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northern Australia and in some agri- cultural areas (rainfall in Australia has increased by 25% in the last 25 oe Web OX: . that extra metre of water is going to mean a hell of a difference.” Indonesia Is expected to dry out along with West Irian and Papua New Guinea; much of the present African, Soviet and North American grain belts may become desert, as frozen Siberla thaws. Cyclones will prog- ress further from the equator, adding to the erosion of coastlines. Plant Growth ono our climate. Some good news - crops will grow faster In warmer, wetter conditions and plants will receive a further boost from increased carbon dloxide levels. Not only crops will benefit, however. Weeds are expected to grow beyond control and compete with agricultural land. Increased CO, promotes more photosynthesis; this has long been known to botanists and greenhouse farmers. Researchers from the University of Arizona, measuring cross-sectlons from aged bristlecone pines in the western US, have found that the trees’ growth rates have roughly doubled since 1850. Since growing plants incorporate atmospheric carbon into their tis- sues, stepped-up growth would slow the Increase of atmospheric CO,, in turn delaying climatic changes from the greenhouse effect. After the Flood. demics. 7 ED awa Australian Atlantis? Rainfall Redistributed Nexus New Times Three