A FORMER senior adviser to John Howard says he will personally campaign against federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull in his marginal seat.
Businessman Geoffrey Cousins is opposed to the fast-tracking of a federal approval for the $2-billion Gunns project in Tasmania's Tamar Valley, but is not planning to stand as a candidate in the Sydney seat of Wentworth in the election.
Mr Cousins said today the Tasmanian Government had stopped public consultation on the project, under pressure from Gunns.
By failing to force the Tasmanian Government to follow the proper approval process, Mr Turnbull had failed his responsibility as environment minister, Mr Cousins said.

Pulp mill my concern, not Turnbull: Cousins

Former prime ministerial adviser businessman Geoffrey Cousins has denied he is trying to unseat federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Cousins has criticised Mr Turnbull's role in the assessment of the Gunns pulp mill proposed for northern Tasmania.

Mr Turnbull has given the pulp mill interim approval, subject to another period of public comment.

Mr Cousins says he is not campaigning against Mr Turnbull.

"What I and others are trying to do is simply to bring the issue of the pulp mill to national attention and to the attention of the people in his constituency," he said.

"We're not campaigning against him. I'm not certainly not running for Parliament or anything of that kind."

Mr Cousins says he is appalled by the approval process for the pulp mill, which is planned for the Tamar Valley in the marginal seat of Bass.

Forests key to climate change battle

By Thomas Lovejoy [ABC]

Any analysis of the climate change/greenhouse gas problem reveals that at its core it is rooted in biology.

Fossil fuels are but the slowly accumulated products of ancient photosynthesis now rapidly being converted into other forms of energy, as well as greenhouse gases. Less obvious is that approximately 23 per cent of greenhouse gases accumulating in the last analysed year came from deforestation and biomass burning.

When those gases are counted in, Indonesia is the world's third largest emitter and Brazil the fourth - based on the last year for which there are global calculations - but since then Brazil appears to have reduced annual deforestation by half. How we manage biology, and forests in particular, is clearly part of the problem and potentially part of the solution.

Malcom likes to spruik his contribution to reducing deforestation overseas, what about his home turf? Cousins - come on - challenge Malcom. Life couldn't be sweater if both Malcom and Johhnie lose their seats.