EASYPRINT TRANSCRIPTS29/05/07
Episode 13
Hello I'm Kerry Staight. Welcome to Behind the News. On this week's show ..
- Should the biff be taken out of boxing
- The school of spidery surprises.
- And the kids dancing into the big time
Also on the program today... is there a cleaner way to make power for everyone? Those items later... but first to our top story this week...
Rain Arrives
Sean Maynard, reporter
INTRO: There are some pretty happy farmers out there right now, because the rain has finally arrived. For many it's the best start to a season in years. But while farmers are celebrating, a lot more wet weather is needed before Australia's water supplies recover from the drought. Sean has more.
SEAN MAYNARD, REPORTER: Ah, RAIN! If there's one thing to love about it... then it's those puddles.
And while they're making a splash, farmers are making a dash... out to those paddocks that is.
And if you're a farmer things don't get much better than this..
FARMER: It was fantastic I just kept sticking my head out the door every five minutes and it was still raining
For the first time in a while... these things are being put to good use across the country.
Farming like Reece Schirmer and his dad Peter are now out sowing crops like wheat and barley and canola.
It's a welcome relief after years of drought... last year being the toughest.
REECE: Coz during the other years we've been getting lots of rain and it all just suddenly stopped.
SEAN: What was it like when the rain came down?
REECE: Um, very surprising, coz it all just came down in one heap.
Some are saying that this is the best start to a season in ten years
SEAN: How's dad going at the moment?
REECE: Ah he's been keeping; dad's been working on a tractor a lot now.
PETER SCHIRMER: These are the seeds we use to sow...
It's a lot different from last year, when we had half as many wheat, canola and barley crops. That was devastating for many farmers, and not good for the Australian economy.
SEAN: But while farmers are out seeding, the question many are asking is does this mean the terrible drought is finished?
So... what exactly caused the drought?
Well some reckon it's a phenomenon called El Nino.
It's a funny sounding Spanish word - which means little boy.
This is how an El Nino works.
Normally there's a big blob of warm water north of Australia creating clouds and therefore rain.
El Nino is when there's a shift in air pressure and winds change, blowing the warm surface water towards South America and taking the rain with it.
El nino apparently happens between every TWO and SEVEN years... and it's thought we might be at the end of the current cycle.
Weather experts say the weather is now returning to normal, which hopefully means the worst of the drought is behind us.
The opposite of El Nino is La Nina, which means little girl. That's when the ocean cools down and it means we get extra rain.
Some are now even saying the recent downpours are signs that La Nina is on the way.
But we won't know for a few months if that's the case.
SEAN: While that recent rain's been good for Reece and his dad, if we don't get more, then it could all be for nothing.
PETER SCHIRMER: Unlike last year we had a good opening rain, and we never got any following. So we're hoping - we got good rains - and it will follow through.
Farmers need the rain to continue to keep their crops growing.
In many places it will take months of good falls to get the sort of rain we need to fill dams, reservoirs and top up natural underground water systems.
And in many states, water restrictions will remain in place for quite some time.
So it looks like shorter showers are here to stay!
Fossil Fuels
Catherine Ellis, reporter
A lot of time and money is being spent finding effective and environmentally friendly ways to produce electricity. Over the next few weeks we're going to take a look at some of the old and newer sources of energy used to light up the night sky.
Today Catherine checks out traditional fossil fuels.
This is how my morning began.
My alarm woke me up, I turned on the light, had a shower, dried my hair, brushed my teeth, made a coffee, put on my ipod, opened the fridge, made some toast, put on a load of washing, check my emails, printed a few things, rang mum, and drove out the gates to work.
Wow... only nine o'clock and all that electricity!
We rely so much on it these days, but where's it coming from?
Well from the time electricity was first used in Australia over 100 years ago it's mainly been generated by burning fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels include coal, oil and natural gas - would you believethey come from dead plants and animals?
They began forming hundreds of millions of years ago, even before these guys were around.
Back then large parts of the land were covered in swamps and ocean. As trees, plants and animals died they formed layers of mushy material.
The mush got buried by mud and other minerals, which formed layers of heavy rock.
And over millions of years the pressure, combined with heat, turned the dead plants into coal, oil and gas.
It all remained buried deep beneath the earth's surface, until humans found out that burning it created a lot of heat.
Heat is energy, and you can use that energy to make electricity.
Great idea but there's a catch. Burning coal means you're burning carbon and when that happens you get carbon dioxide - CO2.
Carbon dioxide helps to control the earth's temperature - not enough will freeze it all over and too much will toast it.
A large number of scientists are worried that all the extra CO2 is causing global warming, making the planet hotter.
There's a lot of debate going on about this. Some people say that's wrong, they say it's just the earth's natural climate cycle not because of pollution.
But it has certainly got a lot of people worried!
Australia has a lot of coal and gas.
Right now, fossil fuels produce about 90 percent of Australia's electricity. Around 80 percent comes from coal and burning coal produces more CO2 than any of the fossil fuels.
The Australian Government is spending lots of money on ways to cut back on CO2.
One way is by capturing the carbon dioxide before it spills into the atmosphere and pumping it deep underground where it stays trapped in the rocks.
This is called Carbon Capture or Sequestration.
Another idea is to use more natural gas and less coal because gas is cleaner.
Of course one of the big problems with fossil fuels is that they're non renewable - eventually, one day, they'll run out.
That's why the government is also looking at renewable sources of power and we'll talk about them next week.
True or False?
Finding a piece of coal is considered good luck
Answer: True
If you find a piece of coal on the ground you're meant to spit on it, throw it over your left shoulder and make a wish. Sailors and burglars also used to carry a piece of coal for good luck.
Boxing Debate
Sarah Larsen, reporter, Kerry Staight, presenter
Being stuck in a ring with someone who's trying to punch you would make a lot of people nervous - but not 16-year-old Stephen Sutherland.
STEPHEN SUTHERLAND, BOXER: Nothing to think about no nerves there, just you and him and just gotta do what you gotta do.
In fact, there's nothing Stephen likes better than a good fight.
He's been boxing since he was seven and he's already won some pretty impressive titles - in fact he's so good he's been selected for the Australian boxing squad.
Stephen was recently in Darwin for the Arafura games, which bring together athletes from all over the world.
The boxers came in all shapes and sizes - from light fly weights to super heavy weights.
But you have to be aged 17 to compete so Stephen had to settle for an exhibition match this time.
It's a tough sport but Stephen says he's never been seriously hurt.
STEPHEN SUTHERLAND:... just a few black eyes and that; nothing serious.
And how do your parents feel about your boxing?
STEPHEN SUTHERLAND: my dad doesn't really mind, mum never comes to watch, she doesn't really like it but she doesn't have a say in it.
Now Stephen might be relaxed about getting in the ring but there are quite a few medical experts who say he shouldn't be boxing at all.
The AMA is the Australian Medical Association and it represents a lot of doctors.
PETER BEAUMONT - AMA: The AMA would like to see it stop completely because we really really hate seeing people's jelly brains just knocked to pieces and destroying their lives.
KERRY STAIGHT, REPORTER: The AMA says our brains are like this.... a blow to the side can cause cracks to come through. Even fairly minor injuries can add up and over time cause and brain damage.
If you have brain damage it can be hard to remember things or talk... it can even be difficult to control your arms and legs.
Stephen is an amateur but if he becomes really successful he might turn professional like Anthony Mundine.
Pros earn lots of money and next month Mundine is going to fight for a world title on the Gold Coast.
But the AMA says the fight should be called off because he's too good .. it's worried his opponent could get seriously hurt.
But even doctors can't agree whether boxing should be banned.
Philip Nitchke is the official doctor for boxing at the Arafura Games ... and he reckons the amateur competition is a lot safer than professional bouts.
DOCTOR PHILIP NITCHKE: ...we can stop the fight, they're very quick to stop fights in amateur boxing.
Boxing supporters say protective head gear is worn in amateur fights and they're shorter.
They also say statistics show there's more chance of being hurt in a footy match.
While there's no ban at the moment - that battle is far from over.
As for Stephen - he's determined to keep battling it out in the ring.
STEPHEN SUTHERLAND: Hopefully I make it to the Olympics by the time I'm eighteen and see what happens from there.
INTRO: Now from one old tradition to another.Boxing is a sport that's been around for ages, but it's still very controversial. Some people want it banned because they say it's too dangerous. Others say it's a noble pastime that makes you fit. And someone who'd be pretty fit by now is Stephen Sutherland who's been boxing for more than half his life.
Online Poll
Now we're running an online poll this week and the question is "should boxing be banned?' If you want to vote go to our website at abc.net.au/btn - here's what a few kids think.
What d’you reckon?
We asked some students from SalisburyHigh School what they thought about this issue.
Boy 1: I think it's a very good sport, it employs physical well being and some people use it as venting their anger or frustration
Girl 1: I don't think it's that bad, I've been doing karate for four years and not yet have I come home with a serious injury. If you look out for yourself and follow instructions when given properly you won't get hurt.
Girl 2: I don't think that it should be banned but I think people should be a certain age before they do it. I don't think people of my age should be doing professional boxing or anything
Boy 2: I don't think it's good fighting younger people to do boxing because of the damage but if you have the necessary equipment to play then I reckon it will be fine.
Spider Hunt
Sean Maynard, reporter
INTRO: What do you do when you see a spider? Well if you're anything like me you probably scream and run away. But some students are doing just the opposite - they're staying back after school to SEARCH for them! As I'm a big wuss, Sean got the gig tracking down creepy crawlies.
What do you do when you see a spider? Most of us would jump back, scream and try to avoid the creepy crawlies. But one group of students from the Northern Territory aren't trying to avoid them, they are staying back after school to SEARCH for them!
SEAN MAYNARD, REPORTER: When they told me I was doing a story on spiders, I thought it was my shot at the big time, not the real thing!
But these students don't need any special (arachnid) superpowers to find spiders! Yes, that's right, they're actually TRYING to FIND spiders!
And believe it or not... THIS is their classroom
Since their school doesn't have a science lab, they've had to do their practical work somewhere else... and one thing they do have plenty of .. is bushland where spiders like to hide!
The spider hunts are organised by science teacher Mason Scholes...
He has an interest in spiders and thinks there could be some new species lurking out there...
And in the five years these students have been collecting spiders... they have found over 40 new species!
MASON SCHOLES, TEACHER:We've got some very interesting spiders like some tarantula spiders which was a new species of tarantula and also a new species of mouse spider and also a trap door spider - a new species of trap door spider which was fantastic.
The spider hunts aren't just helping the students either... all these new varieties of spider are giving scientists who want to know more about them, plenty to get excited about.
SEAN MAYNARD: Incredibly there are about 40,000 species of spiders in the world we know about, but it's thought there could be as many as, get this... 200,000 in existence, and most of those are still waiting to be discovered!
Many of those that have been discovered and collected are still waiting to be given their own names.
And that's not all!
Amazingly, many of them live even longer lives than we do!
Yep, if there's a secret to living a long, happy and healthy life, then these little creatures might have the answer.
But if you can't help but feel a little uncomfortable seeing these guys at your house, you might also be surprised to know they're probably your best defence against cockroaches, flies and mosquitos. Yep, that's quite a diet, but spiders have to eat too!
The students here enjoy looking for spiders so much... they don't mind staying late after school to find some more!
And when it gets dark, they use torches to spot the spiders eyes... which sparkle in the light... in fact night time is when spiders are at their busiest, hunting and trapping insects, small animals and even other spiders!
The collecting counts as part of their school certificates.
Blake Carter knows all the tricks to snagging a spider safely.
BLAKE CARTER: We grab the spiders and put them in the jar and kept it in the classroom to send it off to the museum in Queensland.
Hundreds of spiders of all sorts have been collected in the past two years alone. Some are caught with traps.. some are sucked from the ground with special pipes and others are just plucked off trees.
The hunts have been so popular that some scientists and teachers want to see all teenagers around Australia have a go...
So it might not be too long until you see find yourself wandering through the bush looking for a big scary spider... Sound like fun.
I think I'll pass. Now time for a quiz - what's the biggest spider in the world? Is it the
- tarantula
- the camel spider
- or the goliath spider?
I'll be back in a sec with the answer.
The biggest spider in the world is the Goliath Spider from the forests of South America. Its body can grow up to 9 cm but if you include its legs it can measure up to 28 cm across. Australia's biggest is the whistling spider. It can grow up to 16 cm across.
Billy Elliot
Catherine Ellis, reporter
INTRO: And I think that's quite enough about spiders.
Now to a very different sort of hobby: ballet. In the hit film Billy Elliot, a young boy beats the odds to become a dancer. Well now four Aussie boys are doing the same. They've beaten 3 thousand other kids to play the lead role of Billy Elliot in a stage show. And as Catherine reports they won't be taking it easy anytime soon.
'Billy Elliot' is set in a tough mining town in northeast England in 1984.