And you are so right...we Australia are a relatively affluent country,
as is yours,...What do we do, we the affluent nations do, to support
country's less affluent??

Support their emergent needs to food and water???

See my point is, it can't wait till we fix a war in the middle east,
this drought keeps marching on across the WHOLE of the Southern
Hemisphere..

And in expanding our perspective even further - how about "Life on Other
Planets"
Wednesday's news, but worth reading.



Debating whether suns other than our own have planets has always been
like debating whether cats other than your own have kittens. The answer
is self-evidently yes.

All stars form more or less the same way after all — coalescing out of
the same celestial gas and often leaving a dusting of the stuff behind
that can, in turn, coalesce into planets. All stars can additionally
snag passing bodies in their gravitational lasso, conscripting new
worlds to add to the home-grown litter. So it was no surprise in the
early 1990s when astronomers began detecting these so-called extrasolar
planets circling distant suns, and it's no surprise that in the years
since they've spotted more than 220 of them. But the latest one added to
the list is by far the best.

On Tuesday, a team of European astronomers announced that they had not
only found a new planet circling a comparatively nearby star in the
constellation Libra, but that that planet is unexpectedly Earth-like.
Like Earth, it orbits a comfortable distance from its sun; like Earth,
it maintains a surface temperature somewhere between 32 and 104 degrees
Fahrenheit. Most importantly, like Earth, it could easily harbor surface
water. In the biological arithmetic we know best, warmth and water often
equal life.

For all its terrestrial feel, the new planet — unpoetically dubbed
Gliese 581c — has a decidedly extraterrestrial look. It is probably more
than 1.5 times the diameter of Earth and five times heavier. But unlike
our world, which orbits a comfortable 92.9 million miles from the flames
of the sun, 581c hovers just 7 million miles from its home star. What
prevents it from being incinerated like a match head is that its star is
a red dwarf, only about one one-hundredth as bright as the sun. The dim
light coupled with the planet's close proximity places it in what
astronomers call the habitable zone: the spot at which temperatures
remain comfortable and water can remain liquid. All this has led to a
fair amount of astronomical hyperventilating. "On the treasure map of
the universe, one would be tempted to mark this planet with an X," said
Xavier Delfosse, an astronomer with Grenoble University in France and
one of the planet's co-discoverers. Dmitri Sasselov of the
Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, went further, enthusing to
The New York Times, "It's 20 light-years [away]. We can go there."
(Sasselov did not make it clear just how we'd make that 120 trillion
mile trip when it still takes us eight months to cover the 35 million
miles to Mars.)

Even if we could visit 581c, there would be reasons to wait a bit before
we light the rockets. For one thing, just because the planet could have
liquid water doesn't mean it does. The body was detected like all
extrasolar planets initially are, not by direct observation, but by
measuring the infinitesimal gravitational wobble it causes in its home
star. We won't get a clearer sense of its makeup until its orbit carries
it in front of the star and the brief interference in the wavelength and
intensity of the incoming light allows us to make some inferences about
its composition. This will also tell us if the planet has an atmosphere
and if it is thin and wispy like Mars's or suffocatingly dense like
Venus's — neither of which promises good things for the kind of life
we're most familiar with.

What's more, there are plenty of far more promising places to hunt for
life closer to home. Sunlight is not the only kind of energy that can
fire the biological furnaces; so can subsurface heat. Jupiter's icy moon
Europa is thought to have a rich, salty, globe-girdling ocean sloshing
just beneath its surface rind of water ice. Very little solar light
reaches so far into space, and even less makes it down to the dark ocean
inside Europa. But the gravitational flexing of the little world caused
by the movement of Jupiter's other moons heats up its innards the same
way a wire hanger heats up when you bend it back and forth. This is what
keeps Europa's ocean liquid, and this could could also help spark life.

Mars too could be home to similarly hearty subsurface life forms, as
could two of Jupiter's other moons, Ganymede and Callisto. If the
discovery here on Earth of tough little organisms living miles below
ground, frozen in polar ice and hanging on in the broiling waters of
deep-sea vents indicates anything, it's that biology emerges in very
improbable places. The most remarkable thing we may come to conclude
about 581c is that whatever secrets it holds may not be that remarkable
at all.

I was reading and the nuke power might hold the key to the energy costs,
and they are coming up with new technologies for the desalination
process, that enables most of the salt to be used for table salt, lick
blocks for livestock, and all kinds of stuff like that. The water really
doesnt contain all that much salt per gallon and is the least of the
problems. The big one is energy costs..
I think a pipeline could transfer the water inland...

Meanwhile, back on Earth
Vancouver, BC to be specific

This winter we had record snow falls about 3X the average and have had
heavy rain for a looong time

A lot of the Lower Mainland areas that are at low elevations (including
the 'burbs where I live) are preparing for flood conditions.

Its not just the water damage but its also the pollution and health and
safety concerns for people and animals.

We should expect the worst toward the third week of May.

I've been involved in the committee of volunteers organizing efforts.

*sigh*

I like space too, although I am more concerned with the travel portion
of it, than the et life.

I was reading about the new fuels they are planning on using to travel
to places like that planet and the various other things that are needed
for that long of a flight, like water, food, and oxygen.
Thats where I want to take my education and use it
When I graduate, of course Ill never really quit going to school,
probably for the rest of my life,, I love learning and there is so much
to learn......

Great post Purple Goddess...interesting, and also kind of remarkable..

We have all this technology, this interest, in finding habitable
planets, even if we aren't sure how we might get there.. and I am sure
someone will figure it out..

and yet we can't figure out how to fix our own problems, that have been
created here..




Logistically Fanta, pipelines are possible, dams didn't work...they
aren't self replenishing...they need that rain stuff..

Australia, state by state is in trouble...Victoria, South Australia,
Western Australia, New South Wales, South East Queensland..we are not in
a good way...agriculturally, environmentally, water-wise.

And yet, we look and smell great, in comparison to AfriKa, India, and
parts of Asia, South America, and in the North as well, China, Middle
East, Russia..and on it goes..drought is huge globally..

HUGE........


Well, sleep concerns me now, but I will think and read more tomorrow....
G-night ladies, and dont spread it around that I actually think about
more than war and being a smartass... OK

One more thing the fuel for space travel that far is actually the simple
thing
It is solved with a small nuclear reactor, doesnt have to have a lot of
thrust, because there is a vacum in space. the craft has no resistance
and the speed just continues to gain the longer in flight. there is no
way to estimate how fast because it is unlimited,,,,
the problems are mostly with.. water.
go fiqure....

Purple Goddess wrote..

Meanwhile, back on Earth
Vancouver, BC to be specific

This winter we had record snow falls about 3X the average and have had
heavy rain for a looong time

A lot of the Lower Mainland areas that are at low elevations (including
the 'burbs where I live) are preparing for flood conditions.

Its not just the water damage but its also the pollution and health and
safety concerns for people and animals.

We should expect the worst toward the third week of May.

I've been involved in the committee of volunteers organizing efforts.

****************************************************************

Nene and Jax were experiencing something similar..

Is it much more than seaonal snow melt there? The rainfall, is not
seasonal??

And Alex is experiencing the hottest April in Amsterdam for 300 years..

Hmmmmm...houseboat, de-sal plant, surfboard and doughnuts..may be the
emergency kit of the future..

Drought Threat For Australia Irrigation

Southern Australia Will Have No Water For Irrigation If Drought
Continues, Leader Says

CANBERRA, Australia, Apr. 19, 2007

(AP) Australia's worst drought on record got tougher Thursday when the
prime minister announced there won't be enough water for irrigation
along the country's largest river system unless there's significant
rainfall soon.

Prime Minister John Howard, releasing a new report on the health of the
Murray-Darling rivers, said the dry spell was "unprecedentedly
dangerous" for Australian farmers and the economy as a whole.

"If it doesn't rain in sufficient volume over the next six to eight
weeks, there will be no water allocations for irrigation purposes in the
basin" until May 2008, he told reporters in Canberra.

The affected states would first need to agree to the ban, however, which
a government weather forecaster predicted may be unnecessary thanks to
expected above-average rainfall over the next three months.

The Murray-Darling river basin spans five Australian states and accounts
for about 85 percent of the nation's irrigation supply. The waterway
generates around 40 percent of Australia's farm produce and supplies
drinking water for the South Australia state capital, Adelaide.

But the country's prolonged drought has reduced the rivers to a trickle,
crippling Australia's farming sector and forcing many cities and towns
to enact drastic water restrictions as reservoirs dry up.

Howard said there would be water only for "critical urban supplies" plus
farmers' domestic use and watering stock.

"The impact that this is going to have on industry, on the horticultural
industry and crops like grapes and stone fruits and other primary
industries that rely on irrigation including the dairy industry, is very
critical indeed," Howard said.

National Farmers' Federation chief executive Ben Fargher said thousands
of farmers could lose their citrus, almond and olives trees if they
cannot be watered this year _ losing production for more than five
years.

Climatologist Blair Trewin, of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology,
said the basin's northeast had more than a 60 percent chance of
above-average rainfall before June. The southern part was likely to
experience average rain in the same period.

"We think it's extremely unlikely that this year is going to be anywhere
near as bad as last year," Trewin said of the extraordinary drought. "It
looks quite encouraging, particularly for later this year."

Howard said it was too early to estimate the economic impact of an
irrigation ban.

"We know already that the drought has taken three-quarters to 1 percent
off our growth," he said. "The longer it goes on, the harder the
impact."

In January, Howard announced an $8.3 billion program to overhaul
thousands of miles of irrigation pipes along the Murray-Darling river
system.

Under the plan, the federal government would also assume regulatory
control of the rivers from the four states that currently administer
irrigation rights. All states but one _ Victoria _ have agreed to the
plan.

National control of the water is contingent on all states being part of
the plan. An irrigation ban could not be forced on Victoria.

Victoria Premier Steve Bracks said he would not budge on his refusal to
join the national scheme, despite the looming crisis. Neither the state
nor the federal government has been willing to make public their
differences over the plan.

Read further Fanta.

Urainium like all other minerals is a finite resource within the earth.

It also is close to depletion as is copper, oil, natural gas, all the
other rare earths, gold, (you name it).

Why do you think it is gettin more expensive to mine things. We must go
deeper or process more dirt/rock to get the same amout of minerals we
used to get.

We need something quite different for our future energy source. We need
to find it quite quickly or watch future generations learn to become
cavemen again.

Or go out into space to find other sources for it.

Nice thread Jess.

As I look outside my window I see spring. The trees are budding, plants
a blooming and bees a buzzing.

I know, I know that is not what you meant but sometimes it is a good
thing to look closely within your own box and count the blessings stored
there.

When set you sight once again outside that box it is with renewed vigor.

Doo doo doo looking out my back door!

Lets see, Setzer is begging for food even tho he has some out there (hes
a local stray), wild rabbits are building a den in the yard, and the
tree that got struck by lighting seems to be doing just fine after being
caught on fire a few days ago.

News is always depressing, thats why I go play with my cats and drive
down to "Kentucky Down Under" and see Jess's backyard ^.^

Drought in West Texas area too, extended over decades. Over 40 years
they have nearly depleted an enormous underground reservoir called the
Ogalala, which runs from Nebraska down through Oklahoma and eastern
Colorado to Texas. When once they could drill a water well a hundred
feet and irrigate a cotton farm with it, now they have to go thousands
of feet.
Water will be an ongoing problem. I'm getting thirsty just thinking
about it. Actually I'm a little worried about the cotton farmers.

Good morning

AB...it isn't rocket science, is it?

Resources...are not infinite..the domino effect of this fragile
planet...(sigh).

And yes, both Allen, and you, see how I see, I do see my backyard, my
front yard, through every window, sometimes my backyard wanders in to
see if there's anything about to eat.

It's why I guess, I do look further out of my box..

Jess I was in your back yard too, I wanted food but you said "no!" and
slammed the door in my face =O I just wanted to see you in your bikini
and tank top =P

Allen, at 'Kentucky Down Under', do they talk to you about the native
animals from here, their natural habitat?

Just wondering..

Yeah they do! And they have Australian grass and dirt and even rocks! I
asked if I could have one of the rocks and they were amazed that someone
wanted something so random lol. But still no wombats =O

Wombats are tricky critters, and the Northern Hairy nosed wombat has
been having a hard time, their habitat has been so greatly reduced...it
isn't so conducive to them breeding..so their numbers are dropping.

Seems strange, to have Aussie dirt, and rocks, and trees in another
country, but kind of cool too..


and I guess it's no different to what this government is doing, selling
the rocks and dirt, and whats under the dirt, to other countries..

But its cool, its like going to another country for a day =D And it had
a wonderful history on Aberigonies (sp?)

Indigenous Australians...formally known as Aborigine by us white
settlers, they call themselves Koori, or Murray, depending on where they
are from..