Shock and Awe ...in Australia, China, India; Global Dehydration #11

sci.environment, talk.environment, sci.bio.ecology Shock and Awe ...in Australia, China, India; Global Dehydration #11

Everybody Reading on the Same Page: We all know what each knows. The seriousness of the global hydrology interactions.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/australia/2003/03/ item20030303133855_1.htm

Mon, Mar 3 2003 1:45 PM AEDT

Debt blowout blamed on drought, global weakness

A weak global economy and the ravages of the drought have hit the nation's trade performance and led to Australia's worst quarterly account deficit figures.

The December quarter has produced a seasonally adjusted current account deficit of just under $11.6 billion.

This is a 40 per cent blowout from the previous quarter to the highest level on record.

Economists say it equates to more than 6 per cent of GDP as the drought has withered farm exports, and the weak world economy has reduced demand for other Australian products and services.

The foreign debt has continued to grow despite the stronger currency providing a $5 billion offset.

Net debt now stands at $354 billion.

While Australia's trade performance will have detracted from economic growth measure in this week's release of the December quarter national accounts, company profits should prove a positive contributor with the quarterly measure of gross operating profits up a robust 2.5 per cent.

Wheat outlook

Meanwhile a Canberra rural forecasting group says history points to 2003 being a bumper year for Australian wheat growers.

The University of Canberra's AGRECON says a study of cyclical droughts over the past 140 years shows post drought years traditionally result in above average rain and agricultural production.

The group says if good rains continue 2003 will be an excellent year for wheat and other crops.

But AGRECON's chief systems development officer Brian Button says it will take several years for farmers to build up sheep and cattle stock so meat prices will increase.

'Essentially all cropping Australia will be winners, the losers will be the consumer,' he said.

'The price of meat will go through the roof and will stay that way for several years.'

Well Mr Ball, are you still saying that the Australian drought was not caused by global warming?

Cheers, Alastair.

Alastair,

What do you think caused the droughts in Australia that occurred before any global warming?

>>>not caused by global warming?

>>What do you think caused the droughts in Australia >>that occurred before any global warming?

Previously existing causes suffice quite nicely to produce previously occurring phenomona.

But before you worry any longer about Australian preciptation, look at the area averaged precip:
http://www.bom.gov.au/announcements/media_releases/ climate/change/ima...

Note that:

1. 2002 was not the driest year. (1902, 1905, 1961) 2. 2002 followed seven consecutive ABOVE average preciptation years. 3. In fact the last thirty years, the period of greatest GHG forcing, is the WETTEST on record.