WI: Australia Irrigates the Outback? (Successfully)

Economic Potential of an Irrigated Outback

  • Massive Potential

    Votes: 42 40.4%
  • Medium Potential

    Votes: 19 18.3%
  • Low Potential

    Votes: 24 23.1%
  • No Potential

    Votes: 19 18.3%

  • Total voters
    104
going to need to tow a lot of icebergs north.... or drop an icy comet on it (although that would be a bit harsh on everyone) or figure out a way to shift the monsoonal flow (really hard)

desalinization just isn't possible on the scale needed
 
Putting water into the desert will only make wet sand and stones and lush crops don't really like sand and stones, they prefer nice soil.
 
Why? Because you disagree with the results?

Because to have an informed opinion on a question like the one you asked requires if not a science background at least extensive reading on a number of related subjects. It's not a matter of opinion.

If I did not miscount, 79 users decided to put in a vote. Maybe 10-12 of them posted an opinion (I don't care if it was reasonable or not: at least they made an effort). The vast majority (>80%) just indulged to the compulsion of voting in a poll, but didn't care enough to make a contribution of whatever kind to the discussion.

A poll is fine if the question asked is which is the candidate of choice in an election, or which is the preferred color for a car, and even in these obvious cases professional pollsters know that results must be massaged to get out a credible result. A raw poll on a complex matter like the one asked here is not fine: it's futile, whatever results come out of it.
 
Looks like the majority of the rivers involved are east of the Dividing Range, which would suggest a need to pump - presumably through tunnels - which would require power, which is a much more expensive project than strictly gravity feed.

Never been to Queensland, so you may be correct, but doesn't look like it - at least not from this map and article.

Judging by that map, things are exactly as I said: the headwaters of the chosen rivers, which are west of the main dividing ranges. The tunnels are part of that. They don't need to involve pumping; often (as here) a tunnel is just to cut under a geological barrier and allow gravity to drain the river in a different direction to its natural drainage.
 
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