Compass Vol.2 Issue 1

NOVEMBER 2016 | VOL. 02 ISSUE 01

wall-to-wall geopolitics

Beyond the Bubble: the indonesian archipelago

ICELAND: Now you see it, now you don't

CONTENTS

04/A FRACK-TURED

COMMUNITY

A small Lancanshire hamlet is at the centre of the government's pursuit of shale gas.

a letter from

the Editors Welcome to our second edition of Compass!

Geography is an amazingly diverse subject, and this is reflected in the exciting range of articles in this edition. We discuss both the performativity politics (p.09) and glacial retreat (p.15). In our current affairs section (p.04) we explore issues from conservation to geopolitics, whilst in our travel section (p.24) we journey from the mountains of East Africa to the sensational underwater landscape of Indonesia. Our study tips section offers guidance on how to make the most from the Geography Tripos, and Geographers in Action highlights the varied areas that geographers are involved in.

Thank you to all those who have worked hard to produce this second issue including the committee and everyone who has submitted articles and photographs. We also wish to thank those who have given up their time to provide interviews, including Andrew Goudie and Paul Collier, and the generous support of our sponsors for making all this possible.

We hope you enjoy Compass!

12/IN DEFENCE OF ADVENTUROUS TRAVEL

Re-claiming the meaning of travel.

04 08 14

Nathaniel Myers and Alice Guillaume Co-Editors-in-Chief

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CURRENT AFFAIRS

Fracking/Pandas/Human Rights/Geopolitics

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Paul Collier/Adventure/#BREXIT

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Sea Turtles/ Iceland/ Mount Etna/ Updates

ON THE COVER Redwoods, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park ISOBEL SMITH

GOT AN IDEA? CONTACT US. cugsmagazine@gmail.com Facebook/@cugscompass

09/PERFORMATIVE POLITICS AND PEAS

10/IN CONVERSATION WITH PAUL COLLIER Compass speaks to Oxford Economist, Professor Paul Collier

The relationship between peas, social media and #BREXIT

16/UNRAVELING THE MYSTERY OF 'THE LOST YEARS'

26/INDONESIA ARCHIPELAGO Isabelle Doe explores the diversity of Indonesia.

How tracking turtles aids us in the understanding of their life cycles.

EDITORIAL TEAM

20 24 30

editorsinchief ALICE GUILLAUME and NATHANIEL MYERS currentaffairs ISABEL DEWHURST and DAN BOWE humangeography CHLOE RIXON and HARRIET HALL physicalgeography FIONA DOBSON and JULIA GANIS geographyinaction ANGUS PARKER travel HANNAH MENDALL and ISABELLA DOE learningtips SARAH TURNER

GEOGRAPHERS IN ACTION

Andrew Goudie/ Being Green Officer

TRAVEL: BEYOND THE BUBBLE

East Africa/ Indonesia/ Northern California

STUDY TIPS

DESIGN TEAM

CATHERINE CHANG, SIOBHAN EASTMAN and SALLY JENKINSON

Perspectives from a lecturer and students

CONTRIBUTORS

PROFESSOR PAUL COLLIER, PROFESSOR ANDREW GOUDIE, DR. ALEX JEFFREY, STEPHANIE ANDREWS, AOIFE BLANCHARD, DAN BOWE, FREDDIE CARRUTHERS, MADDY CLIFFORD, ISABEL DEWHURST, FIONA DOBSON, ISABELLA DOE, MARIA FRISOLI, EDWARD HUTTON, FELIX KONINX, SALLY PEARSON, RACHEL PERKINS, CHLOE RIXON, ISOBEL SMITH

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A FRACK-TURED COMMUNITY

by DAN BOWE

How a small Lancashire hamlet became the centre of controversy in the UK government’s pursuit of shale gas.

A life-like ten-metre fracking rig installed outside Parliament Square by Greenpeace earlier this year (Feb 9) to "bring the local impacts of fracking to the heart of democracy."

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: FLICKR/DAVID HOLT

"W

hen it comes to the financial benefits of shale, our plans mean local communities benefit first."

Those were the words of Sajid Javid MP, Theresa May’s newly appointed Communities Secretary, last month as he attempted to justify his landmark decision – overruling the judgment of local councillors and granting firm Cuadrilla an unprecedented licence to horizontally “frack” shale gas in Little Plumpton, Lancashire.

First and foremost, what a load of rubbish.

Both the Government and local profracking campaigners argue that Cuadrilla’s investment into rural Lancashire could stimulate local infrastructure improvement and function as a source of job creation.

This seems like a fair enough assertion, but when you consider the impact the plant will have on local traffic congestion, noise pollution and

its threat to areas of rich biodiversity, it seems a million miles away from a vindication.

Oh, and there’s the small matter of anthropogenic global warming too.

Whichever way the government tries to spin it – for instance, marketing shale gas as a “low-carbon fuel” – this is frankly an irrelevance in the bigger picture of mitigating our emissions. Allowing Cuadrilla exploratory rights to this site could be a watershed moment for the shale industry in the UK, a downright hypocrisy with the UK government’s preliminary signature on the Paris Climate Agreement (a document which we still haven’t ratified at the time of writing, rather alarmingly).

Nevertheless, those who support shale gas as an energy source based on its environmental credentials are seriously misguided.

Next, there are those who propose shale gas as a short-term fix to the 4

UK’s energy security on two fronts; by bridging the temporal gap until a greater capacity of renewables are available, and by reducing the UK’s dependency on foreign energy imports (which made up 46% of our energy mix in 2015). The latter of these two points is particularly pertinent, considering the likely impact of the Brexit vote on trade and OPEC members’ recent decision to slash production – a concerted effort to raise global Brent crude prices. These acts of protectionism and, especially in OPEC’s case, acts in the national economic interest, are a stark indication of an increasingly inwards-looking and volatile global market. This will be particularly apparent in the future energy sector, and highlights the importance of the UK becoming more autarkic.

Government policymakers have correctly identified this conundrum, but have developed a completely unsustainable solution in shale gas. We may have loads of the stuff beneath our feet, but we’re also a rather windy little island! This makes it equally baffling that the same Tory government scrapped subsidies for onshore UK windfarms earlier this year, reducing attractiveness to renewable investors. Our governing powers appear to be hellbent on damaging the renewable energy sector, then citing its slow progress as a necessity for fracking!

But secondly, and perhaps more importantly, what happened to local democracy?

C U R R E N T A F FA I R S

Local councillors who know the area better than any Westminster high-roller rejected the application convincingly, only for Javid to overrule their decision. This frankly undermines the devolution of power the Conservatives seem so keen to promote, and is unlikely to garner support amongst locals, many of whom opposed the scheme passionately. And who can blame them for feeling cheated?

This sort of external meddling from Westminster is never likely to go down well with local communities, especially involving such a controversial issue.

So, to summarise: shale is unproven in the UK, it’s still a fossil fuel which will contribute more CO2 to the atmosphere and its extraction will have disruptive impacts on local communities, who largely oppose the projects in the first place. Investment in renewables suited to our climate, such as the expansion of windfarms, as well as the development of nuclear energy, should be the Government’s absolute focus.

On an interesting side note, at the 2016 party conference Labour’s shadow energy and climate secretary Barry Gardiner announced a Jeremy Corbyn government would impose an outright ban on fracking nationwide, supporting instead “technologies of the future.”

Could this ever come to fruition? Well, I suppose that’s another story…

The Amorite Wall was easily penetrated and the Berlin Wall did not last. But still our obsession continues.

In fact, we are constructing walls at the fastest rate on record, with at least 6,000 miles of wire, concrete and steel erected each year. This phenomenon is particularly odd when we consider the recent crumbling of virtual barriers in our globalized world.

WALL-TO-WALL GEOPOLITICS Freddie Carruthers traces the significance of the wall throughout history and questions: Do we really need them?

M

ankind has always had a fascination with walls. As early as the 21st Century BC, the Sumerians built the Amorite Wall, which stretched hundreds of miles to keep nomadic tribesmen out of Mesopotamia. Then, there was the Great Wall of China in 700 BC, Hadrian’s Wall in AD 129 and more recently the infamous Berlin Wall, set up to divide the European East and West.

All ultimately failed in their purpose.

Surprisingly, current wall-building is predominantly occurring in large, democratic societies. America has assembled over 345 miles of fencing on its border with Mexico, and a certain Mr Trump proposes to expand and solidify this. New walls are being raised in the European Union, which until recently was near borderless. In Hungary, a fence was first raised in 2015 along its Slovenian border, backed by anti-immigration sentiment. With Brexit, the UK has gone a step further, voting to retreat back across the channel and in all probability, leave behind European free movement.

So, are these walls being driven by fears of terrorism, or are they simply a reaction to our globalised world?

News that ‘Islamic State’ militants have travelled into Europe disguised as refugees has hardened public opinion against offering asylum to those truly seeking safety. Alongside this, populist politicians in Nigel Farage and Donald Trump have played on the frustrations of those left behind by globalization. These people want a more sectarian world.

Ultimately though, history shows that walls are not the answer. Very rarely do they succeed, and even once gone, they leave behind deep divisions.

Graffiti on the outskirts of the Calais refugee camp, 'London Calling'.

Independent census data (Oct, 2016) found that there were 5,188 people living in the camp who have now been evicted. This is a humanitarian crisis on our doorstep.

- Victoria Taylor PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: VICTORIA TAYLOR AND ELOISE HARRISON

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C U R R E N T A F FA I R S

SAVING THE PANDA :

Hope for the Conservation Community

T

he Giant Panda is an iconic species in popular conservation; it has been the symbol of the WWF since its foundation in 1961 and is a national treasure in China. Since September this year, the Giant Panda is no longer considered ‘endangered’ by the IUCN, and is instead classified as ‘vulnerable’ due to the growth in population, with an estimated 2000 pandas now living in wild communities. This is an impressive number, considering in 1965 the Giant Panda was considered ‘very rare’, with numbers around 1000.

Although the panda is now world renowned due to its representation in conservation, the species also has important physical, rather than emblematic, roles in ecosystems and economies. The panda plays an essential role in spreading seeds in bamboo forests, which are home not just to pandas but also to other endangered species, such as the Golden Snub-Nosed Monkey. These forests also are valuable socially and economically, providing fuel, food and medicine for rural communities.

conservation methods.

Attention was first drawn to the environmental pressures on the Giant Panda in the 1960s and 70s, where the destruction of bamboo habitats and hunting for pelt meant panda numbers in the wild were dwindling.

Satellite imagery from 1989 showed a 50% decrease in the panda’s bamboo habitat in the Sichuan Province since 1975. Conservation in China began as a joint government and WWF venture in the 1960s, beginning with the imposition of hunting bans, and gradually branching out into protecting habitats and building panda reserves. Currently China has an enormous panda conservation network of 3 million hectares of habitat and 67 reserves.

Despite looking optimistically forward with a series of goals such as eco-tourism and seismic protection, it is fair to say that the battle is won but

Giant Panda Officially Considered ‘Vulnerable’, Not ‘Endangered’

the war is not. Giant Pandas, like many other species currently at risk of extinction, are likely to come under environmental pressures as a consequence of climate change, which is predicted to cause a loss to over a third of bamboo habitats.

Although China has done an exceptional job in increasing panda numbers so much even during a time of industrial, economic and population expansion, it is possible that the environmental pressures as a consequence of an accumulation of global changes could undo all the progress of the last two decades, making the panda’s success even more emblematic and important in the coming years.

Sources: WWF and IUCN

by S T

EP H

AN

IE A

ND

R S EW

Increasing the number of Giant Pandas has been an uphill battle: as well as anthropogenic and environmental pressures, pandas are notoriously uncooperative when it comes to breeding in captivity.

Nonetheless, holistic conservation strategies have been implemented across China, spanning from legislative changes to hands-on 6

F

or decades, Buddhists and Muslims have lived together in partially integrated communities in the Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

The Muslim Rohingya are not considered citizens of Myanmar but migrants from Bangladesh, though many have lived in Myanmar for generations. In a country of diverse ethnic groups and religious divisions, half a century of military rule has exacerbated existing tensions to the point of unrest in cities and towns across the nation. Since 2012, violent clashes between the Rohingya Muslims of the Rakhine State and their Buddhist neighbors have created an ongoing migrant crisis and a civil rights disaster some have equated to ethnic cleansing or genocide.

On October 9 2016, the national government reported the murder of nine police officers by activists at border stations in the Rakhine State, and in the following weeks resurgent violence has raised questions about national and international intervention in the crisis.

Tensions in the Rakhine State first exploded in 2012 when the rape and murder of a young Buddhist girl sparked rioting and revenge that left more than 200 dead and displaced the first of many thousands of refugees. In 2013 and 2014, violence continued, with dozens more Muslim Rohingyas dead and a continuing stream of refugees fleeing the country. Thousands of Rohingyas were reportedly stranded at sea in 2015 when the National League for Democracy (NLD) won the

ETHNIC CLEANSING AND RELIGIOUS CLASHES presidency, supposedly ushering in a new era of peace and democracy unofficially led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the “Nelson Mandela of Myanmar”.

MYANMAR'S CONTINUING HUMAN RIGHTS CRISIS

Reporting on the human rights crisis in western Myanmar had died down until October 2016, when the alleged attacks on border police coincided closely with the first anniversary of Myanmar’s Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, highlighting the lack of response from the NLD and Aung San Suu Kyi. As conflict continues into the end of 2016 and thousands more refugees are in need of intervention, Myanmar draws international attention and condemnation for its lack of success resolving the human rights crisis in the wake of decades of unrest and inequality. Aung San Suu Kyi’s government may be facing its greatest challenge in the Rakhine State as it enters its second year of rule.

7

Conflicts between insurgent militant groups and the police extend years of violence

Sources: BBC, New York Times, The Irrawaddy, Burma News International

by ISABEL DEWHURST

human geography

A mural in Clarion Alley, a small street in San Francisco.

Since 1992, the Clarion Alley Mural Project has been using public art as " as a force for those who are marginalized and a place where culture and dignity speak louder than the rules of private property or a lifestyle that puts profit before compassion, respect, and social justice."

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: ISOBEL SMITH

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

PERFORMATIVE POLITICS AND PEAS

I

’ve always been a fussy eater.

Peas? Fish? Chocolate? Gag. In a commendable but largely unsuccessful ploy to get me to eat my peas, my parents frequently delivered the line of how Ungrateful Me should think of Those Starving Children in Africa who would die for my food. This somewhat innocent appropriation of politics into a normative performance has become increasingly pervasive with the rise of social media, leading to an expectation that each controversial event warrant a grand soliloquy expressing disgust, indignation and solidarity as part of the responsive rhetoric. Through such outpourings, it has been argued that performative grief and outrage have been commodified to the point that expressions of personal politics overshadow the events themselves.

From simple factual publication, social media has transformed political events into the implicitly antagonised sentiment, “WHY AREN’T [OTHER] PEOPLE DISCUSSING THIS?” Friends have expressed annoyance at the constant stream of uninformed political oratory filling their timelines, but is it really such a bad thing?

Take the recent #BREXIT outpouring.

Whilst my timelines later became overwhelmed with last-minute pleas to #voteremain prior to indignant outcries at being personally victimised by the 52%, pre-vote they were chiefly construed of the typical group photos, tagged memes and profile picture updates. According to some sources, the top UK Google search post-vote was an inquiry into what, precisely, we had voted to leave.

Would the outcome have been the same had people realised the context of the situation and their vote with the same sentiments gathered and expressed post-#BREXIT held prevote? Debatable. But it’s obvious that the same discussion that erupted from #BREXIT was lacking pre-vote.

What the soliloquised appropriation of politics promotes, irrespective of the underlying arguably egotistic sentiment (Look! I’m politically informed! Why aren’t you talking about this? / Maybe this guilttrip will make her eat her peas!), is discussion. And discussions on familiar, comfortable platforms like social media have the potential to deconstruct formal politics into a more accessible abstract.

It’s easy to compartmentalise geographical enquiry into discourse analysis as separate to our everyday lives, something we’re happy to be lectured about or study in text but implicitly critique when it appears in informal platforms such as Facebook amongst rowing photos, tangential essay-crisis statuses and general Cam Spam (guilty). Hearing what that guy from high school has to say about Trump’s latest diatribe against women might not be the most coherently articulated or informed statement in the world, but at base fact at least he is deconstructing the narrative Trump is trying to feed to him and others.

So, though the use of Starving African Children is perhaps too extreme an appropriation, the simple fact is, no matter how trite the sentiment, the sheer act of composing and sharing soliloquies shows that people are engaging with what the media is feeding them. That’s hardly a bad thing, though it’s yet to get me eating my peas.

by CHLOE RIXON

The March for Europe that took place in July saw thousands marching through London to protest against the referendum decision to leave the EU. (PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: FLICKR/GARRY KNIGHT)

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HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY IN CONVERSATION Oxford economist, Professor Paul Collier has had a distinguished career having been Director of the Research Department at the World Bank, advisor to the IMF, influential in generating Britain’s agenda for the G8 in 2013 and is currently advising the German government who will have presidency of the G20 next year - a far-cry from his humble upbringing in Yorkshire. He kindly offered his time to speak to Angus Parker about his career, his work on development and his outlook for the future.

“D

reams for me are out – I try to look at what’s feasible and practical”.

To imagine that the son of a butcher from Sheffield could become one of the most influential economists and development advisors without drifting into a world of fantasy seems optimistic – but that is exactly what Paul Collier has done.

After completing a doctorate in economic theory, Collier sought to apply his knowledge to address the issues of global poverty and, for him, Africa was the continent most in need of analysis and assistance.

approaches”.

This concept reflects Collier’s philosophy on development and international politics –measured articulation and clear communication to construct widespread knowledge is more effective than moral grandstanding or political manoeuvring.

can have influence”.

His message has worked. David Cameron read The Bottom Billion and asked Professor Collier to set the development agenda for the G8 in 2013, inviting him to Enniskillen to set out his policies to the world’s leading heads of state. The German government, who hold presidency of the G20 in 2017, have similarly requested Collier’s assistance, especially in relation to their Compact for Africa – a policy designed to stimulate investment in African economies.

"We don’t need saints, we need common decency and common sense."

“Africa had become independent with a staggering shortage of educated people - so I thought maybe I could be useful - if economics is useful anywhere it should be useful in desperately poor countries that seem to have few opportunities.

“International policies towards Africa were sort of theatrical - I believed the best way to get them changed was to build a critical mass of people who understood the issues and could then push for more appropriate

“It seems to me once you write something out in language that engages people, you can easily build consensus - it’s just a matter of communicating clearly, in a way that non-specialists can read without feeling they’re being patronised or insulted. Issues often become marginalised and occupied by saints rather than something that the average person can embrace.

Saints put the moral bar far to high for serious realistic action. We don’t need saints, we need common decency and common sense. Even if ideas cannot fit on a wristband, as long as they’re clearly articulated and readable, they 10

“It is certainly possible to get change. I’ve been working with the government of Jordan - they have a huge refugee population so two years ago they got in touch to ask for some ideas to help. I teamed up with Alex Betts, director of the refugee study centre in Oxford, and we’ve written a book called Refuge, which, at its core, is a strategy to take jobs to the refugees in the regional havens. The King of Jordan, the President of the World Bank and David Cameron all picked up on this idea with Cameron hosting a conference in February around that concept of helping the

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

"all those four buses came at once but all those buses have gone and they won’t be coming back soon." haven governments.

“As a result, earlier this month the World Bank approved a big loan for Jordan to create jobs for both refugees and Jordanians. A concessional loan, but it was the first loan the World Bank has ever done for refugees. It’s now called the Jordan Model and its already been taken to Ethiopia”.

prices have tanked, the investments needed to get the newly discovered resources to market are struggling to get finance and the world is still awash with liquidity but it’s not being lent to African governments. It was a good decade of convergence but it was an exceptional decade. We now need to build a more sustainable growth model”.

more environmentally friendly than traditional ways of life. Carbon emissions from pastoralists are much worse, for example, than carbon emissions from energy efficient tower blocks. It is entirely feasible, within the constraints of the environment, to get global prosperity for all. But clearly there are big collective action problems in doing that”.

Sustainability is a central issue of contemporary debate. Last year, the UN launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 17 goals and 169 targets to be reached by 2030. However, the ambitious attempt to prioritise everything risks prioritising nothing, and Collier insists that public money must become smarter in inducing private investment if the desired scaling from billions to trillions is to be achieved.

Collective action is the key issue. The extent to which different governments hold responsibility for the problems of the past or the action in the future, is a matter of intense debate and controversy. The poorest nations of the world feel aggrieved at attempts by developed nations to utilise their power in global institutions to enforce global constraints on emissions, for example. Professor Collier prefers an approach that pins responsibilities and clear ties on decision makers rather than detached policies where responsibility is subsumed across the world and thus becomes isolated and ambiguous.

Yet despite the refreshing knowledge that political leaders are utilising academic research to generate development policies, the future for the poorest nations is still uncertain, especially in Africa. This year’s growth figures suggest Africa’s per capita GDP will fall by just over 1% whilst the rest of the world is expected to rise by 1-2% - an indication of divergence.

Almost tens years after publishingThe Bottom Billion, the future of these nations is worrying for Professor Collier. “It has been a somewhat exceptional decade. It started with debt relief, followed by the commodity booms that drove up export earnings and stimulated investment in prospecting for new natural resources - the Bottom Billion were the least prospected places in the world so, in addition to the price bonanza, they got a quantity benefit too. Then, after the global financial crisis, asset managers started to be willing to hold African debt for the first time.

“I see the future of aid as encouraging good firms to go to places they don’t particularly want to. Poor countries are desperately short of the organisational capacities that good firms have. It’s not even first and foremost the money that they need; it is the organisational capacity to harness the benefits of scale and specialisation. We’ve known since Adam Smith that scale and specialisation are the magic ingredients of getting out of poverty – they’re the bedrock of productivity”.

But what of sustainable development?

The concept is sometimes accused of being oxymoronic – for some people, the style of development necessary to strive in the contemporary, globalised world conflicts with the idea of living within our constraints to protect the prospects of future generations.

“However, all those four buses came at once but all those buses have gone and they won’t be coming back soon. Further debt relief isn’t on the agenda - it’s too soon, commodity

Paul Collier disagrees. “Is it possible to have a world where everybody is prosperous? Yes, absolutely. I don’t believe all the environmental doom stuff - often modernity is much

By drawing on the example of the coal industry he outlines an exemplar plan for what such collective action would look like - “There needs to be a simple schedule to create as much moral

"Is it possible to have a world where everybody is prosperous?

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Yes, absolutely." pressure as possible on as few people as possible; basically outlining that until the richest countries have closed their industry - countries such as America, Australia, Germany, Sweden - nobody else has to do anything.

“As they start closing their coal industry, then you get the next in line, countries like Poland - the very

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

bottom of the list is Africa. I was on stage earlier this month with the Nigerian minister of finance and I asked her, if that was the sequence would the Nigerian government commit and she said of course they would”.

The practical theory for collective action is therefore clear – obligation should reflect levels of development.

The challenge is converting this theory into practice by overcoming the political power structures of the developed nations and attaining consensus.

“I rigorously try not to do optimism/ pessimism! Africa has been through cycles of optimism and negativity and is beset by theatricality. So I try and discipline myself by asking – ‘Where are we now and what is the feasible range of actions?’ Only then can one try to make the best of what we have within that set”.

It is this rational and practical approach that underpins Collier’s work and demonstrates why his research has been so successful and influential on an international scale. After reading

"Resilience is about coping with shocks and catching up is about long-term growth and productivity."

However, there is a sense that collective action will become ever more difficult in an era when globalisation appears to be stalling. Cultural diversity is developing into cultural division, trade liberalisation is becoming bureaucratic and listless– just look at the WTO’s Doha Development round. Political earthquakes, such as the UK’s decision to leave the EU, only compound uncertainty in both the world economy and global society – the future is far from replicating the sustainable certainty that is coveted in developmental spheres.

Collier’s last publication, Exodus, a German journalist observed that it provided “a beacon of sanity at a time of craziness” – it is a remark that could very well be endowed upon Professor Collier himself.

“We live in dangerously disturbed times”, says Collier, “we need to develop strategies that respond to state failure, because it’s likely that we’ll have quite a lot, as well as try and reduce the incidence of state failure by helping poor societies become more resilient and catch up – those are slightly different things. Resilience is about coping with shocks and catching up is about long-term growth and productivity”.

So is Collier optimistic?

12

IN DEFENCE OF ADVENTUROUS TRAVEL words and photographsby FELIX KONINX

I

am fortunate enough that travel has always been a part of my life.

Apart from the awkwardness I feel when explaining I am simultaneously Dutch, Australian, Norwegian, German and legally Venezuelan, growing up in 4 different countries has been an overwhelmingly positive experience; one that, amongst other things, has instilled in me a permanent sense of wanderlust, a need to discover things for myself, to study the world and attempt to understand the interactions between the physical environment and people living there.

Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Apart from being a classic UCAS spiel for anyone looking to study Geography, this familiarity stems in large part from the fact that ‘journeys of discovery’ and adventure travel have become increasingly commodified in our market society. I am aware of the pressing issues related to this phenomenon, such

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

as cultural commodification, voluntourism, or even the branding and presentation of oneself (especially on social media) as well-travelled, exciting and adventurous. I even subscribe to the latter: I have a definite soft spot for a mountainous cover photo. But I write to make a case that independent adventurous travel and expedition discovery have largely positive impacts on multiple fronts.

My first point is largely self-explanatory, and I need not go into the literature that explains the intuitive concept that challenges and out-of-comfortzone experiences inherently build character, emotional resilience and self-confidence. It’s a cliché, but it exists for a reason. The important thing is to remember not to let anyone else decide what your out-of-comfort-zone experiences should be. Independently seek them out. I can honestly say that hiking alone to Nanda Devi East Base Camp in the Indian Himalaya was, as an event, one of the single most important things I did to shape how I perceive myself.

My second point is perhaps more controversial, but I maintain that travel to faraway places is crucial in deconstructing what Derek Gregory describes as ‘imagined geographies’.

This is slightly more complex, in that

travel accounts, images and videos (and I am going to throw in everyone’s favourite word, discourse) play a huge role in initially constructing these geographical imaginations. I would argue that they become reinforced if travelling with an organised group that has an obligation to fulfil the images or scenes that first convinced you to book.

In contrast, ‘discovering’ places for yourself or in a small group will more likely result in different images staying with you, ones that perhaps refute the reduced ones of a previous geographical

13

‘Want to have dinner at my apartment tonight?’

‘Yeah…why not?’

imagination.

My favourite memory of Delhi came from accepting an invitation to have dinner at a student’s apartment after meeting in line for our chapatti and dal makhani, something that would never have happened had I been with a group of 5 other travellers. So, I urge fellow geographers to take back adventurous journeys of self-discovery from the clichés and problematic hands of organised gap-yah’s and packaged adventurous travel. There is so much good that can be done if we have the drive to independently make it happen for ourselves.

(left) A defining moment in how I (Felix) perceived myself. (above) The world's youngest mountain range blessed by the sun's rays

physical geography

Mount Batur, the most active volcano in Bali, Indonesia, at sunrise, 1717m above sea level.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: JOANNA LOL

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

I C ELA N D: T NOW YOU SEE IT NOW YOU DON'T WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

by SALLY PEARSON

here is plenty of evidence that climate change is ‘real’ but it’s not often that you get to witness its frightening realities first hand; this is exactly what happened to me this summer.

It was June, and I was making a return visit to Iceland having made my first trip to the country in 2013. On my itinerary was the Sólheimajökull glacier: the southwestern outlet of the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, just east of the infamous volcano of Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010.

Sólheimajökull is a popular tourist destination with plenty of companies offering guided hikes to reach the glacier’s tongue and touch the ice. This is where the shock came. As I reached out to the ice, I realised that it wasn’t where it had been three years previously; a stark illustration of the glacier’s dramatic retreat. Indeed, later comparison with archive holiday snaps (see

15

photos) reinforced this suspicion as hard-fast evidence.

The tragic thing is, we know it’s happening. This is an area that is monitored closely and data confirms that this particular glacier has shrunk by about a kilometre in the last decade. Glaciologist Helgi Bjornsson from the University of Iceland reports that some of the country’s glaciers have vanished already and several others will be gone in a decade or two.

The implications of this are serious; it is estimated that the annual melt from Iceland’s glaciers could fill fifty of the world’s largest trucks every minute.

Not only could this have catastrophic effects such as widespread flooding, but the landscape itself will also be radically altered and the character of the country will undoubtedly change.

As Katz (2013) says “without ice, Iceland is just land.”

We must face up to what is happening before our very eyes and act now to halt this devastating process, otherwise tourists may find that they have to walk a lot further to touch the ice, and maybe in a few years will not be able to reach it at all.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

The Bermuda Turtle Project team in 2015

Unravelling the Mystery of 'The Lost Years' words and photographs by fiona dobson

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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

(clockwise from top left) Turtles ready to be tagged and measured on the Bermuda Turtle Project, a Juvenile Green Sea Turtle, Fiona releasing a turtle after tagging and measurement, and Hardy's migration to the Bahamas

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he sea turtle is one of those fascinating creatures that has captured the hearts and minds of scientists, geographers and conservationists alike. Until recently, a comprehensive understanding of their life cycle had remained a mystery despite extensive research into their nesting habits and astonishing ability to return to the same beach where they hatched. The developmental stages during which juvenile turtles seemingly disappear to mature were termed ‘The Lost Years’. Finally, new technologies and research have uncovered some of this mystery in relation to Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the western Atlantic, where ocean currents, Sargassum and even the tiny island of Bermuda are involved. [Un] surprisingly research has not revealed that the juvenile turtles get plunged into the deep abyss of the Bermuda Triangle and somehow find their way out years later.

Many of these turtles get caught in eddies that diverge from the main current and in some cases arrive in the waters of Bermuda, an island of 21 square miles located at the top of an ancient submarine volcano. The island is surrounded by coral reefs and shallow seagrass beds, providing the perfect ‘nursery’ for juvenile sea turtles. This is where the Bermuda Turtle Project has been running since 1968, carrying out in-water research to collect a range of data on over 3,500 juvenile green turtles. Turtles that end up in Bermuda tend to establish specific feeding areas and remain for several years, growing to about 30 inches in carapace length by the time they leave. Excitingly, in the last two decades satellite transmitters have been attached to a few turtles each year, giving great information on the next stage of their life cycle - migration back to the areas where they hatched to mate and nest. The most recent results from a satellite transmitter revealed that ‘Hardy’ has journeyed from Bermuda to the Bahamas in just over one month and 1,000 miles! It is wonderful that new research and technology has been able to provide new insight into the previously mysterious world of sea turtles, and thank goodness we can no longer blame ‘The Lost Years’ on the Triangle.

It all begins with tiny, newly hatched sea-turtles, who, in their difficult task of simply reaching the ocean, have to avoid being snatched up by hungry seabirds or crabs. Those that survive have little energy left to swim far and instead rely on ocean currents, in which they drift at the surface amongst Sargassum (a type of brown seaweed). These ‘floating forests’ are a vital pelagic habitat for young turtles, providing food and shelter in an otherwise vast and open deep ocean. Many turtles that hatch off beaches in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean end up in the Gulf Stream and are carried north (think Squirt but in the Sargasso Sea).

If you’re interested in following the migration References:

tracks of sea turtles, visit the ‘Turtle Tracker’

The Bermuda Turtle Project

section on the Sea Turtle Conservancy

Sea Turtle Conservancy

website for real-time updates! http://conserveturtles.org/seaturtletracking. php

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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

MEASURING MOUNT ETNA

M

ount Etna is the second most active volcano in the world and I had the chance to help Professor John Murray from the Open University monitor its ground deformation at the end of the summer holidays. John Murray has been working on this project for nearly fifty years making it one of the longest running continuous data sets on any volcano. As many of the tourists who saw us wielding large measuring staffs and setting up GPS tripods discovered, we were essentially measuring how the slopes of the volcano are moving. The project’s long-term aim is to understand the workings of Etna and predict when and where eruptions are likely to take place.

Etna is an impressive volcano covering an area of 1,190km2 and reaching 3,323m above sea level according to 2014 measurements. As the tallest and most active volcano in Europe, this dominant feature on the East Coast of Sicily was a sight to behold.

Its continuous volcanic plume and puffs of darker, more ominous ash clouds acted as a strong reminder for our purpose there. Studies carried out on other volcanoes have revealed that the ground rises by up to a metre in the months leading up to an eruption and then rapidly contracts once the eruption begins. This elastic deformation is caused by magma rising to a storage area a few kilometres below the volcano, which then expands until the above rocks cannot cope with the pressure and fractures, allowing the magma to escape to the surface as lava in an eruption. However Mount Etna is unique in that it does not follow this process properly. During flank eruptions, the summit appears to

by AOIFE BLANCHARD subside slightly while the flanks inflate and neither flank nor summit eruptions show large movement of the ground upwards before they erupt (never more than a few centimetres) which makes predicting future eruptions more challenging.

To measure the movement of Etna’s slopes we set up a network of GPS stations each day and levelled along set transect lines. There were over 100 GPS stations to cover in the five weeks we were there and most were measured twice to improve the accuracy and reliability of results. Receivers are set up over the same stations every year to determine the geodetic height of that location. These heights are compared to past years to determine vertical and horizontal movement as the volcano deforms over time. Precise levelling allows vertical movement to be measured more accurately across the 373 benchmarks. A digital level is mounted on a tripod and reads off the barcode levelling staff. Foresights and backsights are taken so that the relative height of the slope can be determined and the change compared to past years.

This technique is similar to that used on the rivers fieldtrip at Part IA to make a cross section of the Cam. Etna’s South East crater is currently the most active summit crater and has displayed some explosive activity and short-lived larger eruptions this year.

If you would like to follow Etna’s activity, it has five live webcams which update every 30 seconds at http://www.guideetna.com/webcam/ and John Murray’s papers give a more detailed explanation of his research and findings.

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(Above) Carrying GPS equipment up to 'Windy Bluff ' and levelling near the summit beside a recent lava flow. (Below) Etna's volcanic plume.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: AOIFE BLANCHARD

All-star picks: New and noteworthy in physical geography

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: JULIA GANIS

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: AOIFE BLANCHARD

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: JACK FERGUSON

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin – scientists fear 21st century melt may well go far above 1m (DeConto and Pollard, 2016) In 2013 the IPCC predicted a total sea level rise of between 0.3-1m, however in just the few years since this, work has been done showing this is most likely an underestimation.

DeConto and Pollard (2016) use dynamic modelling techniques which account for ocean warming eating away at the underside of the ice sheet to predict the changes likely to occur to the Antarctic Ice Sheet, particularly the more vulnerable West Antarctic Ice Sheet. Ominously they predicted that SLR will be far above 1m by 2100, and more than 15 meters by 2500.

They also use models that consider past CO2 levels to predict possible consequences. In the Pliocene, atmospheric CO2 concentrations were comparable to todays at roughly 400 PPM, and yet sea level constructions were 10-30m higher. This would require retreat from not only the Greenland Ice Sheet, and West Antarctic Ice Sheet, but also the perceivably stable East Antarctic Ice Sheet.

If emissions continue unabated DeConto and Pollard argue that we will be seeing irreversible changes to the world’s ice sheets that will continue over the next few millennia.

My world’s on fire, how ‘bout yours – tracking volcanic emissions to avoid disaster Volcanic eruptions can have massive economic and social consequences. For example in 1991 a volcanic eruption in Kyushu, Japan resulted in 12,000 people having to be evacuated and the loss of 43 people’s lives. In total the disaster cost 1.5 billion US dollars. Therefore it is critical for us to develop methods to predict emissions to the best of our ability, and we are now one step closer.

Recent work as part of the Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative has been looking at gas emissions from volcanoes in order to try to predict eruptions. Their work involves measuring carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and water vapour, the major gases emitted by all volcanoes on the planet, from stations on volcanoes. In the hours leading up to an eruption, there is consistent evidence suggesting a change in the ratio between carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. Therefore by measuring the changes in these gases DECADE are able to make predictions regarding volcanic eruptions.

Currently there are monitoring stations on eight of the world’s most active volcanoes, but the goal for DECADE is to be monitoring 15 volcanoes by 2019, and to continue to expand this onto more and more of the world’s 150 most active volcanoes.

The water’s getting warm so we might as well swim – how will tropical coral reef fish cope with ocean warming? (Habary et al., 2016) Previous work concerning the adaptation of coral reef species claimed that tolerance to changes in ocean temperatures would be the defining factor allowing species to adapt in a world experiencing rapid climatic change. However Habary and colleagues challenge this theory.

Over the past ten years more than 365 tropical fish species have been documented moving poleward. They are migrating from areas where 2-3°C of warming has occurred, temperatures that can have drastic physiological effects.

Habary and co. examined the capacity of a model species, the blue-green damselfish, to adapt to changes in temperature. They found that whilst the fish were capable of adapting to living in water 2-4°C warmer than the summer average, when given any chance the fish will choose to move to cooler water.

The ability for fish species to travel rather than adapt is critical. In the past whilst species adapted to changes in temperature the changes occurred on scales of one degree per million years. Instead of looking into whether fish can adapt this new research asked the important question as to whether not only could fish move, but also could entire ecosystems? And the answer it seems is at least partially yes.

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geographers in action

Borobudur temple, Java.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: ISABELLA DOE

PROFESSOR ANDREW GOUDIE Professor Andrew Goudie’s enthusiasm for his research is palpable and contagious.

Desert geomorphology has formed the backbone of his research, but his publications examining the human influence on the environment have generated great debate in a time when anthropogenic studies are becoming increasingly important.

Professor Goudie, a Cambridge graduate, is a leading figure in the environments of geomorphology – particularly deserts – and has an enviable geographical CV having been awarded the Founders’ Medal of the Royal Geographic Society, held the position of Chairman of the British Geomorphological Research Group, been President of the Geographical Association and a member of the Council of the Institute of British Geographers.

Following his insightful talk on the study of desert geomorphology and the recent technological developments aiding our understanding of the complexities of these environments, Compass was able to question Professor Goudie on his research and his career.

Where did your interest in this field begin?

I was quite lucky - my parents were great ones for going walking on weekends, so I developed an appreciation of landscape, the countryside, and natural environments. Of course, it was all helped when I came to study at Cambridge, we had all of this modern quantitative systems and modelling, which was a very exciting time… one learnt to enjoy the landscape in greater depth.

What are your views on the Anthropocene debate? Are we entering a new epoch where humans have become a dominant geological force?

I take quite a long view but I’m convinced that humans had a major impact on the environment, which is why I wrote “The Human Impact” in 1986. I was convinced then and I’m even more convinced now.

I went on a lot of fieldtrips with the British Geomorphology Research Group and people were always trying to go to places where there was no

human impact. I thought – ‘why do we have to go to some miserable little catch at the top of the Mendips and pretend humans aren’t there?’. It has become increasingly obvious that human impacts are very important.

Desert Research Institute and used to walk for miles. One day, I was in a Land Rover that broke down and I had to walk about 40km back to the research station to get help. That was quite heroic and exciting.

There are fewer places that are truly natural - and even natural places are affected by changes in bio-geochemical cycling and the world’s system. The “anthropocene” is a very important central focus for Geography today. However, when it started and how you define it is still a big debate. But it’s important that the the human and physical aspects of the subject unite to foster a better understanding of the processes at work.

Finally, if there was a piece of advice that you could give to an undergraduate geographer, what would it be?

Absolutely do what you want. It’s important to do what you want because then you’ll do it well rather than worrying too much whether it’s relevant or important. The other bit of advice that I tried to do was to go for the gaps. If you can find an interesting area that nobody has written on, then you’re more likely to make an impact as well as find it exciting!

What is the best place that you have ever visited?

Undoubtedly, Namibia. It’s very beautiful, the infrastructure is very good, the food and drink is very good, the people are lovely and you can walk in every direction as there are no fences to get in your way! I’ve spent a huge amount of time at the Namib 21

Professor Goudie’s new book – “Geomorphology in the Anthropocene” – will be published on October 31st and will explore in greater depth the contemporary debates surrounding the human induced changes occurring on our planet.

GEOGRAPHERS IN ACTION

GREEN IS THE COLOUR

by MADDY CLIFFORD

P

eople always say that you need to take all the opportunities you can at University. Opportunities to build your knowledge-base, your CV and most importantly, your character, are almost aggressively abundant around Cambridge. This is certainly no different in the green and ethical arena – opportunities to become a green warrior are surprisingly plentiful.

At first I found this overwhelming – should I join the Amnesty International society? Young Greens?

Positive Investment Cambridge? Or I should do the ultimate Cambridge thing and start my own green society, run purely on solar-power and green love? I decided on none of the above and instead spent my first year preaching about sustainability and green-thinking, but doing little to follow my own values.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: PAULA STRUTHOFF

By second year I realised that my time studying Geography at Cambridge should mean more than just talking about the world’s environmental and social problems; I could take on some responsibility of actively reducing them. So I set my sights on becoming Green and Ethical Officer at Emmanuel as a way of ‘being the change’ and all that Gandhi malarkey.

Now, as I come to the end of my reign as Chief of the Greens at Emma, I can safely say it is one of the best and most fulfilling endeavours I have ever had the pleasure to undertake.

Over Lent and Easter terms, my trusty Green Society (or the Emma Green Ducks to those in the know) and I worked towards making Emma a more green and sustainable place through the guidance of the Green Impact Award, setting out to be a firm green presence within college.

Using the handy criteria that set out conditions for sustainability across a range of areas from water usage to food sourcing to student engagement, we carried out a variety of schemes and events to build on the green credentials that Emma had already gained from

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the appointment of Dame Fiona Reynolds (formally Director-General of the National Trust) as Master. We held Cambridge’s first Environ-Ent in Emma bar in March 2016, with a green and ethical pub quiz alongside green-themed cocktails and a healthy dose of green banter. The huge effort by the Green Society resulted in the gaining of a Silver Green Impact Award in June which now sits proudly on the mantelpiece in our Plodge.

Becoming Green Officer has been one of the best and most enjoyable experiences of my Cambridge life.

It has been amazing to meet other like-minded individuals both within Emma and outside as a result of the role, and to actually feel as though I have helped to make a difference (however small) to the sustainability within my college is something I will keep with me long after graduation.

Green is definitely the colour. Though admittedly my favourite is red. Don’t tell anyone.

(P.S. Did I meet the quota for the number of times I said the word Green in this article or should I add a few more? Green. Green Green.

Green.)

GEOGRAPHERS IN ACTION

London

Belgium

Rio de Janiero

Favourite place you've visited?

Bled, Slovenia

South Africa

Place you'd most like to visit?

New Zealand

Human - but university is convincing me otherwise Urban Map Dynamic Always keep the Swiss flag in mind - it's a big plus!

Human or Physical?

Urban or Rural?

Map or GPS? Geography in One Word.

Geographical Tip?

Playing with my dogs.

Free Time

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Favourite Book

Human.

Urban Map People Always ask why things appear as they do Music - I've played piano for 12 years and the flute for 5 years.

The Da Vinci Code

IA

Y

YD

ME

A

L

Where are you from?

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RIC

Beyond the Bubble

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: ISOBEL SMITH

T R AV E L

EAST AFRICAN ADVENTURE

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entatively, I sipped from my bottle of now-lukewarm water.

Careful not to coincide with the latest ‘speed bump’ in the road ahead, I attempt in vain to stave off the rising heat. It’s 11am and I’m less than halfway through my 10-hour journey. Having spent 4 ½ months working for an organisation in Nairobi, I am setting off with a rough itinerary and a few contacts, to spend the next 6 weeks seeing something of East Africa.

The trip began with a visit to friends working in northern Tanzanian town of Musoma, on the shores of Lake Victoria. After a few days I was back in Kenya, in the central Great Lakes region, marvelling at the rich array of wildlife set amongst the stunning volcanic surroundings. An equally enjoyable weekend on a ranch in Laikipia County, under the shadow of the great Mt Kenya, followed.

Half a week later, I found myself on the slopes of this mountain. Head and heart pounding, taking in great lungfuls of the air, I sat back and

words and photographs by EDWARD HUTTON admired my surroundings as dawn broke behind me at 4,985m – the highest summit accessible by foot.

Next I was in the small dusty village of Kilimatinde, central Tanzania.

Heading East to Zanzibar, we spent the following week exploring Sultans’ palaces, getting lost down narrow streets,lying on phosphorous-white beaches, and snorkelling over coral reefs.

Following an unforgettable 18-hour bus journey, I end up in the northern city of Mwanza. From there I worked my way through the hills West to Kigali, Rwanda. I marvelled at the cleanliness and infrastructure of a place so influenced by constant reminders of its bloody past. I travelled along the shores of Lake Kivu before heading North to Uganda. Lake Bunyoni in the South West was my first port of call, paddling in a log-cut canoe on tranquil, sunset-drenched waters.

Kampala was next and I was stunned by a place with congestion crazy enough to rival Nairobi. I enjoyed

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the old Buganda Kingdom palaces, littered with the relics of Idi Amin, and once again returned to the beautiful shores of Lake Victoria at Entebbe.

Another long bus journey took me back to Nairobi, with a brief stop at the supposed source of the Nile, Jinja.

I then headed East to coastal Mombasa, spending a day exploring the old city before heading North to Kilifi. I canoed across the beautiful Kilifi creek, explored ancient ruins and was (literally) blown away by the breathtaking Vuma cliffs. Next I headed north to the sleepy island of Lamu with its donkeys roaming the winding streets, filled with the refreshing sea breeze.

Whilst squatting on a set of railway tracks in the Tsavo National Park during the middle of the night, with the remanence of our bus back to Nairobi nearby (it’s a long story…), I reflected on what a privilege my trip had been. After 6 weeks, 4 countries and over 8,000km, I’ve been left with lasting memories of this part of the world and its people, cultures and places.

T R AV E L

EXPLORING THE INDONESIAN ARCHIPELAGO I

words and photographs by ISABELLA DOE

ndonesia is a country that defies homogenisation. The world’s largest island nation, comprised of 17,000 islands of volcanic origin, is a place of diverse culture and history as well as thriving wildlife and epic landscapes. Located astride the equator in the humid tropics, extending some 2,300 miles east-west, the varied landscape embraces ancient rice terraces, untamed jungle, islands with pristine coral fringed by white sands and lava-spewing volcanoes.

This year I was lucky enough to spend two months of my summer exploring the beautiful islands of Indonesia.

Island hopping between Java, Bali,

Nusa Lembongan, the Gili Islands, and Flores, travelling by public night buses, slow boats and at times overcrowded canoes was a fantastic way to experience the essence of travel and the ‘real’ Indonesia.

Drawn to Indonesia as a place with rich culture and history, beginning my trip in Java did not disappoint.

Home to the world’s largest Muslim population, and with six officially recognised religions, Indonesia is studded with ancient temples.

Visiting central Java brought me to the UNESCO world heritage sites Borobudur and Prambanan. Located

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within the Yogyakarta region of Central Java, the colossal Buddhist monument, Borobudur has survived nearby Mount Merapi’s eruptions and multiple earthquakes to remain as prominent and as beautiful as it must have been thousands of years ago.

Watching the sun rise over the world's largest Buddhist temple is a serene and mesmerising sight. This region is also home to Prambanan, the largest 9th-century Hindu temple compound and the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia characterised by its tall and pointed architecture and by the towering central building inside a large complex of individua temples.

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Both temples are testaments to the synergy of ancient civilisations by incorporating a fusion of Buddhist and Hindu architecture into these protected world heritage sites.

Ancient temples like Prambanan and Borobudur are scattered across the whole of the country, each one offering a spectacular sight such as the impressive coastal views of the beautiful Balinese sea temples.

In a country where the natural landscape is as diverse and interesting as its culture, history and the people that live there, impressive views and stunning landscapes are the norm.

Indonesia is home to the most volcanoes in the world, with over 130 active volcanoes that are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Moving across the volcanic landscapes of Java, Bali and Flores, from hiking deep into the foothills of the Tengger mountain range to reach the spectacular Madakaripura waterfall; to getting up close and personal with Komodo dragons, the largest living species of lizard, on Rinca and Komodo Island in Komodo National Park; to viewing the sunrise over Mount Bromo, Indonesia offers the opportunity to explore unbelievable landscapes that can push you to the limits.

Nevertheless, as tiresome as a break

of dawn hike may be, the captivating view of Bromo National Park’s Caldera spanning across your view amidst sunrise is a reward like none other.

Later travelling across the bumpy terrain of its ash field in a Jeep and scaling the active volcano to walk along its crater rim is a truly unforgettable experience.

Later travelling across the bumpy terrain of its ash field in a Jeep and scaling the active volcano to walk along its crater rim is a truly unforgettable experience.

What’s more, the volcanic landscape in Indonesia creates some unique tectonic spectacles such as the ‘blue fire’ that bursts from fissures in the crater of Mount Ijen. Located in Eastern Java, Mount Ijen is one of the few known places where this the phenomenon occurs. The blue fire is ignited sulphuric gas, emerging

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from cracks at temperatures of up to six hundred degrees Celsius.

Viewing the display requires a twohour hike at midnight to reach the rim of the crater with a gas-mask in tow to protect against the poisonous sulphur gas. A subsequent 45-minute hike down to the turquoise-coloured, sulphuric acid filled crater lake stretching a kilometer across brings you face to face with the unique dancing blue flames.

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On land, Indonesia is beautiful, but underwater, Indonesia is absolutely sensational. Swept by the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it is known in the diving community as the world's

best country for sea life with more marine diversity than anywhere on earth. Located in the middle of the 'Coral Triangle' of diversity that extends from Australia to the Philippines and across to Borneo and into the South Pacific, Indonesia is home to 20% of the world's coral reefs, over 3,000 different species of fish and 600 coral species, deep water trenches, volcanic seamounts, World War II wrecks, and an endless variety of macro life. Sightings of sharks, manta rays, and turtles are not uncommon in areas such as the Gili Islands and Komodo National Park.

In certain areas, around the islands of Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida off the coast of Bali, there is even the chance to grab a glimpse of the Ocean Sunfish. Sunfish are pelagic and swim at depths to 600 m which means they can be very hard to find, however between July and September every

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year in Bali occasionally they come inshore. Also known as a Mola Mola, they are the heaviest known bony fish in the world with known average adult weights up to 1,000 kg.

The varied landscapes coupled with the developing infrastructure currently in place in Indonesia present their travel challenges. While budget air travel has opened up huge expanses of the nation, it can still take a surprisingly long time to get from A to B. Many journeys might involve internal flights, jarring bus journeys dodging local moped riders, boats of a range of shapes, sizes and safety standards, or, quite often, all of these.

But the sense of true adventure that comes with peering out the open door of a train tumbling across Java, idling away time on a ferry bound for Labuan Bajo, and hanging onto the back of a scooter on Nusa Lembongan makes it impossible not to enjoy the endless exploration of the raw beauty of Indonesia’s 17,000-odd islands.

Indonesia really is an enticing country offering myriad adventures.

T R AV E L

COSMOPOLITAN CITIES AND CALIFORNIAN BEAUTY

words and photographs

by ISOBEL SMITH

T

his summer, with assistance from a Parry-Dutton Travel Scholarship, I travelled with my sister to northern California.

Our trip began in Santa Cruz, a surf city known for its natural beauty and laid-back, liberal character.

The Natural Bridges State Park was particularly stunning, featuring a mudstone archway carved by the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean.

Inland, the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park was similarly striking, with its towering redwoods, adapted to cope with Californian droughts and forest fires. The city itself was surprisingly diverse given its small size. The garish entertainment of the oceanfront boardwalk — California’s oldest surviving amusement park and the city’s primary tourist attraction — contrasted with the cultural hub of the downtown district with its independent galleries, shops and street artists creating a lively atmosphere.

We then went inland on a threeday camping trip to Lake Tahoe and Yosemite. Even in grey and rainy weather, Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay was a sight to behold and the dramatic granite landscape of Yosemite featuring waterfalls, meadows, lakes and streams was simply breathtaking.

We got up close to California’s wildlife, placing belongings in ‘bear proof ’ cages away from our tents and listening to wolves’ howls at night.

A personal highlight was following Yosemite’s Mist Trail, gradually losing the crowds as we hiked up to Vernal Falls and beyond, each corner beholding another green screenlike view. The most incredible thing about Yosemite was its sheer vastness.

Despite driving for hours, our trek leader assured us that we had barely seen what the park has to offer. I would

love to go back one day and explore some of its more secluded areas.

However, whilst exploring Yosemite I was struck by the precarious balance between the natural landscape and its biodiversity, and allowing four million people to enjoy it each year.

Despite signs instructing visitors to ‘Keep Wildlife Wild’, the park’s squirrels have tamed as tourists tempt them with picnic food.

We then travelled back to the coast to the City by the Bay. San Francisco had an overwhelming array on offer. Its patchwork of neighbourhoods, each with their own distinctive charm and culture made us feel like we’d visited a dozen cities by the end of our short stay. We gained a taste of the city’s rich variety, from the bustling Fisherman’s Wharf and elaborate decoration in Chinatown, to the more relaxed atmosphere in the trendy Mission District and vast grounds of the Golden Gate Park. The city also had climatic diversity with contrasting microclimates, meaning an area just a few blocks away could be experiencing totally different weather conditions.

My highlights were cycling across the Golden Gate Bridge on an unusually 29

sunny and fog-free day, and Dolores Park that offered a place to relax with great views of the city. Colourful murals stamped messages of radical thinking and liberal activism into the landscape. The mention of the issue of homelessness in the city certainly took me aback during my stay. It was apparent that whilst San Francisco is a fascinating and exciting city, it is certainly one of two halves.

LEARNING TIPS A LECTURER'S P ERS P ECT I V E

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: WILL LYON TUPMAN

search skills you are developing in the Tripos.

Sarah Turner speaks to ALEX JEFFREY. What is the best way to take notes during lectures?

While it is no magic bullet, I would encourage students to develop their own style and avoid thinking there is a clear hierarchy between good and bad practice – this just breeds insecurity. Obviously I would encourage people to avoid writing all the time and engage with what is being said, but we all have different learning styles and some of us need to write more down to make sure it goes in. Just as there is no single way to deliver a lecture, there is more than one way to remember them. Perhaps the only generalisable practice is to remember to reflect on your note taking strategy with your friends, talk about it, compare approaches, but feel comfortable with difference and don’t feel pressure to change your style if you don’t think it will help.

What can one do for a supervision to make the most out of it?

As you will all know: supervisions work best when everyone (including the supervisor) is prepared and ready to think through the topic in an expansive and creative fashion.

As supervisors we always have the balance to sticking to the material (that you will ultimately be examined on) and plucking books off the shelf to broaden our horizons and share an academic interest. While supervising generally is a privilege, I particularly enjoy supervisions where people bring interesting questions that have come from their reading, or are keen to confront an orthodox view that emerges through the lectures (see point below regarding disagreement).

Is going off the reading list a good idea?

Reading lists can be massive, so it is crazy to think that you will always have time (or would need) to find more. I think finding your way around what is presented is a good idea. One thing to do is to think about the nature of the readings: are they text book chapters (in which case they could give a good overview)? Are they syntheses of existing literature providing an account of the state-ofthe-art (papers in places like Progress in Human Geography or Geography Compass)? Are they stand-alone research papers or book chapters that provide an original piece of in-depth research? Try and have a mixture of these different sources, and it may be that in writing the essays you start to develop a particular interest (say, the fragmentation of Yugoslavia for the sake of argument) and you can then delve more deeply into the academic literature using the bibliographic 30

How should one best deal with a situation where one disagrees about the views of a lecturer?

This is an interesting question, though I am not completely sure what ‘views’ means in this context. You are lectured by researchactive members of staff who have all engaged with the issues they are discussing and having looked at the evidence are presenting their case to you. If ‘views’ means the selection of case study material, the narrative of the development of conceptual fields, or the subsequent hierarchy of different scholarly paradigms, then I would recommend thinking about the kinds of evidence and argument you could make in response.

Sometimes students have said to me that the work presented seems to carry a particular political bias, and this is obviously true because there is no such thing as an unbiased position.

But more importantly, this is also often a reflection of the volume of work or the scale of intellectual significance of particular interventions. We have to use our experience and judgement to work out what they are, so clearly there is a role for interpretation and representation. But I think the key (and the incredible opportunity offered by the Tripos) is to raise this in supervisions, or directly with lecturers, or to you DoS. In short: the best approach is to join the debate.

What colour t-shirt should one wear if one wants to avoid having Alice Evans ask you a question during lectures?

This is an impossible question to answer: Alice will find a way.

LEARNING TIPS

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: WILL LYON TUPMAN

freshers perspective RACHEL PERKINS Geography means getting into the nitty-gritty of issues affecting our everyday lives. It’s about taking an issue, turning it inside out and upside down, whether finding new perspectives on topics you thought you knew all too well or learning something completely new. Simply put: it’s more than just studying a subject to get a degree at the end of it. Oh… and it certainly doesn’t mean colouring in maps or just looking at Google Earth! Geography is the study of the planet’s processes and its people. It’s at the core of so many issues affecting everyone directly or indirectly – they all require a geographical understanding and the critical thinking and analytical skills that come with the subject. We need to continue studying (and promoting) Geography, both as an entity and as a discipline, because it evolves with context and you get the best parts of geology, economics, sociology, politics and more within one subject.

I was inspired by my GCSE Geography teacher to study Geography at university. She’s been everywhere from the Norwegian Fjords to rural Tanzania – not forgetting those field trips to Walton on the Naze! It was her motivation and positivity that really fuelled my passion for geographical reading, outside of school study.

It means a lot to be a geographer.

Geography is such a diverse subject and to be able to (hopefully) contribute to geographical research, especially as part of the University of Cambridge, is awe-inspiring.

finalist perspective: MARIA FRISOLI Far from the highly unoriginal colouring in and capital city jibes we have all despaired at, I believe Geography has a profound impact on everyone. Taking a literal derivation, ‘geo-graphy’ means Earth writing; every person’s identity can therefore be seen to be a mix of the places they have encountered throughout their lives, perhaps encompassing their place of residence as well as a fleeting few days to a Spanish beach on an annual holiday. Personally, while I have lived in London most of my life, my Italian family continue to have a strong influence on me. This combination of factors has dictated a breadth of variety of choices I make on a quotidian basis: from the food I consume to the people I form friendships with, all with their own unique geographies attached to them. The ability for perceptions of places to change even within my own lifetime means Geography is never at a fixed state, which, for me, makes the discipline particularly exciting.

As I enter my final year as an undergraduate, my perception of geography has changed, partly due to the wide range of topics I have covered, from the politics of food to the distribution of plants, making me realise further how entangled the discipline is with almost everything. The ability gained through study to critically engage with such a breadth of topics provides a unique lens with which to see the world that makes studying the subject so rewarding and something to carry with me beyond graduation.

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S T U D E N T PERSPECTIVES

by RACHEL PERKINS, MARIA FRISOLI and CHLOE RIXON Students' perspectives at the start and end of the Cambridge Tripos: Outside of trying in vain to define discourse or succinctly explain the embodied nature of geography, we rarely step back from the academic bubble and consider our own geographies.

How do we write our worlds, and how does our study of Geography shape this? And how do our perceptions and understandings vary between the start and end of the tripos?

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: CATHERINE CHANG

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: ROYAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

The Royal Geographic Society The ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (with IBG) is the UK's learned society and professional body for geography.

We have a wide range of resources and expertise to support you in your studies and offer many ways to become more involved with the geographical community. Here are just some of the ways you could become involved with the Society.

Funding for fieldwork

Events and exhibitions

Grants (ÂŁ500 to ÂŁ3000) are available to support fieldwork and geographical research - for individuals or teams.

For first year undergraduates, the Learning and Leading Fieldwork Apprenticeships offer the unique opportunity to take part in an overseas research project with senior academics. Details of grants and deadlines for applying can be found at www.rgs.org/grants.

Attend a range of geographical events, talks and exhibitions taking place across the UK. Why not try a Discovering Britain walk to explore local areas and find out more about our towns, cities, countryside and coast or best still, write one for us. www.rgs.org/whatson

Explore

Join us on the 24th March 2017 at Society for an event running a university geography society; with advice on running events, fundraising and providing a wealth of information to share with all geography society members. www.rgs.org/geographysocieties

Geography Societies day

The annual expedition and field research seminar takes place at the Society, 18-20 November 2016. Attend the seminar to gain inspiration, advice and contacts for your own research projects, including tips from those recently returned from the field. Students receive discounted booking fees. www.rgs.org/explore

Research Groups As your interests in particular parts of geography develop, join one if 27 specialist Research Groups and find out about events, funding, prizes in different sub-disciplinary areas.

Geography Ambassadors Become an Ambassador to support the discipline of geography through education and add valuable skills and experience to your CV. www.rgs.org/ambassadors

Join the Society Attend Monday Night Lectures or watch them online; receive subscription to Geographical magazine and much more. Membership is the ideal way to help you stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs and supports the Society in its aims to advance geographical knowledge. To find out more, or to apply, visit www.rgs.org/joinus.

Work experience Join us to apply for two-week placements at the Society, working with our press, policy, events, education, research or Collections teams. Gain valuable experience that will help you stand out when applying for work and learn more about the Society. www.rgs.org/workexperience

Follow us on Twitter @RGS_IBG W: www.rgs.org T: +44 (0)20 7591 3000 E: membership@rgs.org 32

GREEN IMPACT TEAM MICHAELMAS UPDATE The Department of Geography is working toward the Green Impact Silver Award this year. We are really pleased that 10 undergraduate students across all three years have joined the team and will form a working group which will help the Department in working towards the Silver Award and hopefully gold next year.

1. The very important news is that the University has commenced a new waste contract in July 2016, bringing with it changes to recycling and waste disposal across the University. Under the new contract, Mick George Ltd will deliver zero waste to landfill – several years before the University’s target date of 2020!

What goes into Recycling bins?

As before, pretty much all types of paper and plastic, plus cans, tins and foil can go in these. The main change is that glass can no longer go into the recycling bin, this should go into a separate glass bin.

What goes into General Waste bins?

The main things likely to be going in these from the office are wood, polystyrene, tissue/kitchen paper and crisp packets. The good news is these non-recyclable materials will no longer go to landfill! Instead they are due to be sent to an energy-from-waste facility, with the resulting ash used in road building, creating a truly ‘zero waste to landfill’ solution!

3. The Geography is also participating in the new University’s competition called the Cambridge Carbon Challenge. The Cambridge Carbon Challenge is a competition inviting staff and students to submit their ideas for reducing building energy use and associated carbon emissions across the University estate. The successful launch took place on the 18th October and there was a great turnout from Geographers.

What goes into Food Waste bins?

Following popular demand, collections of food waste are being offered to all departments. The Geography will start their collections in Lent Term.

Unlike your compost bins at home, this waste stream will be Anaerobically Digested (AD), generating biogas and a compost-like digestate. Internal bins will therefore need to be lined with clear plastic bags (not brown paper bags), and kitchen paper should not go into the bins as this does not break down under AD. Departments using 'Vegware' () can put this in these bins.

4. One of our Geography alumni, Cecily Church, became part of the Environment and Energy section team. She has developed the Waste and Recycling Guidance Document, which is an informative manual for all of us.

Check out the Environment and Energy section website for more information: http://www.environment.admin.cam. ac.uk/

2. The Green Impact webpages will be updated and students will be helping with designing them. We are hoping that the new content of these pages will also bring together many other environmental projects which our students and staff are involved in.

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where in the world?

Use the clues below to guess where these places are!

1. This is a landlocked country in western Europe 2. It is one of the only two countries in the world to have a square flag 3. It is a mountainous country with 208 mountains over 3,000 metres high and 24 over 4,000 metres.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: ANIA GRUSZCZYĹƒSKA

1. This city has seven urban beaches with a total of 4.5 kilometres of coastline.

2. It has a population of 1.6 million and is the second largest city in this country.

3. It has 12 haunted abandoned underground stations.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: LAUREN WHITELEY

Thank you.

We would like to thank our sponsors - CMS Law, Research Europe, and Christ's College - as well as all who contributed to this magazine to make it possible.

PHOTOGRAPH CREDITS: PAULA STRUTHOFF

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