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Australia is the world's largest coal exporter and one of the biggest per capita greenhouse gas emitters. On 1 July 2012 - after years of political wrangling - Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced a new carbon tax, forcing the country's worst-polluting firms to pay a levy for every tonne of greenhouse gases they produce.

But the new tax is already proving controversial, with opposition and business groups calling it the "toxic tax" and claiming it'll wreck the economy. Phil Mercer in Sydney finds out more.

Also, we discover a new face to environmentalism in Germany - on the political right. Stephen Evans reports from Berlin.

Plus, Alastair Leithead visits the Salton Sea, a strange lake in a desert in southern California - once a tourist destination, and now home to one of the world's largest geothermal energy plants.

As ever, have a listen and let us know what you think. You can email the team at oneplanet@bbc.com, follow us on Twitter, or join us on Facebook - the links are below.

(Image: Sheep and wind turbines in northern Germany. Credit: Getty Images)