The global food crisis has been on the front page of the New York Times the last two days. Friday, the Times continues its of the turmoil caused by global food shortages. "That anger is palpable across the globe," writes Marc Lacey. "The food crisis is not only being felt among the poor but is also eroding the gains of the working and middle classes, sowing volatile levels of discontent and putting new pressures on fragile governments."

The day before, the Times explained one part of the problem: a six year drought in Australia. Dry weather has forced rice mills in Australia to shutter. Good charts here and a great slide show of how Australian producers are coping with the dry weather that may be caused by global warming. (See photo above.)

The drought has spurred incredible innovation among Australian ranchers and farmers. "The flexibility of farmers and ranchers here has persuaded some climate experts that, particularly in developed countries, the effects of climate change may be mitigated, if not completely avoided," the Times reported. "I'm not as pessimistic as most people," said Will Steffen, the director of the Fenner School of Environment and Society at Australian National University. "Farmers are learning how to do things differently."