KILLER DROUGHT

June, historically Perth's wettest month, was very dry this year. Western Australia's farmers, normally a very tough bunch, are apparently pathologically saddened by this emerging drought:

Farmers in drought-stricken areas of WA are plunging into depression and in some cases have taken their lives, says the Anglican Archbishop of Perth.

Archbishop Roger Herft has told The Sunday Times he will spend three days in rural WA visiting farmers and their families who are fighting for their livelihoods in the face of WA's record dry.

This last June was, in fact, the driest on record. But drought is not uncommon to Australia; if you're going to be a farmer down under you better be prepared for dry spells. Anyway, the depressed-farmers-offing-themselves thing is questionable:

Wheatbelt Mens Health Group community educator Julian Krieg said people in faming communities were feeling "a significant amount of distress''.

But he did not believe they were taking their lives.

"Because we haven’t had rain there is a significant amount of distress, but to say people are suicidal is wrong,’’ he said.

At least Archbishop Herft didn't blame the "suicides" on Global Warming.