John Howard finally has a bright idea

I've come back to work to lots of questions about how big an issue climate change is in Australia.

I have to say I was impressed during my trip home. While by no means as top of mind as in the UK, the hot air on climate change is much more high profile than it was a year ago. (So it should be - it's only the single biggest challenge facing life on earth... but I digress). It's not really hard to see why. The ongoing drought, predictions of permanent water shortages as climate change reduces over all rainfall, while causing bigger and more frequent tropical downpours and flash flooding are all, it seems, having an impact.

But don't expect anything radical, I predicted, as long as the current government is in power.

So I was surprised - and no end pleased! - to find my home turf has announced a world first. Australia will become the first country to ban the humble tungsten filament light globe - the one that has barely changed since its invention in the 19th century.

The Age newspaper has all the goss.