Climate change: hot air or red-hot opportunity?

Are there any opportunities likely to come out of climate change? Dairy Conference aims to reveal where they may be.

The Shepparton conference, from 27-28 February, offers a variety of national and international speakers exploring a range of issues that will open up the opportunities for farming and industry, even in difficult conditions.

But is climate change a hoax? Ken Ring, author of The Lunar Code and Predict Weather for Australia 2007, Almanac and Isobaric Maps is a long-range forecaster. He is also a critic of what he calls "global warming terrorism'.

At the conference, Ring will explain why climate incorporates cycles, what the cycles are and what causes them. He will share weather predictive tools that can be applied to any farming operation with immediate results.

Kevin Hennessy, deputy leader of CSIRO's Climate Impacts and Risk Team, will also speak at the conference and draw on the science to present the evidence for climate change over the past 420,000 years, the likely causes of these changes, projected climate changes for the 21st century, and their potential impacts.

Meanwhile, SARDI-based agricultural scientist Peter Hayman claims the shift to warmer temperatures, uncertain rainfall and increased competition for water will require farmers to relearn the fundamentals of their industry.

Committee chair and Gippsland dairy farmer Wayne Smith said he will reveal the big issues that dairy farmers need to look out for and Hobart-based climatologist Peter McIntosh will help delegates predict future rainfall trends.

Among other speakers at the conference will be executive director of the Australian Farm Institute, Mick Keogh and Dr Michael Robinson, the new executive director of Land and Water Australia.

"We have taken the opportunity to introduce what I am sure will be a fascinating segment on climate change, where we interrogate the science and consider what implications there may be for dairy farmers of the future," Smith said.

For further information, visit www.australiandairyconference.com.au.