election.

Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull said SA-based company Petratherm would receive $50m grant to commercialise its Paralana project in the SA's northern Flinders Ranges.

The joint venture project with Beach Petroleum aims to build a 30 megawatt power plant to deliver electricity into the local market.

Mr Turnbull said a re-elected coalition government would give $20m to Perth-based Cool Energy's demonstration of technology to capture carbon emissions from gas plants.

And $10m would go to SA oil and gas company Santos for carbon capture at the company's Moomba fields in SA's far north.

The coalition also promised a $5m grant for Perth-based Carnegie Corporation to develop a wave energy plant.

Mr Turnbull also said a re-elected coalition government would create a national geothermal research institute in Adelaide.

CBD Energy says the first stage of the project will cost $60 million. It involves the construction of a five-megawatt solar farm on land near Raymond Terrace, north of Newcastle, which it hopes to complete by June next year.

Output will eventually be expanded to 30 megawatts, providing enough green electricity for more than 30,000 homes.

CBD executive chairman Gerry McGowan says the next stage will be building a factory to make a revolutionary new type of thin-film solar panel.

"We'll manufacture [it] for a tenth of the cost of conventional PV technology," he said.

The federal Coalition has promised to contribute $20 million to the first stage of the project, if it is re-elected.

-abc.com.au

Senator Brown says the area is east of the Great Barrier Reef and covers about 800,000 square kilometres of ocean from Bundaberg to the tip of Cape York.

He says it has the potential to be the world's largest marine park, but it is under threat from potential fossil fuel mining.

"The prospect of it being opened up to oil explorers, multinational corporations in the future is real and we should settle the issue before we've got the problem," he said.

"Let's do the right thing here and protect this marvellous Coral Sea."

The World Wildlife Fund has echoed Mr Brown's calls for the area to be included in the Great Barrier Reef's National Park.

Queensland Greens Senate candidate Larissa Waters also says the area needs to be protected from a possible triple-threat of oil and gas exploration as well as fishing.

"There is a small amount of fishing going on at the Coral Sea at the moment and we'd want Government to have a look at that and do an assessment of whether that is sustainable or whether it needs to be looked into," she said.

"If areas need to be protected from fishing, that's certainly got to be part of the assessment."

-abc.com.au

The money would be allocated to community groups over five years in the form of grants worth up to $50,000 each.

The Community Coast Care program would use unallocated funds in the Natural Heritage Trust for groups undertaking coastal restoration and preventative work.

Such work is done to guard against habitat loss, erosion, damage to dunes, waterway degradation and invasive weeds and pests.

Labor's environment spokesman Peter Garrett announced the program on the NSW central coast on Monday.

"Increasing storm activity and sea level rise from climate change are threatening coastlines, property, habitat and the financial viability of local councils," Mr Garrett said in a statement.

"The prime minister's science, engineering and innovation council estimates that 700,000 coastal addresses are at risk from long-term sea-level rise and large storm surges.

"These impacts are exacerbated by coastal development as a result of the sea-change phenomenon, which is driving massive population growth."

The study has concluded that every hectare of permanent wetland provides more than $7,000 worth of water purification each year.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) estimates that 90 per cent of the wetlands in the Murray-Darling Basin are now dead or dying.

It says the research provides conclusive proof of the wider consequences of the dying wetlands, and is calling on both major parties to put out definitive policies on the River Murray.

ACF spokesman Dr Paul Sinclair says while the environmental value of those marshes is well understood, their economic value has long been underestimated.

"Wetlands are basically like the kidneys of the river system: they help purify water for free," he said.

"Many of us know in our hearts about the way the environment works: you take a breath, it costs you nothing, it keeps you alive. Many of the services provided by nature are just not valued.

"Wetland systems are really important for maintaining both the biodiversity of the river system, but also helping to purify its water."

Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd on Tuesday committed a Labor government to a 20 per cent renewable energy target by 2020, which would see at least 20 per cent of Australia's power supply generated from renewable sources within 13 years.

Mr Howard has been reluctant to criticise the plan, stressing the government supports renewable energy.

While he is still examining the policy, he told reporters: "If I think it is worth supporting, I'll say so."

don't adopt the Labor policy in the space of 12 hours. I'll just sort of have a look at it," Mr Howard said.

Mr Vaile, the government's deputy leader, was less enthusiastic, concerned about Labor's failure to embrace clean coal technology in the 20 per cent renewable target and the impact of the policy on consumers' hip pocket.

"We're having a close look ... but our first reaction to it is that it completely ignores the contribution that clean coal technology can make to the overall objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions," he told reporters.

He suggested Labor was putting all its "eggs in one basket" which would come at a financial cost.

Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Labor's spokesman Peter Garrett have been at the centre of the storm, one sidelined after an embarrassing Cabinet leak, the other forced to make a major policy clarification.

Mr Turnbull emerged this morning after several days of uncharacteristic silence following the revelation that he tried to get his Cabinet colleagues to follow Labor's lead and ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Labor this week turned what had been a policy strength into a weakness, with its series of statements on its plans post-Kyoto - and is now being accused of rushing out an announcement on renewable energy to cover the confusion.

But while Mr Turnbull went to ground after the Kyoto-Cabinet leak, this morning he resurfaced on ABC radio's AM program.

"I've certainly been talking to plenty of journalists, but I may not be talking to the ABC, but here I am," he said.

Mr Turnbull also fronted the media at a book launch in Sydney, taking the opportunity to attack Labor's new renewable energy target of 20 per cent by 2020.

"Labor has chosen to have a target which shuts the door on clean coal. I am genuinely amazed that they would do this, because this is really so important, not just to coal workers in Australia, but it's important to the whole world," he said.

"What hope do we have of cooling this planet if we cannot clean up the coal-fired power stations of China and India and the rest of the world? And Labor's shut the door on that."

He is still declining to discuss his rebuff in the Cabinet room.

"Look, it's very sweet of you to ask, but as you know, we don't discuss what goes on in Cabinet," he answered to a journalist's question.

Mr Howard has spent the weekend trying to shake off questions about whether Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull tried unsuccessfully to get cabinet to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

Neither he nor Mr Turnbull would directly address the question of divisions in government over climate change.

Mr Howard went on the attack over Labor's plan to ratify Kyoto, which expires in 2012, even if developing nations do not sign up to the pact.

But Mr Howard's attempt to shift the focus from the cabinet discussions was blunted when Mr Baird told Sky News signs of division over Kyoto were bad news for the government.

"Well there's been no denial of it," he said.

"So we therefore assume it's a likelihood.

"And so any suggestion that there's division is not helpful."

Mr Howard again refused to discuss the cabinet issue.

He said its priorities would be to invest in clean energy technology and support households most affected by the higher prices after a carbon price is set.

Mr Howard has announced some more details about the fund this morning and says he expects it to build up quickly, with permit auctions under the carbon emissions trading scheme yielding "very significant" amounts of money for the fund.

"It ought to be used for climate-related purposes, to cushion the impact on households and also to further invest in alternatives," he said.

"The revenues are in fairly short order [and are] likely to be quite substantial as implementation of the scheme gathers pace."

"The tightening effect of the operation of the scheme against a target will produce increasing revenues."

Australia has refused to ratify Kyoto, but Mr Turnbull says the Commonwealth is committed to an effective international agreement, if all the major emitters come on board.

He says the move is in the national interest.

"We are committed to a new international climate change agreement which is environmentally effective," he said.

"To be environmentally effective, it will need contributions to those reductions from all the major emitting countries, be they in the developed or the developing world."

But Labor Environment Spokesman Peter Garrett says it is a huge about-face on the eve of an election.

"I've got to tell you, after listening to these people talk in disparaging terms about climate change action for over three years of being in the Parliament and prior to coming into the Parliament, I don't take the spin that comes from the Government all that seriously," he said.

-abc.com.au

Sydney University's US Studies Centre has released one of the most comprehensive surveys ever undertaken on Australian attitudes to America.

The survey reports that 76 per cent of people believe global warming is now equal to or more serious a threat than Islamic fundamentalism.

That supports another recent report by the Lowy Institute for International Policy which also found that global warming had become the top concern.

The report by CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology predicts temperatures could rise by up to five degrees in some parts of the nation by 2070 if emissions are not cut.

In addition to more droughts, the projections indicate some areas will experience heavy rainfall events, days of higher fire danger, more intense tropical cyclones in the north and greater coastal flooding caused by storms.

The Climate Change in Australia document forecasts a one-degree rise by 2030 and says temperature increases can stay under two degrees by 2070 if emissions are reduced to lower levels.

Under high emissions, the 2070 average increase of 3.4 degrees for Australia compares with 1.8 degrees in a low-emissions environment.

Report co-author Penny Whetton said the probability of warming exceeding one degree is 10 to 20 per cent for coastal areas, and more than 50 per cent for inland regions.

Australia is likely to be about one degree warmer by 2030 compared to the temperatures of recent decades and this amount of warming isn't much affected by what we do about greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr Whetton, of CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research.