\nYes folks, it’s the wettest drought on record. There is no denying that farmers are having a hard time of it. Farmers who grow – in this arid climate – crops such as rice. And cotton. That, um, use a lot of water. More than any other crop, in fact0<\/a><\/sup>. While apple growers<\/a> celebrate a bumper<\/a> harvest<\/a> .<\/p>\n \nMeantime, urban \n \nMore seriously, if you build a house and do not allow all rainwater that falls on your property to soak into the ground (by, for example, incorporating a ground-level rain storage tank) it used to be that you had to pay a charge – a tax<\/em> (disclaimer: this particularly odd piece of legislation might have been repealed. Can’t find anything about it on teh intarwebs). And the population, scared of God-knows-what, is firmly opposed to any recycling of water at all<\/em>.<\/p>\n \nBut.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThe reality is that water is used wisely in the cities for a range of purposes, including high value-added industrial and commercial uses. Over the past 20 years there has been a substantial reduction in per capita urban consumption. Sydney, for example, has been able to accommodate an additional 700,000 people without using more water.<\/em> In 2001, the urban-based manufacturing and services sector produced 89 percent of the nation’s gross value added. Agriculture, forestry and fisheries accounted for 2 percent. Yet in 2001 agriculture used 67 percent of Australia\u2019s water.\u201d [1]\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n \nWhy would Australia want to spend so much, in social as well as economic terms, to save a drop<\/a> in the proverbial ocean? Because people will do as they are told. Because it’s a damned sight easier to introduce taxes and legislation to piss off the famed Aussie Battlers<\/a> than it is to seriously rethink the nation’s agricultural policy (most of Australia’s water-rich crops are exported. I’ve not seen cotton clothes made in Australia, nor ever bought Australian-grown rice).<\/p>\n \nAnd people might whine that it is a knee-jerk reaction<\/a> to blame the cotton and rice farmers for Australia’s water shortage, but the fact of the matter is that there is a sparse fertile strip here, and when there is a glut of water, it should not be squandered for the sake of money, but managed<\/a> for the dry times. <\/p>\n \nRather than think seriously about stewardship and managing resources, a year ago the then Prime Minister urged Australians to pray for rain<\/a> . When you pray you should be careful what you ask for, because less than two months later followed some quite spectacular floods<\/a> .<\/p>\n \nAnd then, all good Aussies whined that the rain was ‘falling in the wrong places’. Away from the dams. Away from the catchment areas. Just as it has this year, in Sydney, the rain came down and the floods came up, and washed out to sea. I’ll remind you that this is Australia, where they built dams relatively recently<\/a> and actually had the chance to locate the capital city<\/a> somewhere that wasn’t dry, barren, and full of kangaroos.<\/p>\n \nWhat, I ask myself, is wrong with these people?<\/p>\n \nAnd then. And then. <\/p>\n \nThe users of the dirtiest coal in the world, the biggest-engined cars (well, all right, maybe the Merkins have that honour) in the world, sitting on the most uranium in the world, don’t have the political will to do anything about climate change (which will probably actually increase<\/em> global rainfall, but only in places where it is already wet. Like Manchester).<\/p>\n \nThere is talk of building desalination plants to solve the water shortage (Australia, about the size of the continental US, is surrounded by sea. That’s a lot of potential potable water). These use energy. And in Australia we make energy by burning coal. That leads to global warming. Which makes more rain fall in the ‘wrong’ place.<\/p>\n \nHead hits desk<\/strong><\/p>\n \nLike the rice and the cotton, we’re exporting the bloody uranium (that we can use to make ‘clean’ energy) to China<\/em>. That epitome of stability, human rights and environmental respect.<\/p>\n \nI think … I think I need another drink. And seeing as the beer’s crap here (with notable exceptions<\/a> ), it’ll have to be whisky. No CO~2~ in that<\/em>, right?<\/p>\n 0<\/sup> Rice requires twice as much water<\/a> as any other crop in Australia, followed by cotton (which requires half that amount).<\/p>\n 1<\/sup> WA Dept of Water, March 2006<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When I am World President, people will not be stupid. Let me rephrase that: When I am World President, people will have ready access to all pertinent information. And do what I tell them into the bargain. Inhabitants of Australia’s … Continue reading terrorists<\/del> citizens, who already behave as if it’s a police state (there are signs in every shop saying that it is a ‘condition of entry’ that you present your personal bags for inspection when requested. Not ‘requested by police’ – no, the checkout girl<\/em> can ask. And people comply! I politely decline. I might live in a penal colony, but I refuse to be treated like a criminal), are being instructed to make further cuts in their water use. Never mind the social impact of this (the trains stink<\/em>), my fast red sports car needs a wash:<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lh6.ggpht.com\/pommiebastards\/SAWoH4818AI\/AAAAAAAAAKs\/XgpQRjpvIN4\/s288\/S3400051.JPG\")
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