The political zeitgeist is certainly with those who are arguing for more action on safeguarding the environment.  Sir Nicholas Stern, a Chief Economist at the World Bank, is publishing today his weighty report on the likely economic impact of climate change.

"The Stern Review forecasts that 1% of global gross domestic product (GDP) must be spent on tackling climate change immediately.

It warns that if no action is taken:

• Floods from rising sea levels could displace up to 100 million people
• Melting glaciers could cause water shortages for 1 in 6 of the world's population

• Wildlife will be harmed; at worst up to 40% of species could become extinct
• Droughts may create tens or even hundreds of millions of 'climate refugees'"
  BBC News

At a recent CentreForum event, Peter Riddell and Polly Toynbee were asked what they thought Gordon Brown's "Independence of the Bank of England" moment would be - i.e. the un/planned announcement that signals a new change of direction at the top when he takes on the new job of PM.  Both Riddell and Toynbee looked towards constitutional changes such as voting reform.

However, will Gordon sense the direction of travel on this issue and take on the implications of this report as his "Bank of England" moment?

He's hardly known for his environmental credentials, and green taxes have fallen as an already small proportion of tax take every year since the fuel protests.

However, he did commission Sir Nicholas in the first place - and Gordon's never been very actively associated with electoral reform either!

Also in today's news

• Scotland's voting systems are "a world-beating mess that only mass boredom with the intricacies of democracy, inflicted by too many Liberal Democrat party broadcasts over the years, prevents us from recognising as absurdity." A rather jaundiced view of recent Scottish electoral reform." according to Peter Preston in The Guardian.
  
• "The Liberal Democrats may be forced to hand back £2.4 million donation" The Independent and the BBC cover the story.
• www.electoral-vote.com - Senate Dem 48 Rep 51 Tied 1
  A political mess in New Jersey isn't helping the Democrat's prospects of gaining the Senate.  The latest poll puts the Republicans in this crucial seat which would see them gaining this normally rock-solid Democrat state.