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America, a nation the rest of the world so often look towards for a lead, appears set to introduce new laws aimed at curbing its emissions of greenhouse gases.

The grandly titled America Clean Energy and Security Act 2009 (or Waxman-Markey Bill) has squeezed through a House of Representatives vote, with President Obama declaring the decision an historic one.

In this week's One Planet, Mike debates the issue with two people who have very different views on the bill. Karen Campbell from the Washington based conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation argues the bill places an unnecessary financial burden on business, and will hurt investments in new greener technologies. Bill Snape from the Center for Biological Diversity is also disappointed by the bill - but because it lacks ambition. In his view, "it's a baby step" towards tackling the climate change problem. It's a lively debate.

Also in the programme, Mike meets polar explorer Pen Hadow and tries out his fitness regime. Have a look at our slideshow - the link is below. He also has a go at birdwatching, and we hear about the world's largest wetlands, the Pantanal in Brazil.

As ever, tune in or download the podcast. Have a listen and let us know what you think. Email the One Planet team at Oneplanet@bbc.com. Or if you'd like to continue the debate, do join our Facebook page.