Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce says Australia's parliament is powerless to reduce the effects of climate change, predicting the population will be wiped out by an ice age anyway.

Inspired by an opinion piece by New Zealand geologist David Shelley, who believes the planet is heading towards an ice age, Mr Joyce took to Facebook to attack the campaign for action on climate change as pointless.

"A warmer planet will be a disconsolate chronicle and many, maybe most, will die from starvation as is the usual experience of man or beast in previous ice ages," he wrote.

The former Nationals leader is making the most of his freedom on the backbench to be "honest with what your views really are".

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He argued it was "ludicrous" to believe Australia could make any difference to climate change, suggesting global warming was better than a deadly ice age.

"The weather is going to brutally win the population problem and the parliament of Australia has no power against it. One may suggest that warmer weather is the better problem of the two," he wrote.

"If we could we should be the first to make it rain and, more importantly, stop the recurrence of an ice age anytime in the coming millennium."

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Mr Joyce is also reportedly pushing for an inquiry into nuclear power, telling The Australian it is the only way to eliminate the country's emissions.

His comments follow an address by natural historian David Attenborough criticised Australia for a lack of action on climate change.

Asked about climate change sceptics, he said the "voice of disbelief" should not be silenced, but he called on leaders in Australia to know better.

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"Australia is already facing, having to deal with some of the most extreme manifestations of climate change," he said.

"But in both Australia and America those voices are clearly heard."

Earlier in the week, new research by Berlin-based science and policy institute Climate Analytics found Australia could be responsible for up to 17 per cent of the world's carbon emissions by 2030.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has repeatedly said Australia will meet its target to reduce emissions by 26-28 per cent on 2005 levels by 2030.