For more than 60 years, Frank Pritchard has diligently checked the weather, adding to a record that stretches back more than a century. But he's part of a quietly shrinking network of observers around Australia. Without it, scientists say we risk missing out on important information that could help improve weather forecast models and climate projections.
  • Gorgritch_Umie_Killa@aussie.zoneOPM
    4·
    3 months ago

    This kind of civil volunteerism and science has been so useful for Australia. I found myself reading this thinking surely theres houses in country towns and spare farm houses that are standing empty where the government could buy or long term lease the house and land, install a set swag of these measurement instruments and offer the houses for free/lowered rent, then go to some larger companies and offer them no payroll tax on people they employ that live in these houses.

    Pro/Con

    • Employees get low cost housing/housing is in country towns or further.
    • Businesses get tax reductions/have to allow long distance wfh arrangement.
    • Government (Nation) gets an ongoing record of rainfall and other useful data collected, and attracts some people out of the cities/large upfront costs, with ongoing taxation income reductions
    • Country Towns might gain another person or family/might need to support these people in various ways that can’t be forseen from Canberra.
  • No1@aussie.zone
    2·
    3 months ago

    You can’t tell how much is being sucked out of the river system, or being given away, if you don’t measure how much is going in.