Laura,

I would like to point out that El Nino and global warming are not mutually exclusive events. It's not hard to imagine that if the globe is warming, air and ocean currents might be affected. The following link provides an interesting discussion of El Nino and the possible influence of global warming on El Nino events:

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2006/05/el-nino-global-warming/

I think I can easily infer the reason Australia's coal production is referenced in this article. Production of coal in conjunction with all-time record drought is what the environmentalists are pointing to in order to pressure Prime Minister John Howard to change Australia's policy. That John Howard is feeling pressure from this constituency is a principle subject of the article. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the writer just brought it up to push a pro-warming agenda.

And El Nino isn't influenced by global warming Ms. Peralta ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drought_in_Australia

Drought in the twentieth century

At the time of Federation, Australia suffered a major drought. There has been a number of years of below average rainfall across most of Australia before the drought. During the drought the wheat crop was "all but lost" and the Darling River nearly ran dry at Bourke, New South Wales. There was concern about Sydney's water supply.[4] In 1914-1914, Australia suffered a major drought which resulted in the failure of the 1915 wheat crop.[5]
During World War II, eastern Australia suffered dry conditions which lasted from 1937 through to 1947 with little respite.[6] From 1965-68 eastern Australia was again greatly affected by drought as conditions had been dry since 1957. This drought contributed to the 1967 Tasmanian fires in which 62 people died in one day and 1400 homes were lost.[7] The drought in 1982-83 is regarded as the worst of the twentieth century for short-term rainfall deficiencies of up to one year and their overall impact. There were severe dust storms in north-western Victoria and severe bushfires in south-east Australia in February 1983 with 75 people killed.[8]
A very severe drought occurred in second half of 1991 [9] which intensified in 1994 and 1995 to become the worst on record in Queensland. [10] This drought was influenced by a strong El Nino weather pattern and associated with high temperatures in July and August of 1995, the fifth year continuous year of drought in parts of Queensland. According to Primary Industries Minister, Ed Casey, "the drought affected region stretched in a 200 km to 300 km wide strip from Stanthorpe to Charters Towers". [11] So many wheat and barley crops failed, about half the usual for that year, that grains had to imported from other states. [12]. The Darling River system collapsed during this drought.
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Australia's population in 1901 was 3.7 million, 1940 was 7 million, 1960 was 10 million, 1980 was 17.8 million

Every drought becomes worse since the extra population puts pressure on the dwindling water supplies. As can be seen above, at Federation (1901) there were major problems when the population was only 3.7 million.

Australia is a dry country with a bit of rain occasionally. Why bring supposed Global Warming into the picture. Was there Global warming in 1901 or 1915 or 1937-47 etc etc.

You gotta laugh. You know here in Sydney we must be having the coldest summer ever recorded. Its the coldest I can remember (I am 50 years old). Its been cold, windy and generally crappy. However having said that we still have not had a lot of rain.

When are we going to blame the war in Iraq on Global Warming?