Sadly we never learn from past lessons.
As a species of animal we have not come far in the last 4.5 million years.

I was not aware that Australia had been demoted two the “second driest on the planet”. As long as I can remember, the boring chant about Australia’s number one dryness has been belted out ad nauseum by geography and environment bores. Kampark doesn’t even tell us which country has replaced us. Talking about drought in Australia is as pointless as talking about ice in Iceland. And, it doesn’t seem to be of interest to mass immigration-addicted politicians intent on turning the few non-drought areas we have into concrete wastelands.

ttbn,
Australia is nowhere near the second driest country.
But as a continent, we are indeed the second driest.
We get a lot more rain than Antarctica.

A Calamitous situation that can only ever get worse as those who could do something, sit on their hands or contribute to the problem with their diabolically dumb (coal-fired) policies.

Yes, we've always always had drought that usually ends in disastrous flooding rain. And can only ever get worse as extreme weather events worsen!

Imagine if we could save most of those flooding rains and eke them out for our Farmers and the environment during the extended dry periods! And doable.

Just not with great big, hugely expensive dams that evaporate more water than they save!

But rather as myriad upland dams that literally force millions of tons of rain into the landscape. And ought to be mandatory water catchment policy the length and breadth of this wide brown land. And could have been done decades ago!

When is the best time to plant a tree? Answer: twenty years ago. Failing that? Now!

Endless prevarication or calloused perpetual indifference, never ever helpful or of any use whatsoever!

But it simply can't stop there. We need to stop burning as land management when it results in baked topsoil impervious to rain and instead contributes to flash flooding, lives and property lost.

Short-term intensive cell grazing reduces fuel load and breaks open baked soil allowing better moisture penetration. Finally, we need deionisation dialysis desalination and endless guaranteed affordable potable water for times just like these.

Even if only to grow affordable hay near our coastline that then can be sent further inland.

After that, farmers on marginal land need to adopt farming practices suited to their country, including saltbush and or drought and frost tolerant species like native wisteria. A perennial legume that improves the soil and not only outperforms grass but after supplying reliable biofuel, serves as superior feedlot fodder.

Fodder sheds another useful innovation that could make a difference between surviving or just going under in times just like these!

Time for decisive action, not politics!

And my age does not make my ideas less useful, but perhaps adds wisdom and value to them!

Respectfully! Alan B.

'Sadly we never learn from past lessons.
As a species of animal we have not come far in the last 4.5 million years.'

with comments like that Ateday you certainly prove we have academia has dumbed you down.

Ateday.

Humans need to be genetically modified not to breed. Chinese had the right idea, they knocked female babies on the head!

Alan B

very respectful.

______________________

The drought has shown us the value of one National Party vote; $12k. Poor taxpayer.

Diver, one day you'll have something positive or useful or actually helpful to say or show normal human empathy for the less fortunate or those born different. I just won't hold my breath waiting.

You'll have a nice day now y'hear.
Alan B.

Alan B

Al, I don't think this site is a venue for sympathetic outlooks. That's what's good about it...

Most observations about weather are hysteric Eurocentrism. They have an annual weather pattern, we don't. Australia has a strong near decadal pattern, where annual cycle is dominated by years of dry and then years of wet. Field courses for 20 years demonstrated this, year after year of tinea from soaked boots only to be remedied by year after year of stinking heat.