Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Murray Darling Basin chief executive Dr Wendy Craik are adamant that the drought and water crisis in the Murray Darling Basin is caused by climate change.
Rudd & Craik have both stated that the science proves the link between the current drought and global warming. But are they telling the truth?
Recently Rudd mocked opposition leader Brendan Nelson for saying that it had nothing to do with climate change.
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BRENDAN Nelson was yesterday accused of being “blissfully immune” to the effects of climate change after he said the crisis in the Murray-Darling Basin was not linked to global warming… “You need to get with the science on this,” the Prime Minister said. “Look at the technical report put together by the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology.”
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Dr Wendy Craik [pictured below] says the current drought affecting Australia’s largest river system has the fingerprints of climate change all over it. …
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“from the Bureau of Meteorology, the CSIRO and places, there are elements we’re seeing in the current water shortage availability that are relevant to climate change.
“The reduction in late winter and autumn rainfall is linked by the Bureau of Meteorology to the intensification of the subtropical ridge and that’s linked to global warming.
“There are features of the current phenomenon that we find ourselves in – water shortage, drought, whatever you want to call it – that are linked to climate change.
“CSIRO scientists … say this drought has the fingerprints all over it.”
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Agmates has on a number of occasions pointed out how dodgy the science is that Kevin Rudd and Wendy Craik are relying on.
Now Associate Professor Stewart Franks [pictured below] , a hydroclimatologist and an associate professor at the University of Newcastle School of Engineering, very clearly & precisely explains to Prime Minister Rudd and MDB chief Dr Wendy Craik what the science in fact does say:
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“IS the ongoing drought in the Murray-Darling Basin affected by climate change? The simple answer is that there is no evidence that CO2 has had any significant role…
In fact, the drought was caused by an entirely natural phenomenon: the 2002 El Nino event… In short, the drought was initiated by El Nino, protracted by further El Nino events and perhaps more importantly, the absence of substantial La Nina events…
A key claim is that the multiple occurrence of El Nino is a sign of climate change. This is speculative at best. Recent analysis showed the nine-year absence of La Nina was not unusual…”
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Fanks then goes onto deal with Dr Craik’s statements:
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“Indeed, Wendy Craik, the chief executive of the Murray Darling Basin Commission has stated that temperatures were warmer, leading to more evaporation and drier catchments.
This is disturbing to hear from the head of the MDBC, as it is completely at odds with the known physics of evaporation… [ Franks explains the science in detail here]
Craik is not alone in her desire to view CO2-induced climate change as proven and affecting the drought.
Numerous politicians, environmentalists and especially scientists have made spectacular leaps of faith in their adherence to the doctrine of climate change over recent years, too many to document here.”
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Then Stewart Franks delivers a stingy rebuttal to the Prime Minister:
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However, the most literally fantastic claim on climate change must go to Kevin Rudd, who has guaranteed that rainfall will decline over coming decades; one can only assume he’s based his view on deficient climate models and bad advice.
There is no direct evidence of CO2 impacts on the drought, nor is there any rational basis for predicting rainfall in 30 years time.
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Franks last statement will put a chill up the spine of each of us that live and work in rural and regional Australia.
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One just hopes that sensible and sustainable management from our leaders will enable struggling rural communities to weather the vagaries of climatic and political extremes.
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So folks, that is what the science actually says. So why does Kevin Rudd and his long serving Public Servant Dr Wendy Craik keep churning out this global warming alarmist hype?
Are Rudd & Craik deceiving the public or are they just hopelessly ill informed by the 100% Government funded CSIRO and BOM ?
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Have Your say!
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