Brown challenges Garrett and Turnbull

Brown challenges Garrett and Turnbull over coal and burning forests as the Barrier Reef faces extinction

Greens Leader Bob Brown has challenged Labor's absurd solidarity with John Howard over coal mining and burning of Australia's native forests by loggers.

"The national debate over climate change, the fate of the Great Barrier Reef and water shortages must start with the causes. It is farcical for Labor and John Howard to back expanded coal and woodchip exports but say they are serious about tackling climate change," Senator Brown said.

"After the Stern Report's 2006 finding that burning of forests is a worse greenhouse gas producer than all the world's transport systems put together, it is culpable of both major parties to promote clearfell logging and 'regeneration' burning of old-growth forests in Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales."

"Energy efficiency, which could rapidly replace at least 30% of the coal being burnt in Australia, is not even on the Howard or Rudd radar screens," Senator Brown said.

Neither Mr Rudd nor Mr Howard can claim to be serious about water shortages while escalating the key causes of climate change, and diminished rainfall."

Senator Brown challenged both the new environment spokesmen, Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Garrett, to a debate on their parties' coal mining and forest logging policies.

"With the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report due out on Friday, all parties must tackle the key causes of climate change and drought and not just how to adapt to the water shortages as the Prime Minister wants it," Senator Brown said.