Mark Lawson here

tnks fellas.. few more specific comments.

Geoff of Perth - look closely at the article. I don't say a word about the science itself. What I have done is contrast the warnings with what actually happened. If, say, the scientists in 2009 has said be prepared for a lot of floods after the drought which is due to end soon, then they would have a case. But they didn't say that at all. If you look at the fine print of the reports floods get a vague mention as likely to happen some time. Its no good now trying to say that they really meant something else back then.

Bugsy at least had the grace to acknowledge this, but again, please note, I haven't said the long term projections are wrong as such (ast least not in this article). What I'm saying is that the scientists clearly got it wrong over rainfall and the future state of dams, resulting in a major waste of money, and they were so obviously wrong that the bulk of voters may well have noticed

Mark, you may by right that the floods will cause some who don't respect real science and scientists, such as yourself, become more sceptical of global warming.

But you have not given us links to the statements that you claim the 'CSIRO - BoM scientists' made to the effect that the climate would remain permanently dry and that the 'dams would never fill'. Give us the links, name the scientists and quote the actual words.

The truth is that other points in your artcle are correct - " original forecasts emphasised that both droughts and flooding would increase as the world warmed (to be fair, some of the forecasts also mentioned floods)....

"The federal government's Climate Commission has also issued a statement that people should look beyond the past two years of rain, floods and dams full to overflowing, and instead consider the 10 average which is still pretty dry compared to previous periods".

I give you points for including these truths; you thus maintain some professional journalistic even-handedness.

However this is an opinion column and your usual 'Curmudgeonly' and climate skeptical spin has prevailed in this article, as we have come to expect from you.

Mark, your entire article smacks with your bias.

Can I suggest you read "Climate Factsheets" written by the Public Interest Research Centre, link as follows:

http://pirc.info/Climate_Factsheets_PIRC.pdf

Climate change is more about forcing than warming, if you understand the logarithmic function related to weather and climate you may learn quite a bit.

Geoff

Anyone that doesn't think climate change is upon us is more than a skeptic.
England is having water restrictions this year, more-so than
normal.
The wild weather patterns are enough on their own, on a global scale.
There is nothing to say the big drought's will not come again.
West in drought and the east in flood, x 2 years.
Victoria experiencing weather from the top end, with humidity and rain.
Ocean temps; eating away polar ice shelf, and increasing.
We are lagging behind with our attempts at cutting green house gasses.
The America's are miles in-front, all we can do is watch.

My tip is that this carbon tax, as we know it, wont happen as planned.

A few things may happen before July.

Julia may be replaced and the new leader would not dare tax us to this extent.

Or, the government may well be tossed out before, which will mean there will be no tax.

Or, Julia may well see the writing on the wall and scale down the tax.

Meanwhile, the dilutional supporters of this tax will of cause keep supporting it, as they are of the opinion that it will simply 'slip in ' un noticed.

Yea, right!

The evidence for the changes with the climate, one only has to view the last ice-age(10.000 years plus ago) to see the global deserts are expanding.....in other words....the planet is drying out.

This has happen before in the
Permian 280 to 245 mya
Sail-back reptiles. Amphibians abundant. Pangaea forms. Ends with mass extinction. If I have it right, the whole earth at that time was dry as a bone......and it might be time for it again.

These changes have been happening for millions of years off and on. The only evidence that mankind has something to do with it, is compared with the 19th centuries industrial revolution.
Combined that with the whats above, and presto....C02 and our actions equals rapid change.

cc