Water, Water Everywhere, But Not a Drop More To Drink...
With abundant rains across Australia this wet season, one could be forgiven for thinking all the hardship and drought were behind us all. Water would seem plentiful... indeed it would... if only it didn't wash down drains back to the salty sea... but that's another issue for another day...
Earlier this year, it was announced that both Indonesia and Australia risk more droughts because of shifting Indian Ocean temperatures. Whilst Australia becomes dryer, especially with El Nino events predominating, it is likely that monsoons in Indonesia will intensify, and visa versa during the winter months.
The reports were filed after studies of 6,500-year-old fossil corals revealed links between monsoons, droughts and periodic cooling of the eastern Indian Ocean, known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD).
Australian scientists working from the Australian National University, together with a team from China and the University of Arizona in the US, feel that the increasing intensity of El Nino and the IOD’s, is linked to the added burden of global warming caused from the burning of fossil fuels.
With Dipole come very cold temperatures off the coast of western Indonesia, which reduces the amount of rainfall, so that the cloud bands formed there do not travel to Australia.
The consensus amongst the scientists remains confident that the Asian monsoons will continue to intensify with climate warming as well as more frequent and longer droughts.
The last Dipole peaked in 2006, monsoon rains from May-September.
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El Niño years:
1896 , 1902 , 1905 , 1911 , 1913 , 1914 , 1918 , 1919, 1923 , 1925 , 1932 , 1940 , 1941 , 1946 , 1951 , 1953 , 1963 , 1965, 1969 , 1972 , 1977 , 1982 , 1987 , 1991 , 1992 , 1993 , 1994, 1997, 2005.
La Niña years:
1892, 1893, 1906 , 1908 , 1909, 1910, 1916 , 1917 , 1921 , 1924 , 1938 , 1947, 1950 , 1955 , 1956 , 1964 , 1970, 1971 , 1973 , 1974 , 1975 , 1988, 1995, 1998, 2007.
El Niño and La Niña years run from autumn to autumn e.g. autumn 1982 to autumn 1983
~<>~
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But not a drop to drink"
Are you playing the Queen of Apology, Lilla? Alas, what the sea wants, the sea will have. Talking about the sea as a metaphor for emotion, correct?
Did you see Difference of Opinion (ABC) last night? They were talking about Nuclear and Coal power along with alternative energy.
Yet another attempt
At unbiasment
Yet another non-event
Made from political contentment
The wind, sun and rain are heaven sent
But for the other two I wish not to pay a cent.
Yours peacefully,
Opto
Celebrity Obsession
We really can't afford to be complacent about the way we use water. It's kind of scary how low our water catchments are at the moment.
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as always, your words of enouragement and support are a blessing...
thank you for the feedback... I know you are always working hard to help conserve water and a fine example to us all.
Lilla ...
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...you got it, alright... and when I see allthat lovely clean water heading down the stormwater... TO THE SEA ... well. . . . . . . . . .
.. it kinda gets political and a bit heavy..*lol*
Needless to say, that my feelings run along the lines of a need for some really revolutionary and innovative governing in Australia - before it's all too late, that's for sure. I wish the Australian government were more like the Canadian one... from what I read, they are very clever in managing resources and perhaps not as greedy, or am I mistaken?
thanks for the feedback,
Lilla ...
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hmmm, an interesting thought to ponder? *lol*
I'm sorry I missed the show, but loved your words for it...
At unbiasment
Yet another non-event
Made from political contentment
The wind, sun and rain are heaven sent
But for the other two I wish not to pay a cent.
It reminded me of one I saw of similar 'vain,' about David Hicks... that was over a month ago and like you came away with similar opinions... ergo, the TV is off most of the time and the computer on...
did you learn anything from the show... did the government look like waking up?
*tisk, tisking*
*shaking my head*
*controlling the rage*
Lilla ...
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Thanks for your comment.
The mismanagement of our resources, and the people's powerlessness to change it, that scares me more than anything, because with good practices there is still plenty for all ...
It's a blessing to us all that young people, such as yourself, take the time to visit sites like mine and comment, becuase you CARE... that is the way forward for the future...
well done!
Lilla ...
Bohemian Hiphop
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Optomystic Opportunism
And acting like we need the 'grunt' of coal and nuclear power.
I would add afew naughty words to describe them, but I'm sure you get my tone.
One time the speaker for the Coal Association gave a 'talk to the hand' gesture to the resident lecturer of Environmental Studies.
I wonder what kind of socialising goes on before and after the show. Just splits between the middle I guess.
Flashes of memories
that first picture is beautiful..... where is it from?
argh I knew I should have paid more attention but I caught bits and pieces of a documentary a couple of weeks ago where they were trying to catch fresh water that is leaking out from sources under the sea.
An inventor was trying to make a huge dome-shaped 'room' which would allow the fresh water to be channelled to the top (obviously because it is lighter than salt water) and then pumped out for use.
The last bit I saw of it before I had to dash out was that the 'room' was working but the salinity of the water was still a little high to be used for consumption.
It is a pity that all this water gets washed away needlessly....harness what you are sent people....it rains for a reason!!!!
great info World Warrior...
have a groovy evening
ash
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*sardonic laugh*
they are so good at it too... it fools so many...
Yeah... makes me wonder too... and the payouts?
thanks for the 'big picture.'
Lilla ...
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...thanks for the info... it sounds totally impracticle to me, I hope their bubble doesn't burst?
It's good to see them willing to spend billions of such projects, instead of starting to lay the piping infrastructure through suburbia to collect what washes away...
no one wants to fess up they've mis-managed the money on other guff, perhaps... luncheons, outings, inagrial pomp and ceremonies... and the like...
*controlling the rage*
Lilla ...
Rugby World Cup 2007
(short trip)
Who said that?
Aneeewayyy....I sit outside and watch torrents of water poured from above in answer to prayers and raindancing rituals.... and then watch those torrents stream down the street... we have a creek at the back of our house....well, it's now a river....and still they say our (Sydney) Dam is not filling.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrowwwlllllll
As Cibbuano says;
....methinks it suits some political agenda...
Oh heavens....it's all connected...everything... good and bad...the karma of our inaction...
much respect pyaari Lilla...Enviro Warrior....with AquaMade vessel in hand...
Dusk
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You are a delight… and speak words of truth… it maddens me to the point of adding my own tears to the milieu… especially when it cost me three glasses of water to do some of those rain dances!
Indeed me thinks it too…
So with vessels in hand we go forth, gathering and pouring… waiting…. for (political) daylight to dawn…
Much respect and pyaari to you too, my AquaEnviroSoulSista
Lilla …
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..so sad, so true… minds wander back to the TV so quickly don’t they... a couple well placed programmes of abundance and it’s all forgotten again . . .
A grave mistake indeed.
Thank you for your wonderful comment.
...it is nice to see you again...
Lilla …
Kalikapsychosis
I agree that peple get too complacent when it rains - straight back to their wasting ways - but I blame the media. My first ever post was 'the radio weather man and the drought' because weather guys are always pushing for fine days, which influence the whole of australia, so then everyones wishing for sun, wondering why we dont get any rain!
I love how we are SUDDENLY getting all this crap about coal forced down our throats - it was non existant 2 weeks ago - to me its a case of, "Oooh, quick Australia, get excited about coal so you dont notice we are putting in a nuclear plant" Never mind the useless desalination plant and the bloody petrol prices!
Im not to concerned for the drought itself - Personally I believe it is broken, or will be, with just a bit more positive thinking. I have such an interest in weather my man says I should be a meterologist. I see about 5 satellite photos a day(did you know SBS and channel 10 always have different ones? For the same times?) I monitor the millimetres and the humidity, not to mention cloud patterns. All our weather moves west to east, and whats important at this tme of year is the cold gusts moving up from the arctic. We are having a massive storm/cyclone season due to those cold fronts hitting the superhot air coming down from indonesia. Warragamba dam has been hit and quite well too, but shes far from splitting. Ideally what we want is what we've got right now - humidity with low cloud cover. We have had enough rain that the bruised earth is beginning to absorb it(finally!) and the water table is going down a little. We now have had enough rain that the earth is retaining the moisture, which is encouraging more cloud, and all the damp humidity is keeping it hanging there, encouraging more damp and more rain. If it keeps up like this it will just keep raining - the problem is when it gets dry the clouds dissipate too easily, the earth is too dry. Waters a bit like money - rain only comes to damp pastures!
Check out the satellite photo tonight, and wish with me. Watch it breezing over us, constant, west to east, west to east, theres plenty of rain, plenty of cloud, and now we have enough moisture in the earth to get it to STAY. We CAN break this drought with these weather conditions and a bit of a spiritual push.
Did you know Lake Eyre has filled up for the first time in years? Dont you feel like we are on the edge of a cliff here? WE CAN BREAK THIS DROUGHT!! Weather patterns will reassert themselves despite el nino, el nina and others.
Fabulous thought provoking post......
I am in sthn qld at the moment, level 5 water restricitons coming, 4 minute showers is part of that (how will that be policed)?
The level of housing and the population boom up here are phenomenal, no wonder the dam cant keep up, its just insane how many new housing estates have been crammed into areas that are now denuded of trees and little wonder there isnt any rain.........
Anyhow I am not sure of the statistics but having been to Fraser Island many times it is a fact that thousands of litres of pure water pour of off springs on that island and flow down Eli Creek into the Ocean, it is not that far from the mainland surely a pipeline could be built?
Northern NSW where my parents live is lush and green and the dam is nearly full, but this is changing to with development...
Progress is a wonderful thing but at what price?
I dont see how recycling the water can totallly resolve the situation, with evaporation etc, surely we would eventually justs run out of water to recycle?
In thailand the King invented a rain seeding device which is sent up in planes and creates rain during droughts, what has our government achieved?
Anyhow enough ranting and raving, I'm going to the beach for a swim in what I suspect will soon be our drinking water.
x
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..lovely to have you back and again, congratulations on your win(s)…
I’m with you on the mental focus – especially since I am a rain dancer – and know it can work… but I am also a realist, who also studies barometric maps and know exactly what you are saying about different maps for different channels, papers and radio reports. It was true of some of the photo’s of Cyclone Katrina too… but that’s another story…
The same goes for the temperatures too… the TV does not reflect the true temperatures at all. The dumb-down the warming aspect over the past five years.
I’m thrilled about Warragamba, I saw it on my internet news… way to go!
You are right in what you say about wetter earth holding more cloud, but as I understand it, a warming atmosphere will cause changes to El Nino and La Nina, because during El Nino events Southern Oscillation causes the clouds that would normally swirl back in to shore, after passing off the East coast, just keep going and dissipate… they don’t swirl back around and dump the usual waters we are experiencing this La Nina year, where the storms are coming in off of the sea.
Overall though, I have to stay on your side, that if we all think of rain, and ask for it and not whinge, within one day of it starting to rain, then it will come again, no doubts… I read you loud and clear on this issue…
Perhaps the main problem is that where there used to be rain enough for 50,000 in one region, there are 500,000 people drinking, washing and demanding water… I don’t think there is more rain falling?
Perhaps that is our next Rain Dance aim when My American Indian friend is here…
Thanks a million for explaining all about the thermals, I found it really interesting and it cleared up a couple things I was wondering about…
I didn’t know about Lake Eyre, thanks for the news… it is jolly good news, isn’t it? Now just a few more drops along the east coast dams and inland farms... and we'll all be laughing. Although maybe not me, it is so humid here in the South East corner of Queensland right now, that the sweat just pours of a person as they sit still... phew... summer has come very late this year, along with the rains...
Thanks again for taking the time to explain things and make your great comment,
...I appreciated the information ...
Lilla ...
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Ha! You must be around the corner from me somewhere… I hope you are enjoying your very humid sojourn here in the Great South East? Summer has come late with the rains this year.
I’ve heard of Eli Creek and think it is a sham that the water is not collected in some way, don’t you?
There is talk at the moment of them piping waters from the Northern Rivers (Northern NSW) down to the Murray Darling system, as it has been so totally mismanaged down there? I think it a good idea as the Northern Rivers has so much rainfall that is wasted… at least I can sigh a sigh of relief, that some of the water is being used properly…
My guess is a hidden agenda for Canberra too, as it is so dry there at the moment I cannot believe my eyes when friends write and send photo’s.
Peter Beattie, the premier here, recently announced that he's spending a great deal of money on cloud seeding ... I wonder if that’s why summer monsoons have come so late this year? As usual there is little follow up by today’s media, as they charge ahead for the next sensational piece of information. I will have to track it down.
Basically, as I understand it, they only use a kind of salt that allow water droplets to form around the molecule of hydrogen – which otherwise is what starts the natural process – which cannot form when there is too much CO2 is in the atmosphere. Apparently a high level of CO2 gives nature alternatives to forming a water droplet, so you notice the clouds gather, then disperse quickly, without producing the rain we all need so much… something like that, I’m no scientist.
As for recycling our water… well it’s not a new concept and may end up being the only way to go, in the short term… until eventually they have convinced us all we need coal and nuclear plants…
*controlling the anger*
I wish we could write a nice ending for this one...*sardonic smile*
Lilla …
Kalikapsychosis
Whats interesting about the arctic sweep is its gotten larger over the last few years. I used to watch the cloud patterns never quite getting to us, or worse, dissipating over the desert or mountains before it got to the basin or even its rim. Now, over the last two years, it has begun to sweep right over, real, actual cold air straight from the arctic. It all began a while ago and they were treating it as a phenomenon. To me its simple cause and effect - We are too hot due to weather patterns, so the earth creates a new one to counteract it. I truly believe she always will, but her efforts are for SELF preservation, not that of our race. She will change the temperatures and surface environment for her good health - not ours!
I wish I could be there for your rain dance, it sounds awesome! And yeah, Warragambas good, but not great. She hasnt been broken for about 8 years, and whats needed in the basin is a flood caused by warragamba being opened - it causes the Nepean to dump river silt on the surrounding area - they have no topsoil without it. Without that top soil it wont hold moisture, hence, no rain!
Good to know Im not the only one obsessed with weather patterns!
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Thank you so much for this thought provoking post. It is interesting to read about other countries are doing (or not doing) to preserve our natural resources.
Mis
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It is interesting and I have just discovered something about the Amazon too ... will post it soon.
Thanks for commenting
Lilla ...
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...that's the problem with urban sprawl, the natural flood plains get culverted and diverted and the beneficial effects go with it... eventually the land will turn to dust there too...
Australia has been above the water for too long as it is...
again, I enjoyed reading your comments and congrats again on your win with Magnus. He is a magnificent Magnus indeed...
Lilla ...