Meteorology

• Our recently published research shows irrigating Australia’s deserts would not increase rainfall, contrary to a century of claims otherwise.
• This provides a new argument against irrigating Australia’s deserts, in addition to critiques on economic and environmental grounds.

The Bradfield scheme

• The person most widely credited with the idea is John Bradfield, the civil engineer who designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• The Queensland Liberal National Party campaigned on a policy to build a Bradfield-like scheme in the last state election.
• Despite our fascination with it, the Bradfield scheme has well-documented problems.

Would it increase rainfall?

• Would the Bradfield scheme increase rainfall in central Australia?
• In our model of the Bradfield-like scheme, we permanently filled the region around Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre with water.
• Our simulations showed no significant increase in rainfall.

Why no rain?

• But in our simulations, irrigating the surface led to evaporative cooling of the air.
• The colder air did not rise as much, and rainfall was suppressed.
• In our simulations, the water evaporated and was blown all over the Australian continent by wind.
• But our study shows no plausible engineering scheme would be capable of making it rain enough to do so.

• OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 27, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, the Government of Canada announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), for the Applied Science and Patent Examination (SP) group.
• This tentative agreement is in line with the pattern set by other settlements reached with various groups during this round of negotiations.
• In May 2023, bargaining teams for PIPSC and the Government of Canada also reached a tentative settlement at the PIPSC Central Table on key items common to all 6 bargaining units.
• On Friday, September 22, 2023, a tentative agreement was reached for this group.

• And we’ve just watched the Northern Hemisphere swelter through their summer, making July 2023 Earth’s hottest month on record.
• We studied the effects of extreme heat on urban trees in Western Sydney during Australia’s record-breaking summer of 2019–20.
• So we hold grave concerns for the survival of both native Australian and exotic species in our urban forest.
• Read more:
  Climate change threatens up to 100% of trees in Australian cities, and most urban species worldwide

Trees during heatwaves in Sydney

• Those most vulnerable to heatwaves included both native Australian and exotic species.
• Some trees died, including red maple (Acer rubrum), tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia) and water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina).
• Read more:
  Without urgent action, these are the street trees unlikely to survive climate change

Why are some species more vulnerable?

• For example, species with large, thin leaves are particularly vulnerable.
• Thin leaves are less able to buffer against overheating on hot, sunny days when the wind lulls.
• Our research found most urban tree species –- even those under drought stress –- opened their pores to cool leaves on hot summer days.
• This results in rapid water loss but may help prevent tree leaves from scorching.

Why is water so important during heatwaves?

• We found water loss was higher than predicted during heatwaves for all plants.
• In urban trees, leaves reached lethal temperatures of 49–50℃ for species with the lowest rates of water loss.
• But when species with low rates of water loss had access to water, there was little heat damage or scorched leaves.

Preserving our natural air conditioners

• That means urban greening programs need to find ways to provide trees with enough water when rainfall is unreliable.
• Cities need trees now more than ever, as these natural air conditioners take the edge off the extremes.
• David S Ellsworth receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the New South Wales Government, Hort Innovation, and the Herman Slade Foundation.

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