 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
Hot topics Thursday 24 April 2008 RAPID ROUNDUP: Push to expand agriculture to northern Australia - Expert comments One of the outcomes of the 2020 Summit was a renewed push to expand agriculture in the north of Australia to prepare for an expected drying trend in the southern states due to climate change. Here an expert comments on rainfall patterns in the north of Australia and issues a note of caution on this tactic. Any furhter comments received on this issue will be posted here. If you wish to speak to an expert, don’t hesitate to contact the AusSMC on (08) 8207 7415.
Dr Leon Rotstayn is a Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research and conducts research on the regional effects of increased Asian particle emissions. "It is tempting to assume that future Australian rainfall trends will be an extrapolation of recent trends, so that it will continue to get drier in the south and wetter in the north-west of Australia. The recent turmoil in financial markets is a good example of what can happen if people glibly assume that recent trends will continue! Climate modelling is a valuable tool for teasing apart the factors that drive trends in rainfall and other climatic variables. For example, results from the CSIRO climate model suggest that the underlying cause of the observed rainfall increase in the north-west could be the Asian pollution haze, rather than greenhouse gases. This suggests a very different future for rainfall in the north-west, since Asian countries are expected to start reducing their pollution in the next two or three decades, whereas greenhouse gases will continue to increase. In southern Australia, leading candidates to explain the drying trend are stratospheric ozone depletion and increasing greenhouse gases. It is important to understand which of these is the dominant factor. If ozone depletion is dominant, then the outlook for rainfall in the south may not be too bleak, since ozone depletion has already peaked. If greenhouse gases are dominant, then much of southern Australia is likely to face a grim future of drought and deficient rainfall. Major decisions are at stake regarding the future of Australian agriculture, and the call from Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke for well coordinated research is very timely."
|
| Latest releases | Archive |  |
|
WOOLLY MAMMOTH DNA DECODED SOIL CARBON ACID OCEANS WATER ISSUES SAFETY OF RECYCLED WATER GENETIC VARIATION LINKED TO TRANSSEXUALISM GENETIC VARIATION LINKED TO TRANSSEXUALISM CLIMATE: URGENT CHALLENGE 2008 PM's PRIZES FOR SCIENCE NEW CONCERNS OVER STEM CELL TOURISM NEW CONCERNS OVER STEM CELL TOURISM AUSTRALIAN FLU EXPERT, GRAEME LAVER, DIES IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES - EXPERTS RESPOND IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES - JANE GOODALL RESPONDS GARNAUT FINAL REPORT - EXPERTS REACT CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS STILL BOOMING - NEW DATA GOOD BACTERIA MAY PROTECT AGAINST DIABETES ECO-LABELS: A THREAT OR AN OPPORTUNITY? GIVING CHILDREN PARACETAMOL INCREASES ASTHMA RISK - LANCET GIVING CHILDREN PARACETAMOL INCREASES ASTHMA RISK - LANCET CHEMICALS IN PLASTICS LINKED TO CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND DIABETES
|
||
 |
© Copyright 2005-2008 | Australian Science Media Centre | Credits | Disclaimer
Street Address: Armoury Building (SA Museum) North Terrace Adelaide South Australia 5000
