Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

Aussie Farmers Advised To Move North, But Problems Await Them In NT - Telegraph

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
This topic is archived.
Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Environment/Energy Donate to DU
 
hatrack Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-26-07 12:09 PM
Original message
Aussie Farmers Advised To Move North, But Problems Await Them In NT - Telegraph
Severe droughts and global warming are forcing Australia to consider opening up one of the world's last untouched agricultural frontiers. Farmers in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia face ruin as the once mighty Murray and Darling rivers are slowly being bled dry by thirsty crops and historically low rainfall.

The tropical north, in contrast, promises torrential downpours. So, in an echo of the country's 19th-century pioneering spirit, a government task force is now studying the prospect of encouraging farmers to abandon the dry-as-dust south. "I've got dairy farmers in Victoria asking, 'When can we go?' It's a case of, 'Go north, young man,' " said Senator Bill Heffernan, who is chairing the £8 million study.

But history carries some sober warnings. A few miles from the Northern Territory town of Humpty Doo, an ambitious agricultural enterprise was begun in the 1950s.

It proved a disaster and was abandoned within a decade after magpie geese ate the rice seed, buffalo bulldozed the paddies and seasonal rains proved erratic.

EDIT

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/26/waus26.xml
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
phantom power Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-26-07 12:38 PM
Response to Original message
1. I feel extra doomed this morning.
fucking Monday.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
depakid Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-26-07 01:33 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. Tip of the iceberg
Edited on Mon Mar-26-07 01:59 PM by depakid
I think the next two decades are going to force large scale relocations in many areas around the globe.

The American South West comes to mind. Seems to me that between climate change, expensive petroleum and natural gas- and the inevitable contraction of the service economy, the more sustainable regions of the country will be seeing a lot of 21st Century Okies.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
phantom power Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-26-07 01:45 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. The outlook is not good. I live in Tempe, AZ.
There are several bills in the state legislature relating to water use. You could call it "progress" in the sense that the legislature is recognizing the problem at all. But they are still in such denial about how bad things can still get. How bad they are likely to get. It's still a debate about extremely remedial things, like "should developers be forced to establish the existence of a 100 year water supply for new developments?" As if 100 years is a long time. As if there is any sane argument for allowing builders to build new projects without analyzing water supply.

And they're still fundamentally assuming growth, nothing about the serious issues of whether those of us who are already here will have enough water.

So few people really get what's coming. They talk about a light at the end of the tunnel. It's a goddamned train.

And here I sit, in the middle of it. Not that I know where to move that's going to be safer.
Printer Friendly | Permalink |  | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Thu Dec 26th 2024, 05:49 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » Topic Forums » Environment/Energy Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC