Rojo

I'm glad you share my hope for solar thermal, and with its proponents claiming to be on track to produce dirty coal competitive energy within twelve months we may not be waiting all that long. Your grow it elsewhere comment concerned me because the water (virtual and otherwise) to support any extra people must come from somewhere. This combined with the fact that much of Australia's already water and environmentally stressed food growing areas are predicted to get drier.

Hopefully solar thermal will become viable before the government flushes half a billion dollars down the clean coal toilet.

fester, your food concerns are valid. However while our systems in southern Australia are stressed through drought at present, they produce far in excess of requirements in all but the severest of droughts.
By all reports the top end will get wetter even as the south gets dryer with climate change and the majority of our water resources are already up there, largely untapped.

The Debnam oppositon in NSW during their election campaign had announced funding assistance to a solar power station in the states NW. Hopefully the Iemma govt backs such a project.

http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=262081

Would you care to reconsider your view of Australia's food security for the existing population, Rojo? At least wait for a technological breakthrough or the development of a northern food bowl before committing to more people. My understanding of Northern Australia is one of poor soils, seasonal and highly variable rainfall, and a geography unsuited to water storage. It is a climate which many find unpleasant and oppressive.

fester, yes I am well aware of the Murray Darling situation, and I didn't need the PM to tell me there would be no water without significant rain. I notice your link did not say we would run out of food, but that our foodbowl was dry.

In possibly the worst drought in recorded history the nation still produced more than 10 million tonnes of grain. There, as of last week, is currently 13.7 million tonnes of grain in storage.
Half of the nations cattle are in Qld and the NT with Qld's channel country just experiencing some of the biggest flood levels known.
Bore irrigators may have to take up some of the slack and grow more food crops, particularly if vege prices escalate. Whether they can supply enough rice will be an issue.
If you are worried about starving, don't. You might not have the same product choice in the supermarket though.

The majority of the soils in the North would certainly be decribed as poor, but most floodplain country contains suitable soils for productive agriculure and co-incidently they are near rivers too.

fester, yes I am well aware of the Murray Darling situation, and I didn't need the PM to tell me there would be no water without significant rain.
I notice your link did not say we would run out of food, but that our foodbowl was dry.

In possibly the worst drought in recorded history the nation still produced more than 10 million tonnes of grain. There, as of last week, is currently 13.7 million tonnes of grain in storage.
Half of the nations cattle are in Qld and the NT with Qld's channel country just experiencing some of the biggest flood levels known.
Bore irrigators may have to take up some of the slack and grow more food crops, particularly if vege prices escalate. Whether they can supply enough rice will be an issue.
If you are worried about starving, don't. You might not have the same product choice in the supermarket though.

The majority of the soils in the North would certainly be decribed as poor, but most floodplain country contains suitable soils for productive agriculure and co-incidently they are near rivers too.

Rojo

Australia exports food for foreign income. How much food would there be if Australia were to balance the trade deficit with further food exports? Not much I would suggest.