The pace of climate change is taking us by suprise. I'm suprised by the duration and severity of the current drought, now in its fifth year. Even drought hardy native plants are succumbing to the lack of moisture. If this keeps up in 30 years I will be living in a desert and so will a much larger proportion of the Earth's population. The time has come to stop protecting the overpaid energy/oil company and car industry executives and make radical changes to the way we use the Earth's resources. I'm pleased people like big Arnie are couragious enough to get on with the job.
Scientists 'surprised' on climate change
By Evan Schwarten
September 04, 2006 04:27pm
Article from: AAP
AUSTRALIA'S rapid climate change had caught scientists by surprise, a leading water expert said today.
Professor Peter Cullen, from the National Water Commission, said experts had expected the changes, which have left much of the country suffering drought conditions, but thought they would take much longer to take effect.
"I don't think any of us expected the climate change we have experienced over the last five years. I was expecting climate change but I was expecting it to take 30 years," he said.
Prof Cullen said Australia was drying out quickly and with water restrictions already in place in many areas, governments needed to consider all available options, such as recycling and desalination, to prevent an impending water crisis.
"We've got to look at the full range of options, I don't think we can afford to be doctrinaire and throw anything out," he said.
Prof Cullen said putting up the price of water was another option.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see water prices double in Australia in the next couple of years, we are paying about $1 a kilolitre, in most Australian cities," he said.
"In Germany they are paying $11 a kilolitre so we are very underpriced in terms of some other communities."
Prof Cullen was speaking at Brisbane's International River Symposium alongside University of Queensland Professor Paul Greenwood and the World Wildlife Fund's Dr Stuart Blanch.
Dr Blanch said new dams should only be considered a last resort, urging governments to fund the installation of rainwater tanks on private properties and investigate water recycling initiatives.
He hit out at the Queensland Government's plan to construct a massive dam on the Mary River on the Sunshine Coast, saying it was a bad choice of location.
The river's catchment area did not receive enough rainfall to consistently fill a dam, he said.
"I think panic has set in with the bureaucrats, government and water engineers and they are jumping to big dams, big pipelines without doing the hard work and seeing how far they can push recycling."
"What's the point in building big dams if they remain half full? It's much smarter to move to recycling." |
