Article June 27, 2005 ISSUE

DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA — A DEMAND TO GO DEEPER SPIRITUALLY

BEVERLY GOLDSMITH

I'VE NEVER REALLY thought how precious water is. I've taken it for granted. Just turn on the tap and clean, drinkable water flows out. Now, because of the drought currently gripping Australia, long showers, water for the garden, and washing the car are becoming things of the past. Brisbane City has only two years of water left in reservoirs that supply a population of over a million people. For the first time ever, winter water restrictions are now in force. There's even the prospect of my suburban home not having a continuous water supply.

While I struggle with the lack of rainfall and its consequences for me, it's nothing compared to what farmers and graziers are experiencing. Cattle are being hand fed and thousands sold off. Farmers can't plant winter crops. For many, the five-year drought has reduced their land to a barren dustbowl. Some have locked the farm gate and walked away. Isolation, the misery of a parched land, no way to earn a living, and the burden of massive debt have even led to an increase in suicide rates in rural areas.

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