Questions for discussion

Transcription

1 Questions for discussion People smuggling EPISODE TH OCTOBER 2009 Dangerous dogs Nuclear power

2 Tuna stocks Fashion design

3 Focus Questions EPISODE TH OCTOBER 2009 Learning Area Society and Environment, Science Is going nuclear the answer to global warming? Key learning Students will develop a deeper understanding of the nuclear energy debate and develop an argument for or against the issue.

4 Structure of an argument State what the issue or topic is Form a clear, forceful statement of position or opinion The audience should be clear about the stand being taken by the author. Each paragraph starts with a topic sentence which introduces each point The rest of the paragraph gives more reasons Arguments can be ordered from strongest to weakest. Sums up the author s position. Language features Further investigations Related Research Links

5 Focus Questions EPISODE TH OCTOBER 2009 Learning Area Society and Environment, Design and Technology Fashion design Key learning Students will develop an understanding of the impact of fashion in society over time.

6 Related Research Links

7 BtN: Episode 30 Transcripts 27/10/09 On this week's Behind the News: Should some dog breeds be banned? Is one of the world s most expensive fish in trouble? And could nuclear power solve climate change? Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today we meet the school kids strutting their stuff in a national fashion competition. But first, let s talk about two huge issues at the moment asylum seekers and people smuggling. People Smuggling Reporter: Nathan Bazley INTRO: They've become hot topics because boats full of people have been trying to make it to Australia. Some have been stopped in Indonesia and are begging to come to here to live, but the government has concerns. It says the way they're coming here is a real problem REFUGEE CHILD: Please think of us, please.

8 BRINDA, SRI LANKAN ASYLUM SEEKER: Sri Lankan refugees, we have lived in forest for one month. Please sir, please take us to your country. It's okay if it's not Australia. It's better if any other country trades us. We can't live in Sri Lanka. NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: If these kids sound like they're desperate, it's because they are. Their families and the rest of the 250 people on this crowded and dangerous boat paid thousands of dollars to travel to Australia. But they weren't coming for a holiday or to visit friends. They were trying to escape. They come from Sri Lanka, an island off India. They say they faced terrible violence back home and want to live in safety in Australia. People like this are called asylum seekers. The Australian Government says they have to prove that their story is true and that they are genuinely in need of a safe place to live. If they do that they are called refugees and allowed to stay. NATHAN: So you might ask - how come they don't just fly in? Well each year the government lets a certain number of refugees do just that and come to Australia to live. But they limit it to the number of people they think we can support. And the problem is there are many more who want to come. So that's when some groups try other ways to get here.

9 People from many different countries try to get in this way. And there are people that make a living helping them do just that. They're called 'people smugglers.' People smugglers work all over the world, making it a huge headache for many governments. It's one big illegal business. Operators usually find people who are facing violence or death in their home countries, then charge them huge amounts to arrange passage out. They don't just use boats - they hide people in trucks or shipping containers. It can be very dangerous and some die before they reach their destination. That's how these Sri Lankans ended up on this boat. But their arrival, and the arrival of people from other countries, has stirred up a huge debate about how we deal with the issue. Both the Prime Minister and the Opposition say they want to be very strict about stopping people smuggling. The government is trying to stop the boats before they get to Australia and that can mean the asylum seekers have to stay in other countries. But other Aussies say we're a rich country, and should be doing a lot more to help them out.

10 With so many troubles around the world there are always lots of people like these guys looking for another country. So it's been an issue for a long time and it will be an issue for a lot longer. Presenter: We'd love to know what you think about that so send us a comment. We're also going to find out how much you know about Sri Lanka. Quiz 1 What did Sri Lanka used to be called? 1. Burma 2. Congo 3. Ceylon Answer: Ceylon Presenter: Sri Lanka is an island just off India and when India was part of the British Empire they called it Ceylon. Now here's Sarah to check out some of the other stories that have been making news. The Wire On Saturday protestors held events around the world calling for governments to reduce greenhouse gases. They want them to take strong action at the Copenhagen climate meeting that we told you about last week.

11 It's being held in December. ************* The green grass was rolled out across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on Sunday for a big brekky. While it's normally a place for bumper to bumper traffic, six thousand people laid out their picnic blankets to enjoy the view. The event was part of an arts festival. ************* And 'Count Us In' was held again last week. At the same time, kids at schools around Australia all sang a song called The Music is Everything. The tune was written by four high school students from News South Wales. Count Us In is held to highlight the importance of musical education in schools. Tuna Stocks Reporter: Kirsty Bennett INTRO: Now back to our features and in Korea, Australia has just been meeting with some other countries to talk about one of the world's most valuable fish.

12 People are worried that we might be fishing the Southern Bluefin Tuna to extinction. So in that meeting, Australia and other countries have agreed to cut their catches. But as Kirsty reports, that could have a big effect on a multi-million dollar industry. KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: It's well before dawn and these fishermen are off to work. Not too far out to sea they reach their destination. These floating cages hold one of the world's most prized fish - the "Southern Bluefin Tuna"- watch em go! They're not just quick either. They can weigh almost as much as you do and live as long as forty years. The Southern Bluefin is normally found in the open sea. These have been caught out in the wild and towed back in a net to farms where they're fattened up. Then divers go out and get them. But these guys don't want them for their aquariums. This type of fish is worth big bucks! And this is where most of it ends up - Japan! REPORTER: The Southern Bluefin Tuna is used in a dish called Sashimi. It's cut up into small pieces and eaten raw. But it's one of the more expensive meals too. A whole tuna can cost a restaurant up to a thousand dollars! With prices like that it's not hard to imagine why there are some fishermen who want to get as much tuna into their nets as they can. The Southern Bluefin Tuna breeds in the Indian Ocean near Indonesia. They then move down the west coast of Australia to the south. A lot of countries catch the Southern Bluefin Tuna and each year they're told how much they can take. This is called a quota. Australia can reel in just over five thousand tonnes of the fish a year. But out in the open sea, there are some boats which are breaking those rules. A few years ago, Japan was busted for taking more than its limit. Some people reckon they took up to 200-thousand tonnes. So with the world's big appetite for this sort of fish and dodgy boats also

13 throwing out their fishing lines, environmentalists reckon there's not much tuna left. It's become such a concern that documentaries have been made on it. Environmentalists say Southern Bluefin Tuna are close to extinction. They say overfishing isn't giving the species time to breed. They reckon it's so bad that there are only a few adult tuna remaining. They're calling for fishing to be stopped for a little while to let stocks rebuild. As for Australia's tuna industry, it's a pretty touchy subject. In some towns, tuna has created millionaires. Thousands of people also rely on the tuna industry for work. They reckon that Australia is following all the rules. It says there's enough tuna in the ocean to keep fishing but the government should be tougher with crews which break quotas. Dangerous Dogs Reporter: Sarah Larsen INTRO: Lots of Australians love dogs, but recently there was a pretty nasty attack and it got people asking whether we need tougher laws to control them. It all happened in Victoria, where a Pit bull terrier mauled a man s dog to death then attacked his arm. It had to be put down by ambulance officers before it would let go. So why do dogs attack? And are some more dangerous than others? Sarah finds out. SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: For centuries they've been our friends, our helpers, and even our heroes. But every so often we get a reminder of our best friend's animal nature.

14 RHYS NIVEN: Really deep wounds in the leg - thigh area. A lot of blood. That's all I really remember about it. I didn't really look when I got bitten, I didn't want to look at the stitches. Thousands of Aussies end up in hospital every year because of dog attacks. They often involve kids and occasionally, they're fatal. REPORTER: So why do dogs bite? TANYA, DOG TRAINER: Dogs bite because they are an animal. They're an animal, and as we know, they've got a nice set of teeth in their head. Tanya's a dog trainer. She teaches people like Alex how to make sure their pets are well mannered with people and other animals. ALEX: So when he's out in public he doesn't make a fool of himself and make sure that he doesn't get hurt of hurt anyone else. REPORTER: Any sort of dog can attack people if it's not treated properly. But there are certain breeds that some people say are much more dangerous and aggressive. Petey the Pup from the Little Rascals is an American Pit Bull Terrier. He might be cute but he's a type of dog that's considered so dangerous that in 1991 the government banned people from bringing them into Australia. There are four other breeds that can't be imported. REPORTER: There are some already here and there are cross breeds like Lilly here who's half American Pit Bull. When they're properly trained they can be friendly, loyal pets. The problem is if they do attack these big muscles and massive, strong jaws can do a lot of damage.

15 They come from dogs that were originally bred to fight bulls, chosen for their big jaws and strength, and for a long time they were specially bred for dog fights. That's illegal now but some say the aggression is still a big part of pit bull nature. Most states say restricted breeds like American Pit Bulls have to be registered and de-sexed and in some places you're not allowed to own them at all. Some people would like to get rid of all pit bulls, including cross breeds. But others say it's not fair to single out breeds when other sorts of dogs attack too. They reckon well trained pit bulls can be great pets, it s just the bad owners that let them down. But no matter what the breed, Tanya says it s important to know how to behave around a dog. That means talking to them calmly, not looking it straight in the eye, and not putting your hands in front of its face. And you should never approach a strange dog without asking the owner first no matter how cute and cuddly it looks. TANYA: The dog can look fine at a distance but once the child comes a bit closer, the dog could certainly change his behaviour very quickly. We might not speak the same language but learning to understand dogs better will make sure the friendship continues. Poll And we ll make that this week s poll. The question is Should some dog breeds be banned? If you want to vote go to our website. Poll Results

16 And we had a big response to last week's question - 'Should kids younger than 2 be banned from watching TV?'. 67 percent of you said no! Nuclear Power Reporter: Nathan Bazley INTRO: Another issue bubbling away at the moment is nuclear power. When it comes to the methods we have developed for generating electricity, all seem to have their upsides and downsides. But there is one type of power generation happening in many places around the world that the Australian government has vowed not to touch - it's called nuclear power. But a poll has just been released saying that half of Australians surveyed want it brought back to the table as an option for the future. So what is it? And why is there such opposition? NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Energy is all around us - from the sun to the wind and the thousands of plants and animals living in between. But if you look closer, there is an amazing amount of energy in a place you'd never think to look, in a place too tiny to even see. Inside the very atoms that make up all matter on earth.

17 It sounds like an amazing idea but it's been around for quite a while. It's called nuclear power. We don't have any nuclear power stations here, but some Aussies reckon we should. So let's take a look at how it works. Across the globe there are more than 430 operating nuclear power plants in 31 different countries. All up, these stations supply 15 percent of the world's electricity. Most nuclear plants run on a fuel called Uranium, which is a metal found in the ground. The amazing thing about this stuff is that it naturally releases radiation, which is a type of energy. Scientists enrich it to make it extra powerful and then it's ready to go to the power plant. Once they put it in a reactor and treat it a certain way, Uranium releases huge amounts of radiation. This heat energy is controlled and used to boil water and make steam, which then drives a turbine to generate electricity. One benefit of nuclear power is it creates energy without the use of fossil fuels, so when these plants are operating they shouldn't release any carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

18 So nuclear is useful for countries trying to cut their greenhouse emissions. But there are some downsides as well. First up, it's pretty expensive. And the fuel that's used in power plants keeps releasing radiation for many thousands of years after it's been used. This is called radioactive waste and it's very dangerous because it can kill people if they come into contact with it. For this reason most countries store all their waste in very protected areas -like huge facilities far underground. The other big downside is if nuclear power plants go wrong. In the 80 s in a place called Chernobyl that exact thing happened. The reactor got out of control and caused an explosion, which sent huge amounts of radiation into the sky and across many countries. This killed thousands of people over time and made a big area uninhabitable. That accident meant new plants weren't built for a long time. But nuclear supporters say Chernobyl was a mistake which could have been prevented and improved technology makes plants much safer. And now climate change is making other people have a rethink.

19 Australian governments have looked into it before, but so far have always decided that we don't need it, or want it. But it seems half of Australians surveyed are now willing to look back to the promise of the atom. Presenter: Now that s a very complex argument that we ve only touched on. Some people reckon renewable power like solar and wind is the way to go. And if you want to see more about their arguments check out our website. Quiz 2 But before you do, let s do a nuclear quiz. Are nuclear reactors used to power ships? Answer: Yes Presenter: Some countries like the United States and Russia have nuclear powered ships and submarines. Time for some sports news now, here s Kirsty. The Score The Kangaroos bounced back to draw with New Zealand in the opening match of the Four Nations campaign. Cameron Smith scrambled to score in the final minutes of the game to end the match 20-all.

20 ******* They look like something from outer space and they're making their way down the centre of Australia. More than thirty solar-powered cars have started the 3-thousand kilometre journey from Darwin to Adelaide as part of the World Solar Challenge. Some schools are competing CHRIS TAYLOR, KORMILDA SENIOR COLLEGE: It's actually quite great to see what you get taught in class get put into a production. It's a huge trek which will be made tougher with temperatures reaching forty degrees! ****** And in surfing, World Champion Kelly Slater has been knocked off by an Aussie teenager. Owen Wright beat Slater in the second round at a tour event in Portugal - it's the second time he's trumped the champion this year. Presenter: Nice Fashion Design Reporter: Catherine Ellis INTRO: Have you ever wanted to become a fashion designer?

21 It can be an awesome gig. You can get paid millions of dollars just by having unique ideas and keeping on top of the coolest trends. It might seem like a tough market to break into for a kid, but it's not really such a crazy thought. Recently school kids from all over Australia got a chance to show if they could be the fashionistas of the future, and Catherine met some of them. CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: It all began several months ago in classrooms across the country. Students as young as 13 were invited to design and create their own fashion items for a national comp with the chance for a career launch into the industry. JACKIE, STUDENT: I wasn't really into fashion before and now it's made me decide my career path and stuff and realise I have a skill in fashion design. PARIS, STUDENT: I like sewing and I like the idea of making something for myself and knowing that I made it. The competition has four categories; casual, formal, fantasy and my culture. CATHERINE, REPORTER: Thea what have you designed? THEA, STUDENT: This is a dress I'm going to enter into the casual or fantasy section I'm not sure yet. There's a lot of work involved - searching for and creating new designs, with instructions and patterns.

22 But this certainly isn't a 'girls only' comp. George has designed a dress for the formal wear section. CATHERINE: And so tell me about your design this year? GEORGE: I tried to put um jacket and dress in to one piece. CATHERINE: And what inspired you to do that? GEORGE: I just think of something special and like I'm thinking if man can wear jacket then why can't I make a jacket into a dress. Some of the kids had never picked up a needle or thread before this. CATHERINE: Is this something that you can just sort of take up and be a part of? SAMMY: Yeah it is a fantastic opportunity to take up especially like when people aren't involved with a lot of sports and stuff - it's really good to get involved and have a go at it. CATHERINE: Okay so this all happened back in July. The students then put in tonnes of work to get their designs finished before the state and regional finals were held and from the 800 entrants, 48 were chosen to go to the nationals in Sydney. CARLY: I'm wearing a dress that's in the fantasy section today and it's based upon the Victorian bushfires. MICHELLE: Just really wanted to make something trans-seasonal. So I made a little black dress based on Coco Chanel and a coat sort of like Gossip Girl.

23 SHERIDAN: Everybody has got such different ways of doing things. It's really good. They got their hair and makeup professionally done. And with a celebrity MC and judges from the industry - the night began. Prizes were awarded in each category, but the overall winner - "Young Designer of the Year" - went to James Penrose from Ballarat. He's won the chance to train with the big guys and produce his very own collection to present at a big fashion show next year. Previous winners have gone on to achieve great things - some have clothes in stores across the country and James is hoping the future will be just as bright for him. Presenter: Look out for their labels in the future. And there s lots more from those kids and pics of their designs on our website. And just to be fashionable let s do a quiz. Quiz 3 Which of these is used to make some perfumes and lipstick? 1. Fish scales 2. Alcohol 3. Seaweed

24 Answer: All three! Presenter: How disgusting is that?!! The silvery stuff in fish scales is called pearl essence and is used to give some lipsticks a shimmery effect. They use lots of things like bark, roots and even petrified poo! Closer After that I'm demanding we don't use makeup in the studio anymore, so I'll be looking a whole lot worse when you tune in next week. See you then!