<OT>We are going to be in trouble

[Tony Alfrey]

Keith Antoine wrote:
> By we I mean Australia and especially Queensland. I do not suppose for 
> one moment that we get a mention in the news overseas and specifically 
> in the US. 

No, you don't but we expected that the drought was still bad.

> We are in the grip of a vicious drought, which is not unusual 
> for us being that we are the driest country/continenet in the world. 
> However we have now officially crosssed the line of worst drought for 
> over 100 years and no sign of any rain.
> 
> Our water supply for the Gold coast, Brisbane, Sunshine coasts: i.e dams 
> have dropped to below 35% capacity. We are on strict water restrictions 
> and in October we will go to stage 2 restrictions. We are not allowed to 
> use hoses in gardens or wash cars, showers are no more than 5 mins, 
> flush WC only for solids, turn taps off while brushing teeth or shaving 
> etc.

What a drag!

> 
> There does not appear to be a good forcast for rain this side of the end 
> of November. Some farmers have had to walk off their properties, but the 
> big worry is crops not getting water or if they do the rain comes when 
> not wished for in the planting cycle. So the predictions of the CSIRO in 
> the late 70's when they predicted the Oz could not support bmore then 16 
> million people, due to its fragile ecology are proving correct (we have 
> 21 mill.

A remarkable comparison.  We've got 30 million in California alone.

> Out west bores into the great artisian basin are now failing or
> new bores are cutting pressure to others.

I'm sure that the residents of Florida would love to send you a tropical 
storm or two.

> 
> Our great worry too (bit too late) is salination of water and land.

Big problem in Central California, a major agricultural area.

> We 
> are paying the price of heavy deforestation ( as Montana is somewhat to 
> a lesser degree in the US) in an very fragile ecology plus the 
> introduction of cloven hooved animals plus rabbits. Admittedly we came 
> here some 200 years ago with european farming techniques, which were 
> totally damaging to this environment.

Similar problem in Western US, but apparently not currently as bad as Oz.

> The Governments were mostly 
> destructive and its only in the lst 40 years that we have learnt 
> scientifically how we have raped this land. Now we are going to pay for 
> our ignorance.
> 
> What saddens me is that Indonesia is burning off land, well the farmers 
> are, and Malaysia is experiencing heavy smoke from them and some people 
> have died there because of its toxicity. Wont we ever learn from others 
> mistakes.
> 
> Sorry for the rant but I do not think others outside Australia really 
> know, and once agin even some ordinary Australians do not want to 
> believe it. There are now hefty fines in place and some are learning the 
> hard way.

I think that we (in the US) do know about some of these things; there is 
a moderate amount of awareness, for example, about the deforestation of 
the Amazon and Indonesia.  Anybody who has to buy hardwoods might be 
more aware than others.  But this topic is certainly not on the top of 
the list in US newspapers.  Can you guess what topic IS on the top of 
the list??

We don't hear from you too much Keith, and we're sorry to hear about the 
continuing drought.


-- 
Tony Alfrey
tonyalfrey at earthlink.net
"I'd Rather Be Sailing"