Climate report fails to highlight extent of global warming, Flannery says

Tim Flannery says findings by the UN are conservative. (File photo) (ABC)

ABC-Online -Climate report fails to highlight extent of global warming, Flannery says

The Australian of the Year, scientist Tim Flannery, says a new report on climate change grossly underestimates the speed at which global warming is effecting the planet.

The report from the United Nations Climate Panel will officially be released in Paris tonight and is expected to find that it is very likely humans are responsible for climate change.

But Professor Tim Flannery says the report's findings are conservative and the real impact of global warming will be felt much sooner.

"The actual trajectory we've seen in the arctic over the last two years if you follow that, that implies that the arctic ice cap will be gone in the next five to 15 years," he said.

"This is an ice cap that's been around for 3 million years."

It is expected to forecast catastrophic consequences from the increase in global temperatures this century.

Professor Flannery says the consequences could last for 1,000 years.

"There's a 10 per cent chance of truly catastrophic rises in temperatures, so we're looking there at 6 degrees (Celsius) or so, that would be a disaster for all life on earth," he said.

"We will lose somewhere between two out of every 10 and six out of every 10 species living on the planet, at that level of warming."

Break in eastern drought expected within months

End in sight: Climatologists believe the drought may soon be over. (ABC TV )

Can It Be True?

The ABC ran this story today on their on-line service. If true it will save a lot of political consternation in the comming years/months and weeks as the South-east corner of Queensland gets to critically low water levels. The only question is, will it be in the right areas to fill those desperatly dry catchments?

Climatologists are optimistic about a break in the drought across eastern Australia over the next couple of months.

A National Climate Centre report says the drought-producing El Nino event is weakening.

It says a switch to average or wetter-than-average rainfall patterns is likely in late summer or autumn.

The prediction is backed by computer modelling.

Sea temperatures have been cooling over the equatorial Pacific since early December, pointing to the end of the current El Nino weather pattern.

The climate centre says the recent southerly extension of tropical moisture to produce heavy rain through parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland is a further sign that patterns are turning.

PM considers funding for Qld waste water pipe

Queensland has asked for money for water recycling infrastructure. (File photo) (ABC TV)

I have been watching this story and wondering when the Queensland Government would get around to the paperwork.
In the past few days here in QLD, Australia, we have huge tracts of land in the West and North that have been in drought for up to 10 years (Thanks to global warming and climate change)? that are now under water! Many flooded areas have not even had rain!
Secondly the Federal Government is going to take over management of the whole Murray Darling river basin. This watershed covers about 2/3 of all the Eastern states, and drains from as far north as Central QLD all the way through to South Australia. (Everything west of the Great Dividing Range!!) There are huge envioronmental problems in the South, and wastage of water , but it has been a political minefield due to the involvement of 6 different states and territories.
Thirdly, The Queensland State government had abandoned a referendum about whether re-cycled water should be used in drinking supplies. With the entire SE corner of the state within 12-18 months of running out of water, and opinion Polls (Supposedly) running 75% in favor, they are just going to do it.

So the polititions in our end of the world must be in election mode... I don't care, at least they are MOVING!

The following is from ABC On-Line (Again!!)

The Prime Minister's office says the Queensland Government's request for $408 million to help fund a waste water pipeline will be given "due consideration".

The 200-kilometre pipeline will take recycled water from Brisbane to Wivenhoe Dam and power stations.

For months, the State Government has been criticising the Commonwealth for failing to provide any money for the project.

But incoming federal Environment and Water Minister Malcolm Turnbull has blamed Queensland for the delay, saying it has not provided the necessary paperwork.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister has confirmed a 52-page application for funding has now been received and is being examined.

Fluoridation

Meanwhile, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says fluoridation has not been considered in the State Government's water plans for the south-east of the state.

The Government is building a dam, a desalination plant and pipelines to link-up communities in the south-east to one big water grid.

Residents will be forced to accept recycled drinking supplies if there is no major rain, with treated waste water to start flowing into the region's dams at the end of next year.

But Mr Beattie says there are no plans at this stage to go beyond the incentives the Government offers to councils to voluntarily fluoridate water.

"We've been encouraging councils and at this moment that's our policy," he said.

"There's no change unless all the councils come to us and ask for fluoridation, we'd leave it as it is.

"We're not going to mandate it as part of this recycled drinking water program."

Mr Beattie says the drought is so bad that there is no choice but to introduce recycled water. [File photo]

Last Update: Sunday, January 28, 2007. 10:26pm (AEDT)

Mr Beattie says the drought is so bad that there is no choice but to introduce recycled water. [File photo] (ABC TV )

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says other Australian cities will one day follow his state's lead and drink recycled water.

Mr Beattie had promised to give south-east Queenslanders a vote on adding recycled water to drinking supplies as normal practice.

They were heading to the polls in March but Mr Beattie has now scrapped the $10 million plebiscite.

He says the drought is so bad, there is no other choice.

"We're not God, we couldn't make it rain," he said.

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma and South Australian Premier Mike Rann today ruled out the use of recycled effluent in homes for the immediate future.

But Mr Beattie says he believes other cities will face the same predicament.

"People are going to have to make the same decision in Sydney and Melbourne, whether they like it or not," he said.

Recycled water will not be available in Queensland until late 2008, when a pipeline is built.

State Opposition Leader Bruce Flegg says the race is now on "as to whether we run out of water first or they get the infrastructure built first".

Dr Flegg says it is shaping up as a photo finish

Water restrictions to remain despite recycled supplies

ABC ONLINE - Last Update: Monday, January 29, 2007. 9:04am (AEDT)

The Queensland Government has warned water restrictions in the south-east of the state could be in place for another 10 years, even with the introduction of recycled supplies.

With the plebiscite on recycled drinking water scrapped and if current low rainfall trends continue, the Government will start pumping recycled water into the region's dams late next year.

The Opposition says the plebiscite was a farce and it is pleased it has been abandoned, as are many mayors.

Greg Hoffman from the Local Government Association says polls were showing 75 per cent of residents were planning to vote yes anyway.

"The plebiscite would have been redundant really," he said.

Even when the recycled water comes on line, Infrastructure Minister Anna Bligh warns that does not necessarily mean restrictions can be lifted.

"[There] could possibly be emergency circumstances for some five or six years after we start putting this water into the dam," she said.

Ms Bligh says without decent rain, it could take 10 years before the dams are back up to 40 per cent capacity.

Treatment process 'rigorous'

Meanwhile, Premier Peter Beattie has warned against any "scare-mongering" over recycled water, insisting it is safe to drink.

Mr Beattie says recycled water poses no health risks and is consumed in cities like London and Washington.

Ms Bligh says the treatment process is rigorous.

"The technology that will be used to treat this water is a combination of what's called microfiltration and ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis," she said.

"The water will go through six or seven steps of treatment before it goes into the dam and then, like all the other water in the dam, will go through further treatment before it comes through our taps."

Also, the State Opposition is predicting the race to introduce recycled water before drinking supplies run out will go down to the wire.

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg says it is a precarious situation.

"We have here a race that's coming down the line as a photo finish as to whether we run out of water or get some piece of infrastructure finished on time," he said.

But Ms Bligh says construction is moving as quickly as possible.

Food exports

Farmers have rejected suggestions that using recycled water could harm south-east Queensland's food export industry.

Developer and former Toowoomba mayor Clive Berghofer says Japanese buyers will not import product that has been washed in recycled water.

Mark Panitz, from the peak horticulture group Growcom, has dismissed the argument and says the claims are not helpful.

"Some particular buyers may be sensitive, but that's why food safety systems are in place, so we can guarantee our consumers and our buyers - wherever they are around the world - that our product is really pure and very safe," he said.

States called on to act on water recycling

This is the first of a series of post I intend to do regarding the effects of global warming on our little corner of the world. I will look at the impact on the Ozone layer and the hole to our south, the potential of rising sea levels, (which will effect many other nations far more, as I sit on top of a mountain range...) politics, and temperature and rainfall patterns. This was in todays news, and I thought was a good trigger to start. I have about 6 done, but am still working on the first couple.

Watch this space...

Last Update: Tuesday, January 2, 2007. 2:29pm (AEDT)

Weather: 2006 was the 3rd driest year for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane (file photo). (ABC TV )

The Federal Government has used the latest climate figures to reiterate calls for state governments to act on water recycling.

Preliminary figures from the Bureau of Meteorology's national climate report show 2006 was Australia's 9th warmest year on record.

The parliamentary secretary for the environment, Greg Hunt, says the figures also show there was above average rainfall overall, but not in the biggest cities.

"It's been the third driest year in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane - the south-east catchments," he said.

"So that's quite significant. It's consistent with the bureau's long-term trend that there will be more rain in the north, but less rain in the south and south-east."

Mr Hunt says that has implications for state governments.

"There's no longer any acceptance of dumping recyclable water off our coast," he said.

"National recycling schemes, major recycling schemes in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria are a priority for industry and agriculture, there's just no question about that."

The full report is due for release tomorrow.

Australian issues: A quick primer.

It is very interesting that Australia has been in the grips of a prolonged drought for 7 years now. Finally the politicians have realized we have a problem! Why? Because several major cities and towns are now on severe water restrictions. Toowoomba recently proposed the building of a world best practice re-cycling plant to return up to 25% of the waste water to one of the cities dams. The federal government in their wisdom decided it was a wonderful idea, but to look like they where concerned about community feelings they had a referendum. And got rolled!
Now we have a city with no water, in fact it is illegal to use water outside of the house now! Brisbane down the hill a bit, the capital of the state, the gold and sunshine coasts, (well over half the state population) are all on very strict limitations.
Add to that the fact that Australia, has failed to sign the much vaunted Kyoto protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emmissions, (although we produce less than 1%), and now we have a huge fight brewing over the governments floating the possibility of nuclear power. As a nation Australia has about 1/3 of all the worlds known uranium resources. The argument goes that if we sell it for producing power, (and we do), then we should value add and keep some money. If you are going to enrich it why not use it, and reduce our current reliance on coal!
There are many other projects to use solar, wind and water, but all are decades away from even marginal economic viability. The other issues include our reliance on digging finite resources out of the ground to pay for our standard of living. As Australia will receive both the first major, and worse effects of global warming, largely due to ice melt and climate change, this is an issue I watch fairly closely, and will continue to monitor. In the coming week our PM has called a water summit, which will be an interesting sight, as we have one party in nation government and another in all but one state! The possibility of constructive outcomes is therefore somewhat negated by political imperatives... Oh well. The more things change...

P.S. There are no citations or references in this post, as it is merely a state-of-play in my mind. As i delve into the issues I will supply supporting and corroborating evidence. One of my pet peeves in the WWW is the number of unsupported opinions...