Big Trubba Deeown Undah

Pray for rain. Where would we be without Australians? 

We'd be forced to tease Canadians, who aren't nearly as interesting. 

A sad situation, but must admit one paragraph does bring a smile. The emphasis there is mine.

Australian cities facing 'Big Dry' water shortages
by Neil Sands
Sun Apr 29, 9:37 PM ET
 
SYDNEY (AFP) - Drought-stricken Australia faces the world's most extreme climate change challenge as millions of city dwellers try to cope with water shortages, according to the country's most recognised scientist.

The government has already made the unprecedented declaration that farmers will receive no irrigation water from July in Australia's most fertile region if the country's worst drought in a century continues.

Water restrictions have been imposed across the vast island continent and scientist Tim Flannery, named the 2007 Australian of the year for his pioneering environmental work, says the problem will only get worse.

Flannery said the drought meant two of Australia's largest cities, Brisbane and Adelaide -- home to a combined total of almost three million people -- would run out of water by the year's end unless the so-called "Big Dry" ended.

"We could see a catastrophic situation developing here by the end of the year. It's become a huge issue," Flannery told AFP.

"Even a year ago this would have been unthinkable. I think it's the most extreme and the most dangerous situation arising from climate change facing any country in the world right now.

"We have a situation where, if there are no flows in the Murray-Darling (river system), Adelaide, a city of one million people, has only 40 days' worth of water left in storage.

"If we don't get any rain this year Adelaide and Brisbane may be facing diabolical problems."

The drought, which has lasted a decade in parts of the country, has slowed Australia's overall economic growth by an estimated 0.75 percent as crops have fallen 62 percent.

The impact on rural communities has been devastating. Many farmers have been forced off the land and counselling services have reported unusually high levels of suicide in rural areas.

Children have water conservation messages drummed into them from an early age at school and householders face hefty fines, or can even have their water disconnected, if they are found to be wasting the precious resource.

The impact of climate change is also evident off Australia's northeast coast where the Great Barrier Reef -- the world's largest living organism -- has been badly damaged by bleaching linked to rising ocean temperatures.

The government is also concerned that Australia's tourism industry, which earns billions of dollars a year, will be hit by "jet guilt" -- a reluctance by holidaymakers to take the heavily polluting, long-haul plane flights that are the only practical way to reach Down Under.

Authorities are also considering culling some of the million-plus feral camel population after dromedaries "mad with thirst" rampaged through a remote desert community.

Researchers warn the drought could drive Australia's iconic koalas to extinction within a decade.

The scale of the problem hit home for many Australians in April when Prime Minister John Howard said there would be no water for farms in the Murray-Darling river basin unless the drought broke soon.

Covering more than one million square kilometres (400,000 square miles) in the southeast of Australia, the Murray-Darling basin is the country's largest river system, almost three times bigger than Japan and four times larger than Britain.

It is Australia's rural powerhouse, producing more than 40 percent of the nation's agricultural produce, worth 10 billion dollars (8.3 billion US) a year.

The Murray-Darling supports half the nation's sheep flock, a quarter of the cattle herd and three-quarters of irrigated land.

While Howard acknowledged the situation was "grim," he said there was no definitive proof the drought was caused by climate change.

However, Murray-Darling Basin Commission chief Wendy Craik had no doubts.

"Well, we'll never prove it's climate change until after the event but a lot of farmers have said this drought has the fingerprints of climate change all over it," she said.

Flannery also dismissed climate change sceptics and said he would continue using his position as Australian of the year to push for action on the issue.

"Any scientist working in the field would recognise the issues," said Flannery, whose book on climate change, The Weather Makers, has made the list of New York Times best-sellers.

"I feel that the people of Australia gave me the award because they wanted me to be a voice for them on environmental issues and that's what I'll continue to be."

Victorian farmer Marshall Rodda was unsure about whether global warming was behind the drought that has dried up his land, saying he had more immediate concerns.

"We just want it to rain," he told AFP. "Rain long and rain hard."

This man is a born idiot! Cunning as a shithouse rat, mind you, but still an idiot.

While Howard acknowledged the situation was "grim," he said there was no definitive proof the drought was caused by climate change.

Got an email from my brother in Gippsland, this morning. Plenty of rain falling and more on the way. Farmers are happy!
Big problem in the Murray-Darling region is that there are thousands of acres under cotton and rice! Need lots of water for that!! Growing thirsty crops in one of the driest parts of Australia is an example of "farmer thinking". Another example is clearing every tree from the place to grow more grass. Livestock eat and drink more when they are stressed by heat or cold. No shelter exacerbates this stress.

The prayers worked!
 
Four inches in three days here in Adelaide: Three times the April average, most April rain for seven years.

" Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote
   The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
   And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
   Of which vertu engendred is the flour;"

Whan that Aprill indeed, Geoff. You rock!

And the farmers will be wanting drought assistance!  They KNOW that much of the country they farm on is marginal at best, but rely on chemicals and cheap water to push the land.

I'm from a long line of farmers and owned 2000 acres of my own - but no way would I clear fell it, or allow yearly burning.  For the most part farmers in OZ have had plenty of warnings re abuse of the land.  The salinty levels are rising, dust bowl areas are growing - and yet they do the same old same old - and then cry when the land/climate don't do what they want.

Clearing to the extent that has been done totally stuffs up natural water courses and decreases the precipitation.  So - there is also a bit of this self-induced.

Allwoing rapid expansion o cities instead of encouraging decentralisation of services and industry also contributes to water shortages.

Not a huge amount in the world's most livable city, but hopefully I can give a more optimistic report in the near future. 

Getting back on topic in a convoluted way.  There are lots of water restrictions in Melbourne at the moment, including not hosing your driveway down, which makes a bit of sense IMHO.  Anyhoo Lance Whitnall, a football star, and his wife are having a very public brawling match with his brother and his wife.  "The Bold and the Beautiful" eat your heart out.  A few weeks ago someone egged the brother's house one night.  Accusations and counter accusations flew around for a day or so, as the brother tidied up his house.  Then  the next day someone dobbed him in for hosing the egg mess off his driveway.  I'd cut me losses and run at this stage, if I was the brother.

I'm sorry guys but one or two 'good' rains does not really change anything. I come from a farming area that flooded in '99 and 2000 but since then has been in one of the worst droughts the area has seen.

Do not get excited over one heavy rainfall, or "3 times the April average". It really doesn't mean anything. Until the dams are at more than 60 or 70% capacity i dont think that we should be getting excited.

To say that the farmers know that they are farming on marginal land is TRUE but, with out farmers and farming Australia would not survive, what would you eat? What would you wear? Farming is a tough job and sadly someone has to do it.

It doesn't make it easy when i travel to the city and see beautiful landscaping and swimming pools filled to the brim, where my mother live and where i ued to live people are really struggling. Water carting is becoming a lucrative business.

Drought is inevitable in a country like Australia but it is up to EVERYONE to deal with it. So many people in the city use water without even thing where it comes from, every precious drop in my home means that we ae that much closer to not having any. It has happened and it is not easy to see animal die cause you have no water.

Australia is in trouble and there is no use pretending any different.

Bugalugs, of Australia's GDP only 8.4% of it comes from agriculture and mining. 20% of our exports were 'rural goods'. (2006)

The most productive land is NOT marginal and marginal land is where the most damage is being done and has been for the last 50-100 years. But the problem here is that clearing, poor land management practices and over-use of chemicals to force higher production is increasing the amount of marginal land.  Sugar cane land - some of the most productive land originally - is not fit for use for other food crops for a number of years because of the chemicals used. 

I'd probably buy my clothes the same as I did when I was in Oz - and still read the "Made in China' sign on them.

As I said earlier - I come from a pretty long line of farmers. I grew up in a variety of farms - my parents owned 4 farms and I also owned 2000 acres with my husband that we grazed cattle on. BUT - at no stage would we allow clearing or burning of my property.  We used fire breaks and natural cover to protect the land. Our cattle were fine, neighbours were buying feed. 

Much better farm management techniques would have reduced the current problems.