The drying weather conditions, springs that are no more, creeks that haven't run for 15 years, which were previously never dry. Plants flowering way out of season, animals breeding out of season, birds nesting out of season. probably other things that I've forgotten.
Melbourne went thru severe water restrictions in the early seventies. Drought is nothing new to Australia or Victoria in particular.
Have a look at this Australian Rainfall Map:
http://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/products/australiasvariableclimate/index.html
Update 2005 - present:
http://www.longpaddock.qld.gov.au/products/pdf/MapUpdate_forPoster.pdf
Check out the period 1918-19 to 1948-49. Australia is a very dry place. Current climate would appear to be proving that fact.
From other correspondents in other countries, much the same over the last five or so years, maybe longer.
Less than a blink in the Earth’s history ...
This can't be all coincidence, or do you think it is?
Coincidence ? Maybe. Definitely natural variation.
15 years ago this area went from a winter rainfall to a summer rainfall area, That was weird, but that continued and became drier over the last ten years. We used to be able to run 120 sheep here, but are down to thirty on this small landholding. No vegetable garden because our dam hasn't been filled but one year in ten and evaporated just as quickly. That's climate change or what would you call it?
Definitely climate change, no argument. Question is what is causing it? Is it natural variation or is the fault of our modern lifestyles and that evil gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Temperatures have been gradually rising since the end of the Little Ice Age in the mid nineteenth century (look it up). There have been ups and downs along the way and you may remember in the early seventies, some of the current alarmists, eg James Lovelock, were predicting disaster in the form of a new ice age.
That could be a 15 year drought, but this area has never had a 15 year drought before, so if nothing's changed, what's changed?
Australia is a very dry continent; refer to the QLD Government’s LongPaddock website (see above). Download their chart. See how much blue (wet) and red (dry) there is. It doesn’t take much analysis, just a glance.
Do you live in the city Donander? I'm almost certain that people in the city have seen little change, or maybe they have noticed little change? By asking what I had seen changed means you didn't read my post. Wind speeds were another I cited, people finding their roofs suddenly lost and trees that are tens maybe even a hundred years old suddenly being blown over. If that's not wind speed, then could it be stronger winds from another direction.
I live near Brisbane but we travel extensively in the outback, just back from the Jackson oil fields where the drought broke earlier this year. I've lived and taught in the QLD bush (many years ago <sigh>).
Old trees get blown over frequently, everywhere. High winds, floods, mudslides & other natural disasters look more severe nowdays because more people are affected: Population expansion, building in marginal areas, etc. We went thru a severe drought (unheard of in SE QLD) for about seven years if memory serves. It has broken with a vengeance as will yours. I feel for you in the meantime but the solution is beyond us mere humans. That big round orange thing in the sky is the culprit, aided and abetted by orbital fluctuations, galactic cosmic rays, ocean currents, precession and a myriad of other factors, each potentially having a chaotic effect on the others.
We live close to the source, solar power and catching water in tanks doesn't make us researchers, but certainly means we're awake. [laughing] We have to be aware and work accordingly and yes we miss or vegetable garden. We have always noticed the climate changing, the world is in flux, we just can't pinpoint why the climate is changing.
You can be certain it’s not because of CO2. However, politicians want to tax “carbon”, they call it pollution but carbon dioxide is an essential, life sustaining trace gas. Without it, plants, animals and us will die.
Remember my reference to geological time and compare your time on the planet with Earth’s history. You may have gathered that I am passionate about the garbage we're being fed by the media and governments, only ever one side of the story, no mention of the hundreds, thousands of scientists in climate and related disciplines who dispute the IPCC's findings. http://www.populartechnology.net/2009/10/peer-reviewed-papers-supporting.html
Problem is a "Don't worry, climate change is natural" headline won't sell. Media needs disaster and governments need our tax dollars.
I’d really like to opportunity to discuss the whole business with you over a glass or two (Shiraz will do
). It's a long time since I visited Victoria.
