Is Australian agriculture one of the first victims of global warming in the industrialized countries?

Question

Australia's Murray-Darling Basin is the country's largest agricultural area. It's similar to the US midwest.

Here’s the annual average daily high temperature in the Murray-Darling basin:

http://tamino.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/mdtx.jpg

Daily highs in the Murray-Darling basin have increased about 1.3°C since 1993. The combination of reduced rainfall and increased temperature has made the present drought the worst in the history of the Murray-Darling basin.

Increased temps = increased evaporation = less surface water. Increased temps also = more water vapor suspended in the atmosphere. The drought which would have been severe even in cooler times has been made far worse by higher temperatures.

There's evidence the US midwest may follow suit.

http://tamino.wordpress.com/2008/05/30/drought-in-australia/

Do you agree with this analysis which concludes that Australia may be one of the first industiralized victims of global warming?

Answer 1

NO, BUT THEY RAN OUT OF WATER FIRST. GLOBAL WARMING ACTUALLY STARTED IN THE 1970'S, BUT AUSTRALIA WAS THE FIRST TO RUN OUT OF FRESH WATER, THEN FLORIDA, ALABAMA AND GEORGIA, OF WHICH ALL 3 STATES IGNORED MY FRESH WATER PLAN FOR THE NEXT 100 YEARS, BUT AUSTRALIA HAS MY PLAN OPERATIONAL SINCE BEFORE THERE LAST VOTE FOR A NEW PRIME MINISTER. IN MICHIGAN THE FRESH WATER LEVEL OF THEIR MAIN LAKE WENT DOWN 10 FEET IN 24 HOURS, I FIGURED IT WENT TO THE OCEAN THROUGH UNDER GROUND  CAVES. LOST PRESSURE.

Answer 2

South African wine producers began changing the grapes they grow and using higher-elevations for vineyards several years ago.  But it is not surprising to see the areas closer to the poles start seeing the differences earliest.

Answer 3

From your article:

"Overall, Australia has has increased rainfall over the last century, but the recent trend in the Murray-Darling basin is drier than the rest of the country:"

The question is, if the dust bowls of the 1930's occurred today, would you have screamed global warming?  Historically droughts have been know to last in certain regions for decades.  Have you ever heard of famines?  

Stop blaming everything on global warming.  Like you have said in the past, look at the big picture!

Answer 4

Australian agriculture is a victim of a drought-- you know, those things we've had on a regular basis for thousands of years!

Stop listening to green beatniks who only use low river levels as yet another excuse not to wash!

Answer 5

Beyond global warming, Australia has been relying of fossil aquifers to provide their agricultural and metropolitan areas with an un sustainable level of water. There simply isn't enough rain to balance out what they are extracting.

They need to seriously re consider how they choose to build their society, and they means in which they live their lives.

The encouraging news is that the technology and innovation is out there that could help them to alleviate the stresses that water shortages are going to have on their country. Hopefully, they will be willing to look into these alternatives, rather than just continuing with business as usual.

Answer 6

WOW, you must stay up late dreaming of these scenarios. Is this the only drought ever for that region? Because I bet they have had them in the past. We just had a drought here (the south east) and guess what, it ended like droughts have in the past. we enter a period of less rain, then we enter a period of more rain. Funny how that works. Let me guess the next drought on the planet is caused by global warming. And the next flood, also global warming. That is a great theory you have. Every bad disaster caused by global warming. ROFL.

Answer 7

Yes. You don't need to ask the question. It is obvious.

I also agree with the analysis.