{"id":427253,"date":"2026-02-21T16:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427253"},"modified":"2026-02-21T16:29:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-21T15:29:10","slug":"claim-99-999-of-climate-scientists-agree-australia-was-cooler-in-the-1890s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=427253","title":{"rendered":"Claim: 99.999% of Climate Scientists Agree Australia was Cooler in the 1890s"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"687\" height=\"1024\" data-attachment-id=\"427266\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427266\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"784,1168\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0-Australia\u2019s Federation Drought, spanning 1895 to 1903\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?fit=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427266\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?resize=687%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 687w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?resize=201%2C300&amp;ssl=1 201w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?resize=768%2C1144&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?resize=640%2C953&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0-Australias-Federation-Drought-spanning-1895-to-1903.jpg?w=784&amp;ssl=1 784w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 687px) 100vw, 687px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/2026\/02\/19\/claim-99-999-of-climate-scientists-agree-australia-was-cooler-in-the-1890s\/\">Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Essay by\u00a0<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/wattsupwiththat.com\/author\/eworrall1\/\">Eric Worrall<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"364\" data-attachment-id=\"427256\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427256\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?fit=1505%2C759&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1505,759\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"0Screenshot 2026-02-21 155001\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?fit=723%2C364&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=723%2C364&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427256\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=1024%2C516&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=300%2C151&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=768%2C387&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=640%2C323&amp;ssl=1 640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?resize=1200%2C605&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?w=1505&amp;ssl=1 1505w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/0Screenshot-2026-02-21-155001.png?w=1446&amp;ssl=1 1446w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Left: TV Personality\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dr._Karl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr Karl<\/a>. Right One Nation\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.onenation.org.au\/malcolm-roberts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senator Malcolm Roberts<\/a>. Source\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1200025185620305\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senator Malcolm Roberts Video<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qld.onenation.org.au\/malcolm-roberts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Senator Malcolm Roberts<\/a>&nbsp;schooling the green&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aph.gov.au\/Parliamentary_Business\/Committees\/Senate\/Information_Integrity_on_Climate_Change_and_Energy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aussie Senate Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change Inquiry<\/a>&nbsp;on the evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>One Nation Senator\u2019s wild climate change claim<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One Nation\u2019s Malcolm Roberts asked a series of questions about science, including data showing cause and effect, when Dr Karl had an issue with his line of questioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLet\u2019s see if we can agree on something. Do you agree that the climate records show that the last 10 years have been the hottest on record worldwide?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senator Roberts immediately disagreed, claiming the past decade had been \u201ccooler than the 1880s and 1890s in Australia\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dr Karl was left dumbfounded by the response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI feel like I\u2019m talking to a schoolchild who says seven times two is not 14, but instead seven times two is a bicycle,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senator Roberts said that response was \u201cone way to make me look like a fool\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo, but all the scientists disagree with you,\u201d Dr Karl hit back, adding that \u201c99.999 per cent of the scientists\u201d had a different opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026Read more:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/environment\/climate-change\/one-nation-senators-wild-climate-change-claim\/news-story\/76d8ab81f626ebff36324b9ae8e4411f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.news.com.au\/technology\/environment\/climate-change\/one-nation-senators-wild-climate-change-claim\/news-story\/76d8ab81f626ebff36324b9ae8e4411f<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A more complete record of the conversation is available on Senator Malcolm Roberts\u2019 facebook page \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1200025185620305\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/watch\/?v=1200025185620305<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is substantial evidence Australia was scorching hot in the 1890s. The following is a picture of the Murray River, part of Australia\u2019s largest river system, running bone dry at the height of the 1895-1903 Federation Drought.\u00a0<strong>Imagine the Mississippi running so dry you could drive a horse and cart over the river- bed, and you will get an idea of how devastating this event must have been.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"427258\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427258\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?fit=800%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427258\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-342.png?resize=640%2C320&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Federation Drought Australia\u2019s largest river system, the Murray River, running bone dry at the height of the drought. Source\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nma.gov.au\/defining-moments\/resources\/federation-drought\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Museum Australia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Federation Drought caused large scale ecosystem collapse;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Megadrought caused mega biodiversity loss<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Researchers at CSIRO, Australia\u2019s national science agency, have painstakingly reconstructed the nation\u2019s \u2018once in a century drought\u2019 in the early 1900s, revealing that it caused mass ecosystem collapse and dramatic declines in plant and animal populations across more than a third of the continent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">16 JULY 2019<br>NEWS RELEASE<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of efforts to prepare for and adapt to future droughts, CSIRO ecologists recreated the megadrought through historical records, including the study of tens of thousands of newspaper articles, to build a picture of the event\u2019s effects on the nation published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWith many of Australia\u2019s landscapes more fragmented and degraded, and species under pressure from invasive plants and animals, a similar drought today could spell disaster on an even more devastating scale,\u201d CSIRO researcher Dr Robert Godfree said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Australia\u2019s Federation Drought, spanning 1895 to 1903, was one of the world\u2019s worst recorded megadroughts. Much of the country received less than 40 per cent of its average rainfall, and 1902 was the driest year on record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAustralia saw widespread economic depression. In New South Wales, most rivers stopped flowing. Dust storms filled dams, buried homesteads and created ghost towns as people fled,\u201d Dr Godfree said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2026Read more (includes video):&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.csiro.au\/en\/news\/All\/News\/2019\/July\/Megadrought-caused-mega-biodiversity-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.csiro.au\/en\/news\/All\/News\/2019\/July\/Megadrought-caused-mega-biodiversity-loss<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Huge dust storms devastated farms and entire regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"427260\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427260\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?fit=800%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-343.png?resize=640%2C320&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Federation Drought \u2013 Dust Storm Engulfs\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Broken_Hill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Broken Hill<\/a>, circa 1900. Source\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nma.gov.au\/defining-moments\/resources\/federation-drought\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Museum Australia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, we have evidence that something pretty terrible happened in Australia, but is there evidence which can provide a global dimension to this Aussie megadrought disaster? Turns out there may be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the early 1900s, California suffered a series of severe flooding events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/wsp\/0147\/report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1904<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ascelibrary.org\/doi\/10.1061\/TACEAT.0002029\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1907<\/a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cdnc.ucr.edu\/?a=d&amp;d=MDA19090205.2.4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1909<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 Sacramento Valley Flood<br>1905-1907 \u2013&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Salton_Sea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Salton Sea Formation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were also a bunch of other flood events in the USA during this period, such as flooding associated with the USA\u2019s deadliest natural disaster,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.galvestonhistorycenter.org\/research\/1900-storm\">the 1900 Galveston storm<\/a>&nbsp;which claimed 8000 lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"723\" height=\"362\" data-attachment-id=\"427262\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?attachment_id=427262\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?fit=800%2C400&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,400\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"image\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?fit=723%2C362&amp;ssl=1\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?resize=723%2C362&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-427262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?resize=300%2C150&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?resize=768%2C384&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/image-344.png?resize=640%2C320&amp;ssl=1 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 723px) 100vw, 723px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Galveston Hurricane Cleanup (1900). Source\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.galvestonhistorycenter.org\/research\/1900-storm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/El_Ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93Southern_Oscillation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia El Ni\u00f1o page<\/a>&nbsp;lists 1903-1904 as a likely El Ni\u00f1o event, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nma.gov.au\/defining-moments\/resources\/federation-drought\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Museum Australia<\/a>&nbsp;suggests the Federation Megadrought was caused by a strong El Ni\u00f1o event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are other ocean cycles such as the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Indian_Ocean_Dipole\">Indian Ocean Dipole<\/a>, which also influence Australian rainfall. It would fit the narrative to claim all these cycles combined into a super cycle, but I didn\u2019t find sufficient evidence to support this proposition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There were other factors, such as poor agricultural practices, which likely contributed to the devastation, just as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.aaas.org\/taxonomy\/term\/10\/dust-bowl-wake-call-environmental-practices\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">poor agricultural practices likely contributed to the devastation of the 1930s US dust bowl<\/a>. But if human activity was the main cause of the Federation Drought, the drought wouldn\u2019t have ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Were conditions during the Federation Drought hotter than today?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this evidence of extreme conditions, possibly coinciding with an unusually strong planet warming El Ni\u00f1o,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dr._Karl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dr Karl<\/a>&nbsp;is claiming only 0.001% of scientists are prepared to consider the possibility that whatever caused the the Federation drought, a scorching hot prolonged drought which dried up Australia\u2019s largest river system, also caused a significant spike in the continental temperature of Australia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the sake of open scientific inquiry, I sure hope Dr Karl is wrong. I don\u2019t know that the years leading up to the drought and the Federation Drought itself were hotter than today, I haven\u2019t seen Senator Roberts\u2019 evidence. But given droughts in Australia are normally associated with hot, dry weather, and the Federation Drought is regularly referred to as a megadrought, the proposition that temperatures during that period were hotter than today seems plausible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why didn\u2019t Dr. Karl provide a reasoned response to Senator Malcolm Roberts\u2019 temperature claims?&nbsp;<strong>Perhaps Dr. Karl responded with bluster rather than reasoned argument because he didn\u2019t know what Senator Roberts was talking about.&nbsp;<\/strong>Maybe Dr Karl sensed an intellectual trap, but he hadn\u2019t done his homework, so he didn\u2019t know where Senator Roberts was leading. Or maybe Dr Karl did know what Senator Roberts was talking about, but couldn\u2019t think of a convincing response. Either way, Dr Karl provided a disappointing performance for someone who claims to be a public climate authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the availability of temperature records stretching back into the mid 1800s,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bom.gov.au\/climate\/data\/acorn-sat\/#tabs=Early-data\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the official Australian instrumental temperature record starts in 1910<\/a>, seven years after the official end of the Federation Drought. Though to be fair Aussie temperature records were sparse in the 1800s, and it is likely the Federation Drought itself was the motivation for a substantial expansion in Australia\u2019s weather monitoring infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Senator Malcolm Roberts schooling the green Aussie Senate Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change Inquiry on the evidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":427266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691841545,691841546,691841550,691818216,691841549,691818056,691841547,691819287,691818087,691841548],"class_list":["post-427253","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-1880s","tag-1890s","tag-1930s-us-dust-bowl","tag-australia","tag-australias-federation-drought","tag-climate-change","tag-dr-karl-kruszelnicki","tag-el-nino-2","tag-global-warming","tag-senator-malcolm-roberts","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1N9b","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":249864,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=249864","url_meta":{"origin":427253,"position":0},"title":"Malcolm Roberts, Senator from Queensland &#8211; The &#8220;Climate Crisis&#8221; was started by a criminal!","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/27\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was started by a criminal yet this is who governments point to for justification of country destroying climate policies.","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1162.png?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1162.png?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1162.png?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1162.png?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1162.png?fit=1200%2C787&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":430476,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=430476","url_meta":{"origin":427253,"position":1},"title":"Big cuts to CSIRO Aussie Science Jobs, but Climate Research is Protected?","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/11\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Scientists are claiming CSIRO job cuts will impede climate research. But the CSIRO has testified to the Senate there will be no impact on \u201cthe scale of research\u201d into Climate Change.","rel":"","context":"In \"Australian Government\"","block_context":{"text":"Australian Government","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australian-government"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AI-models-climate-change1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AI-models-climate-change1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AI-models-climate-change1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AI-models-climate-change1.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":435490,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=435490","url_meta":{"origin":427253,"position":2},"title":"Aussie Select Committee on Information Integrity on Climate Change and Energy Delivers their Final Report","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/30\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Campaigners, I mean senators, are horrified that people don\u2019t believe government climate warnings, and blame a conspiracy of big oil interests for this lack of trust in Green claims.","rel":"","context":"In \"Australia\"","block_context":{"text":"Australia","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australia"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Aussie-Select-Committee-on-Information-Integrity-on-Climate-Change-and-Energy-Delivers-their-Final-Report.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Aussie-Select-Committee-on-Information-Integrity-on-Climate-Change-and-Energy-Delivers-their-Final-Report.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Aussie-Select-Committee-on-Information-Integrity-on-Climate-Change-and-Energy-Delivers-their-Final-Report.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0-Aussie-Select-Committee-on-Information-Integrity-on-Climate-Change-and-Energy-Delivers-their-Final-Report.jpg?fit=784%2C1168&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":287237,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=287237","url_meta":{"origin":427253,"position":3},"title":"Debunking Albanese&#8217;s Climate Change Myths: What&#8217;s Really Driving Energy Costs","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/09\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This week Labor and the Coalition will push through another ridiculous bill that puts us another step down the road to climate change lunacy. 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Labor, the Greens, the Nationals and the Liberals are hell-bent on sacrificing Australia on the altar of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Australia\"","block_context":{"text":"Australia","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australia"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0Screenshot-2023-11-09-103908.png?fit=993%2C566&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0Screenshot-2023-11-09-103908.png?fit=993%2C566&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0Screenshot-2023-11-09-103908.png?fit=993%2C566&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0Screenshot-2023-11-09-103908.png?fit=993%2C566&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":400567,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=400567","url_meta":{"origin":427253,"position":4},"title":"\u2018Climate Forward\u2019 Conference in NYT asks for Questions (wake ahead?)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"09\/06\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The\u00a0New York Times, the\u00a0climate alarmist paper of record, is sponsoring the \u201cClimate Forward\u201d conference in New York City on Wednesday September 24th. Will it be a wake?","rel":"","context":"In \"\u201cClimate Forward\u201d\"","block_context":{"text":"\u201cClimate Forward\u201d","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-forward-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AQN5Ula_eSfNLpbBHNP5mb8M7-gHXkY-xKZKmCmQ3baCtkNSJSjFAeSRVp_oMOCLiVzBaXOorsjFSiOXnRUhz8ROhFdZnNg0JJyMmEWobEF1hK0gwAR0sMMkrtGyRQn1J0tyRB4kSDkf_d2ZM1QPQ6NNkdIamw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AQN5Ula_eSfNLpbBHNP5mb8M7-gHXkY-xKZKmCmQ3baCtkNSJSjFAeSRVp_oMOCLiVzBaXOorsjFSiOXnRUhz8ROhFdZnNg0JJyMmEWobEF1hK0gwAR0sMMkrtGyRQn1J0tyRB4kSDkf_d2ZM1QPQ6NNkdIamw-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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Social Media Reluctance to Censor Climate Skeptics \u2013 \u201cThis is the Problem\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/22\/2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Apparently free speech is OK, as long as the Australian Government thinks what you are saying is true.","rel":"","context":"In \"Atlas Network\"","block_context":{"text":"Atlas Network","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=atlas-network"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNJlHt8pts4n493jhUtfhSqpfSKXR7GT9LJyq0TuvXK_kRtqKfaACxUM0SDWQv81QCk5oyeMjS9_GHMVnqvCUdjl9MfCahmJlxtQ8kRNjwWZobybYsS9FVrBmxkWx3r.jpeg?fit=1200%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/AQNJlHt8pts4n493jhUtfhSqpfSKXR7GT9LJyq0TuvXK_kRtqKfaACxUM0SDWQv81QCk5oyeMjS9_GHMVnqvCUdjl9MfCahmJlxtQ8kRNjwWZobybYsS9FVrBmxkWx3r.jpeg?fit=1200%2C683&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, 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