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Drought in Australia

This month’s National Geographic Magazine has an article about the drought that Australia has experienced over the last decade. The article is interesting to me because it is another clear example of how we need to change our interaction with the environment. Once again, whether or not you agree with human-induced, human-caused, or human-aided climate change, this article shows that the people and the government took steps contrary to the natural workings of the ecosystem. For example, farming occurred North of a line that a 19th century surveyor had indicated was the farthest North that planting should occur. As a result, lakes had to be tapped and rivers diverted in order to meet the irrigation needs of the agricultural community. I feel bad for the loss or decline of many of these people’s livelihoods, but it is forcing the country and its people to address the way they treat and interact with the environment. Droughts exist in this country as well, but not nearly to the extent experienced in Australia. I only hope that we can take preventative measures as we learn from Australia instead of having to react to the situation. This entry only scratches the surface of the article’s content; I encourage you to read it and other articles from this month’s edition.