Monday, November 17, 2014

Battling The Dry



101 East explores the human cost of the severe drought paralysing Australia’s north.




The Australian state of Queensland is experiencing its worst drought on record.

Some regions have had as little as five percent of their usual rainfall. Others have had no rain at all while struggling through some of the hottest years on record.


Droughts have always been part of the Australian weather cycle but high temperatures linked to climate change are exacerbating problems, driving farmers to the brink of ruin. Some are left with no choice but to destroy their cattle; others have even taken their own lives.


For Debbie Smith, a farmer in the drought-ravaged north, shooting her beloved cattle has become an all-too common part of life.

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