Learning About Australia

[stormtrooper]

Holy ****... I used to live in Tantanoola as well... Played footy there as a kid... was only there for a year (year 8 in high school) in 1990.

Moved to Adelaide after that

Small world, I loved Tant it was a cosy little town and I was fortunate enough that the people were friendly with me and my family. Tant and another town called Paxton near Cessnock in NSW are the only two places I have really felt comfortable in, everywhere els has just been somewhere to live.

 

[jibbby]

I read something today about Australia having a nasty drought problem..

What's the deal are you guys thirsty over their? Do you have to conserve water or something? Like where you can't water the lawns or wash cars at certains hours in the day? I figured with all that ocean around you Aussie's you guys can filter out some of that sea water and fix that problem... What's up?

We have had minor droughts here in California, USA where we were asked not to water the lawns and wash cars in excess and what not... It got bad like 10 years ago if I recall...

 

[JustenGT8]

South east is in the worst drought on record......bad times for all.

Desal is doable but very power hungry and therefore both very expensive and not very greenhouse gas friendly.

2nd driest continent on the planet so most folk,, and irrigators in particular,, need to get it in their heads that we need to think about water use very differently and not continue with the current wasteful practises.

 

[XR8tt]

We have most our rain around the coast. Our main dam here in Sydney is 60% full now, it went down to near 30% full. The capital city, Canberra has nearly run out of water.
South east Queensland run very dry some time back, but they have had floods and rain lately... The outback have to look after water for home use big time! I have lived out west on horse/ cattle farm where you had to shower using green dam water. It takes some getting use to!! NOT that hotels or where there's any accommodation is like that!!

The Murray river which flows from up north Queensland through New South wales, South Australia to Victoria has almost run dry... Too much irrigation ? Water taken out along the way...
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/when-the-river-runs-dry-20080620-2u8y.html
In Sydney they are building a sea water refinery and is going to cost heaps to build and run!! Without hydro electric power, geothermal or nuclear power, we have up to now used coal to make electricity..
Which is a big contributor to green house gas / carbon..
I think a lot could be done to produce solar power as there a lot of vacant national park land here.
Drought is part of Australia, "it's a sun burnt country" as said by an old poet..
Trouble is ALL politicians and Governments just want to "stay in power" and don't seem to have any long term projects these days..

 

[jibbby]

WOW, that's sounds serious.... Yeah, I read an artical stating those facts you guys just said. I hope it doesn't gets worse for you folks as the population grows throughout the years and more water use is needed..

I know sea water can be filtered and that's no secret to the world, but I guess you can't filter it in mass amounts and quanities for total city use. Hmmmm?

 

[stormtrooper]

We have been in drought on and off since 1983, this latest one has been going for 10 years in some parts.

With the desalination issue you mentioned the problem is no-one wants a desal plant near them, ocean frontage is highly sought after real estate and you really don't want to live next to one of those plants. The spew out more pollution in a day than a years worth of new cars do in a year, so they aren't good for the environment.

I read somewhere that we have enough water in a good year for 18 million people, we are now in drought and have something like 21 or 22 million people. Something has to give somewhere. The real issue is water wasters, my car hasn't had a wash in 3 years (its a landcruiser so being dirty is par for the course) but some guys wash their cars every weekend whether they need it or not, then you have people washing their driveways down instead of sweeping them. Oh I forgot to mention teenagers, especially girls, and long showers at:

 

[XR8tt]

Yea I have to say here in Sydney area. We have slowed down heaps on water consumption.. It was o/k using when there was plenty.. It's not so much that we wasted it.. There's just been NO rain where water catchment area is..!!Till latley..

 

[longy]

The first person to get a fine for breaking the water restrictions lives about 5 houses down from me. today i went to a friends house and he was out the front washing his drive way!! mind you it rained last night. some people just dont learn. i would have said something but im skinny and he is Russian with tats.

 

[stormtrooper]

i would have said something but im skinny and he is Russian with tats.

p: Mafia?

 

[longy]

Im going to assume so, but i dont want to find out by getting my knee caps broken, lol

 

[XR8tt]

Water wastage in Sydney doesn't have much to do with drought out west though...Remember the old guy who died through an argument over water ??... He was watering his lawn on a legal day and time..
Till this drug crassed dead sh!t started.. The old guy squarted him with the hose.. So he was belted to death... Sheeesh fair dinkum!!!

 

[JustenGT8]

Savings in Urban water use are worth pursuing for sure, but a tiny percentage of total water use so more about educating people to value water for the scarce and precious resource it is. It does also save the need for more stupid dams. The big water users, however, are irrigation and industry (mines etc)...that's where a big shift in thinking needs to occur to make the changes required for major water savings.

change is happening (water policy and management is my job) but it's slow and painful. The recent $10B initiative will help but will depend how effective the Fed gov is in delivering and historically not something they are good at

 

[jibbby]

Man you guys are killing each other over water and water rules...Mannn, this is more serious then I thought...Yipes!!!

Ruskies and tats could get nasty, you're smart man LONGY to avoid that potential beat down...:1244:

I think I have a new appreciation for my next clean water shower, swim, carwash, lawn water and dump and flush...:Flush:


Dudes, I thought Australia was tropical and rained all the time over their, what's the deal?...Then again I didn't think it snowed over their either... It's a big place this Australia and I guess you guys see it all... :33:

 

[stormtrooper]

Dudes, I thought Australia was tropical and rained all the time over their, what's the deal?...Then again I didn't think it snowed over their either... It's a big place this Australia and I guess you guys see it all... :33:

Yes Australia is big, gotta love the sunburnt country.

 

[jibbby]

Well at least you guys don't have a shortage of beer on tap... Water is one thing but beer is a whole different ball game...

I'm sure all hell would break loose in Aussie land if ya all started running out of cold brews...at:


Thank god it's only water:alcoholic:

 

[redback]

Small world, I loved Tant it was a cosy little town and I was fortunate enough that the people were friendly with me and my family. Tant and another town called Paxton near Cessnock in NSW are the only two places I have really felt comfortable in, everywhere els has just been somewhere to live.

ha. im from mt gambier.. live in nanga's and penola for a bit to...


very small world

 

[stormtrooper]

Hi Redback, Penola was a nice place especially with the vineyards nearby, had a good football team from memory.

 

[redback]

never played footy down that way... but yeah not to bad of a place... vineyards are good unless you were a celler hand like myself...

anyway back on topic.... the things to watch out for the most in your car is a wombat... like hiting a little boulder..... they will roll your car.... nice to eat though.... ( i didnt say it out loud)..... if you have ever touched one they feel that solid to.

 

[stormtrooper]

Other things about wombats, is the dent they will put on your car, sturdy creatures they are and if they ever bite you they don't let go easily. Apparently they have a stronger bite than a croc and that's strong.

 

[redback]

they take clean chunks out of you body.. botw or anything. one of mates was teasing one and lost 2 fingers and it happened quick... crushed strait through his wedding ring to.

ive seen them tear wheels strait off a 4WD and keep running. very mean creatures.