In 2005, Professor Tim Flannery said that drought conditions would become permanent in eastern Australia and that “the rain that comes won’t fill our dams”? Neither of these things have happened, so how can anything climate scientists say be taken seriously?
Fact:
It’s true that Tim Flannery did say those things, and they have not proved to be correct – thus far, at least. The fact is, Tim Flannery is not a climate scientist; he’s a palaeontologist. So, his words do not discredit climate science, any more than would the words of a psychologist or a dermatologist on the same subject. It is unfortunate that he later became the head of the Climate Commission, so was seen as the public face of the climate movement in Australia. While he has been a tireless advocate for climate action in this country, he did not do the movement any favours by saying what he did.
Even so, there is good reason to be concerned about the availability and distribution of water in Australia. It’s now becoming clear that climate change is resulting in more droughts and greater flooding. The problem is, it’s proving hard to predict where each of these will occur. What we do know is that neither will be good for the environment or the economy.