How does a summer five degrees hotter sound? Queensland's average temperature could increase by five degrees celsius by 2070, bringing less rainfall and more intense tropical cyclones if greenhouse gas emissions remain high. [News Source]

Weather forecast dire for north Queensland. Queensland faces more intense monsoonal rains and cyclones in the north, lasting droughts in the central region, and heatwaves that may force people out of the west, according to a new report that finds the state "particularly vulnerable" to climate change. [News Source]

Uganda faces prolonged droughts. Uganda is likely to face long periods of drought and a decrease in crop production, environment minister Maria Mutagamba has warned. [News Source]

Stern launches carbon credit ratings agency. Lord Nicholas Stern, author of the UK’s Stern report on climate change, will launch a new carbon credit ratings agency on Wednesday, the first to score carbon credits on a similar basis to that used to rate debt. [News Source]

Tokyo Bourse carbon-permit trade hinges on Japan plan. . The introduction of carbon permits trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Inc. will hinge on a government plan for compulsory emission curbs, said Atsushi Saito, president of the world's second-largest stock market. [News Source]

Branson says airlines should pay tax on emissions. Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson told a forum on climate change Tuesday that aviation is a dirty business and that airlines should be willing to pay for the damage they cause to the environment. [News Source]

METI plans subsidies for home solar power. An advisory panel at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry recommended Tuesday that the government reintroduce subsidies to encourage households to adopt solar power generation as part of efforts to fight global warming. [News Source]

In energy-stingy Japan, an extravagant indulgence: Posh privies. The toilet in Japan has been reengineered as an ultracomfy energy hog. They can can warm and wash one's bottom, whisk away odors with built-in fans and play water noises that drown out potty sounds. They play relaxation music, too. [News Source]

Annan calls for climate justice for polluters. Former U.N. chief Kofi Annan called for "climate justice" Tuesday with polluters paying for the damage they cause. [News Source]

Climate change ads should be more cheery, report says. The government needs to drop "gloomy, miserable and bleak" messages in climate change ads and focus on more positive emotional messages to get the public to change their habits, according to a new report. [News Source]

McCain bucks Bush on climate change. Republican nominee-elect John McCain Tuesday vowed to combat global warming without sacrificing economic growth, contradicting President George W. Bush on the need for binding emissions cuts. [News Source]