3 ms·

Here's some background information: The Darling River at Menindee (the town mentioned in the article) dried up 48 times between 1885 and 1960.

lllr_finger 7y ago
Are you driving towards the conclusion that we don't need to be concerned about management of water resources because this happens naturally? That sounds close to the argument that we shouldn't do anything about climate change since the Earth naturally warms and cools.
- PixyMisa 7y ago
  > Are you driving towards the conclusion that we don't need to be concerned about management of water resources because this happens naturally? Not at all. My point is that if this is taken as an example of climate change it does a terrible disservice to real climate science, because this is something that has been happening on a regular basis for as long as we have records.
  - kieranmaine 7y ago
    As pointed out by others the article talks about water use not climate change: "At Menindee, 830 km west of Sydney, despair has turned to anger as residents blame the government for exacerbating the drought by drawing down river water in 2017 for irrigation and other uses downstream."
- tootahe45 7y ago
  Ironically in New Zealand, climate activists are the first to block any water retention infrastructure even after a series of very bad fires in my area, I'm guessing it's no different in Australia.
vidanay 7y ago
Did it dry up during the "dry" season as could be reasonably expected for a river in a desert region? What is the current situation? Is it dry during the "wet" season?
- hombre_fatal 7y ago
  These are questions you'd expect the article about the river to answer.
  - cannonedhamster 7y ago
    The article really does a poor job at showing the actual mismanagement of the river ecosystem. Other sources cover active steps that humans have taken which have caused major damage to the flow rates and resiliency systems that nature had in place.
yodsanklai 7y ago
But how many times did it dry up between 1960 and 2019?
cannonedhamster 7y ago
Doesn't include the increase in pesticide usage getting into the water way or the declining water quality. This is a man made disaster. Edit: Also doesn't cover the fact that they diverted water from the lakes that supply the river in low water times. This leaves no water for dry times.

lllr_finger 7y ago

Are you driving towards the conclusion that we don't need to be concerned about management of water resources because this happens naturally? That sounds close to the argument that we shouldn't do anything about climate change since the Earth naturally warms and cools.

PixyMisa 7y ago
> Are you driving towards the conclusion that we don't need to be concerned about management of water resources because this happens naturally? Not at all. My point is that if this is taken as an example of climate change it does a terrible disservice to real climate science, because this is something that has been happening on a regular basis for as long as we have records.
- kieranmaine 7y ago
  As pointed out by others the article talks about water use not climate change: "At Menindee, 830 km west of Sydney, despair has turned to anger as residents blame the government for exacerbating the drought by drawing down river water in 2017 for irrigation and other uses downstream."
tootahe45 7y ago
Ironically in New Zealand, climate activists are the first to block any water retention infrastructure even after a series of very bad fires in my area, I'm guessing it's no different in Australia.

vidanay 7y ago

Did it dry up during the "dry" season as could be reasonably expected for a river in a desert region? What is the current situation? Is it dry during the "wet" season?

hombre_fatal 7y ago
These are questions you'd expect the article about the river to answer.
- cannonedhamster 7y ago
  The article really does a poor job at showing the actual mismanagement of the river ecosystem. Other sources cover active steps that humans have taken which have caused major damage to the flow rates and resiliency systems that nature had in place.

yodsanklai 7y ago

But how many times did it dry up between 1960 and 2019?

cannonedhamster 7y ago

Doesn't include the increase in pesticide usage getting into the water way or the declining water quality. This is a man made disaster. Edit: Also doesn't cover the fact that they diverted water from the lakes that supply the river in low water times. This leaves no water for dry times.