climate

A tropical cyclone is developing in the Coral Sea, near Willis
Island, Queensland. It is expected to bring wild weather to the East
Coast of Queensland, possibly as far as the N.S.W. border. According to
the Bureau of Meteorology, the Low could develop into a cyclone as
early as the weekend. A cyclone would bring further much needed rain. A
coastal wind warning has been issued between Cardwell and Hervey Bay.

I've just noticed a lot of severe weather warnings on the Bureau of Meteorlogy website:

http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/warnings.shtml

There are sheep graziers alerts for all areas of N.S.W. for wet, cold, windy weather tonight.

Where the hell is the RAIN? The forecast for today was 'late
thunderstorms'. They never came. I checked Weatherzone. No rain in the
next 7 days in Sydney Basin - nor the major farming communities,
Orange, Bathurst, Goulburn, Mildura, Albury - what is going on? They
told us El Nino was over. Obviously it isn't.

Then we have the
disgusting algae growing in the Sydney water supply. I'll be drinking
my tank water, thanks. I'd rather have giardia and mosquito wrigglers
than cryptosporidium and algae. They say our water will taste shocking
by the end of the week.

While thousands of people protested
in the streets of Sydney about the war in Iraq, climate change, and
civil liberties, the 21 APEC leaders made a fashion statement on the
steps of the Opera House, before meeting inside and signing the Sydney
Declaration - a statement on climate change, that is being widely
criticised by environmentalists and climate activists.

NGO Video Reports: Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5
NGO Media centre - Greenpeace APEC site

Two ice sculptures of Australian Prime Minister John Howard and President George Bush are touring round Sydney during the APEC forum slowly melting in the sun as a reminder of the impact of climate change and the failure of these two leaders to ratify the Kyoto Protocol or set firm target for greenhouse gas reduction.

The ice sculptures (watch video) were made for Make Poverty History – a coalition of more than 60 aid agencies, community groups and religious organisations – to highlight its report on 'APEC: An End to Extreme Poverty – An Alternative APEC Agenda.' (PDF 1.1MB)