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The Projector Magazine - Semester 1, 2018

Page 1

Projector The

Semester 1 2018

Che Guevara

Plus Rochedale Development Gladiators 3 Feminists Compared Food Waste

Cambodia A Country in Need

Duty Denied The Case of the Deaf Juror

Go Solar More Solar Power, Please

Slow Going Traffic Congestion in Rochedale 1


Day 123/365 – There are three lights by Great Beyond; Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0

‘’’’’

Contents

The

Projector is a selection of projects by students of Years 7-10 History, Geography and Legal Studies at Redeemer Lutheran College.

Regulars 22 Snippets 26 Every Project

Features 01 Visiting Cambodia

The challenges of life in the south-east Asian nation.

07 Che Guevara

In support of the man on the T-shirt.

10 You Can’t Eat Houses Development of Rochedale’s farmland. Front Cover: Ernesto by AK Rockefeller; Licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

16 Heroes of the Colosseum Why gladiators deserve our admiration.

20 The Taste of Waste Mountains of food are going to waste.

28 Go Solar Option A for renewable energy.

35 The Case of the Deaf Juror Anti-discrimination has its limits.

39 Slow Going

The growing problem of traffic in Rochedale.

44 Liberation Ladies 0

Three feminists compared.


Visiting Cambodia

Teagan Dalton (Year 7) shares some first-hand knowledge of challenges facing Cambodians. After visiting Cambodia and having a family still there, I realise Cambodia’s condition is worse than what people believe. Cambodia’s poverty is still extreme and most people who live in Brisbane do not realise that there are many people in this precious country who are struggling. Cambodia is a country located in Asia between Thailand and Vietnam (Figure 1) with a population of 15 million people. Cambodia’s capital is Phnom Penh and Khmer is its national language. Living Conditions The lack of food, low access to clean water, poor education, lack of emergency services and unsatisfactory health care make up the deprived country of Cambodia. Over 14% of Cambodians live under the national poverty line since jobs are limited and low-paying.

N

Fig. 1 – Location of Cambodia (Source: Google Maps)

(untitled by lorena pajares; Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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Water Access in Rural Populations

Percentage of Population Working in Various Industries

Agriculture

Industry

Services

Improved

Unimproved

Fig. 2 – Industries

Fig. 3 – Water Access

(created by author using data from CIA)

(created by author using data from CIA)

Children's Nutrition

Comparison of Australian and Cambodian Schooling

45

Indicator of education

40 35 25 20 15 10 5

Literacy

Length of time at school Education expenditure of GDP

0

0 Underweight

Chronically Malnourished

20 40 60 80 100 120

Severely Malnourished

% / Years

Nutrition

Cambodia

Fig. 4 – Child Nutrition

Australia

Fig. 5 – Schooling

(created by author using data from CIA)

(created by author using data from CIA)

Comparison of Australian and Cambodian Health Services

% / Number

%

30

10 8 6 4 2 0 Health expenditure of GDP

Physician density per 1000 people

Hospital bed density per 1000 people

Type of Service Australia

Cambodia

Fig. 6 – Health Services (created by author using data from CIA)

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(‘Village School Cambodia by Bryon Lippincott; Licensed under CC-BY-ND 2.0)

An astonishing 45% of Cambodia’s population works in the agricultural industry (Figure 2), making them rely entirely on the weather, which means if anything goes wrong, the whole industry could fail. An incredible 9 million people lack access to improved sanitation and approximately 4 million lack access to clean water (Figure 3). However, people living in urban regions have more access to clean water, while rural areas still need improvements. Urban regions’ water is still not trustworthy and needs to be boiled before use or bottled water is used by residents.

addition, the length of time an Australian student spends at school is approximately nine years more. This means that the literacy of the people in Australia is also much higher than the Cambodian people (Figure 5).

Cambodia’s malnutrition rates are high with almost 40% of children under 5 chronically malnourished (stunted), over 28% underweight and 10% acutely malnourished (Figure 4). These are just some of the major problems in Cambodia’s society.

Due to education, safety, water access, sanitation and nutritious food, Australia has a lot of advantages for raising a child.

The other reason is that Cambodia is quite a dangerous place because of landmines, due to Cambodia’s history. Cambodia has an estimate of 10 million landmines, ranking second on the most heavily mined countries list. Australia, on the other hand, is relatively safe, with no ranking as there are no landmines in Australian soil.

Cambodian Family Most of my family in Cambodia are living a quiet and peaceful life. They go to school, have jobs and are all quite happy; the only exception is my grandmother. My grandma is bedridden and apparently ‘untreatable’ according to Cambodian doctors. She has a disease which makes her unable to walk or even stand, making her completely dependent on my family. This is

Comparison with Australia My family brought me to Australia when I was born. The main reason I moved was because of education. Australia’s education system is quite good, unlike Cambodia’s (Figure 5). The Australian government spends much more money on schooling than Cambodia’s. In 3


most likely just because of the lowly services the hospitals can give to patients.

such an impact on her life (and the family in Cambodia) if there were more doctors and facilities available.

This is reflected in the health expenditure of the countries, with Cambodia having a much lower percentage of its GDP going into its health facilities (Figure 6). In addition, the number of doctors per thousand people is low at only 0.14 doctors, whereas in Australia this number is at 3.5 doctors per thousand (Figure 6), meaning that doctors are much more available for people to access in Australia than in Cambodia. Not only are there more doctors available but there are also more beds in Australian hospitals than in Cambodian hospitals (Figure 6). Overall, my grandma’s health concerns may not have had

Services The main issues with services in Cambodia are the schools and healthcare. Education is limited since Cambodia ranks 116th out of 148 countries, meaning that the children aren’t being trained well enough to become successful in future careers, thus increasing poverty rates. It also could be because teachers aren’t being trained well enough to teach students sufficiently. The healthcare is also problematic with the general lack of medical treatment causing a low life

N Family’s House

Family’s Hospital

Auntie’s University

Family’s Gym

Family’s Pharmacy

Cousin’s School Family’s Shopping Area

Fig. 7 – Family Services (created by author using Google Maps)

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expectancy of 65 years. Figure 7 highlights basic facilities available to my family living in a suburban region. This highlights how few services there are available to my family who currently live in Cambodia. Observations During visits to Cambodian family members, there are many issues that I have noticed in Cambodia. Dust and rubbish is common on the streets of Cambodia, making it hard to enjoy the visit when there is dust flying up into my eyes and rubbish ruining the look of the otherwise beautiful streets (Figure 8). Pests are also a major problem, the most problematic being the mosquitos. Within the cities there are areas with very little infrastructure and people are at risk

Figs. 8 & 9 – Infrastructure (Source: taken by author)

(‘Phnom Penh Traffic’ by Pretre; Licensed under CC-BY-ND 2.0)

walking in these areas (Figure 9). Traffic is terrifying, and the drivers are reckless, making time on the roads scary. Smaller problems include shops selling low quality items and the houses not having toilet paper (instead using ‘bum guns’ which spray water at high speeds). One of the noticeable issues is the disturbing number of homeless children with parents

nowhere to be seen. I saw some sleeping on the ground on top of a dirty mat, there was even one begging for money. Cambodia is a captivating country nevertheless, and has a very unique and fascinating culture, with a great community as well. Cambodia has had some significant improvements since the 5


reign of Pol Pot, when many people were persecuted because of various reasons. Today, the Cambodian people are some of the most resilient people I have met. They are very sociable, and communities are a large part of their lives.

would really benefit from additional help. These people do not ask for assistance but welcome it when it is offered. When Cambodia gets this additional money, it will help the country to develop. Sources

Fundraising and Lutheran World Service

Britannica School, 2018. Cambodia. [Online] Available at: https://school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/Cambodia/2 73466 [Accessed April 2018]. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018. Australia-Oceania: Australia. [Online] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/theworld-factbook/geos/as.html [Accessed April 2018]. Central Intelligence Agency, 2018. East & Southeast Asia: Cambodia. [Online] Available at: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/theworld-factbook/geos/cb.html [Accessed April 2018]. World Atlas, 2018. Cambodia. [Online] Available at: https://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/kh.ht m [Accessed April 2018].

Fundraising for Cambodia will undeniably help the country significantly (Figure 10), since Cambodia needs all the help it can get in order to improve the services available to these resilient people. Fundraising will give Cambodia better access to clean water and reduce the chance of disease and illness, which will allow people to continue to be members of society for many years and allow the young to gain an education. Additional money will also give Cambodia the chance to upgrade its services so that medication, education and law enforcement are improved. Much of the Lutheran World Services funding goes towards sanitation, which improves hygiene and reduces the risk of illness. However, there are many people in rural Cambodia who

,

Fig. 10 – Fundraising (created by author)

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Che Guevara

Robert Blakeley (Year 9) presents a favourable view of the T-shirt icon. Ernesto Guevara de La Serna (‘el Che’) was one of the most controversial social and political figures in Latin America in the last century. The controversy remains alive to this day: while some see Guevara as a selfish terrorist, traitor and a cold-blooded killer, others see him as a hero, a leader, a great fighter and liberator whose example is worth following (Guevara, J.M., 2017). There is considerable support for the latter view. Guevara was a selfless and noble man, who despite resorting to contentious methods, was seeking social justice and economic freedom for his people.

suffering, the economic instability and poverty of the region and the people that he came to call ‘my people’ (Guevara, E., 1995). He witnessed the multinational mining companies controlling the mines of Chile, Peru and Bolivia, robbing the locals of their own land. This affected people’s health, economy and living environment and placed them in a powerless position, unable to reclaim what was theirs (Guevara, E., 1995). After the trip, Guevara returned to university to finish his degree, with the intention of helping the needy (Guevara, E., 1995). This shows that he was interested in the people and he wanted to share his medical skills with them, to make a difference in their lives. This is an indication of this young man’s sensitivity towards human suffering, social injustice, and his commitment to do something about it. As he wrote in his diary, while seeking the liberation of his people, serving as a volunteer in a leper colony, Guevara was deeply moved by the kindness, affection and love shown to him by the people (Guevara, E., 1995).

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was a communist figure born in 1928 in Rosario, Argentina, to an egalitarian middle-class family. He grew up absorbing the left-wing political views that his family and friends shared, and that were becoming popular throughout Argentina. In his early youth, while at university, Guevara joined a political group that opposed the government of Juan Peron, which shows Guevara’s early social and political restlessness about capitalism (Britannica School, 2018). Later in his life, his political and social agitation was displayed as a guerrilla leader, strategist, philosopher, revolutionist and a prominent political figure, particularly during the time of the Cuban Revolution (Guevara, J.M., 2017).

Guevara’s good heart and intentions were not enough. He was committed to better the lives of his people through his medical skills and by teaching them literacy. After all, Guevara believed that ‘revolution could only be successful if the revolutionaries were educated’ (Guevara, E., 1960). But after his ‘close contact with poverty, with hunger, with disease, with the inability to cure a child because of a lack of resources’ (Guevara, E., 1960) he soon arrived at the conclusion that the extent of the social, political and economic oppression by the imperialist powers was such that to bring freedom to his people, he had to fight the very source of oppression through violent revolution (Britannica School, 2018). In Che’s view, the oppressing power was the United States of America, which controlled Latin America through its capitalist model and by having direct influence over their governments. For instance, in 1954, a new left-wing Guatemalan

Guevara’s passion for political and social change started in his youth, and his trip around South America served to consolidate his views. He graduated from high school with honours and studied medicine at the University of Buenos Aires. In 1951, Guevara and his friend Alberto (a bio-chemist) travelled around South America, in a ‘spontaneous’ trip that lasted nine months. In Guevara’s own words, ‘The trip was decided like that, and never erred from the basic principle laid down in that moment: improvisation’ (Guevara, E., 1995). This ‘improvised’ trip through Latin America became much more than just a touristic trip with a friend, because it was at this time that Guevara saw and observed first-hand the 7


government, which had hopes of bringing social and economic reform, rose to power, but was later overthrown by a coup supported by the C.I.A (Farber, 2012).

would deprive them of those assets and power. The USA’s intention to regain power was demonstrated through its full-scale invasion of Cuba, with the desire of ‘liberating Cuba from communist disgrace’. But America was repelled by Castro, Guevara and his forces in April 1961 (A & E Television Networks, 2009). This shows that the USA was prepared to use force and kill to keep control and oppression of Latin America, so Guevara’s position was justified and a revolution was indeed necessary.

The USA didn’t allow this government to stay in power because it was a threat to their political and economic interests. By now, Guevara was convinced that the USA would always oppose leftist governments, and he saw his own involvement in an armed revolution to be the only way to bring freedom to his people (A & E Television Networks, 2009). Interestingly, from a privileged egalitarian background, the hunger, poverty and appalling living conditions that Che witnessed served to produce a desire to overthrow what he saw to be capitalist exploitation of Latin America (Britannica School, 2018). This demonstrates that Guevara had a heart for the people, choosing to give up his own comfort and social privileges to fight for them. As written in the account of Che’s life written by his brother, Juan Guevara, ‘Ernesto hated the United States of America’ (Guevara, J.M., 2017). This hate for the United States and his desire to fight against them by means of violent revolution mobilised him to join forces with Fidel Castro in Cuba. In the words of Che, ‘Revolution isn’t an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall’ (Brainy Quote, 2001). Joining forces with Fidel Castro was Guevara’s way of shaking the tree.

Throughout these events, Guevara was assigned as the president of the National Bank of Cuba and played a big part in shifting the country’s trade relations from the USA to the Soviet Union (A & E Television Networks, 2009). In addition, Guevara was in charge of the local prison where around 500 locals, including soldiers suspected to be disloyal to the regime, were incarcerated and executed (Britannica School, 2018). To bring change, Guevara and his associates resorted to what many would consider to be bad and immoral actions, such as killing people without a fair trial and dispossessing rich people of their wealth. Even though Guevara and Castro opposed the previous dictatorship and declared that Cuba would never be governed by a dictator, many critics affirm that the union of Castro and Guevara changed a right-wing dictatorship for a left-wing dictatorship (Guevara, J.M., 2017).

Fidel Castro was a Cuban military figure with strong communist beliefs who, together with his brother Raul, was fixated on overturning the corrupt Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. Sharing their idealistic communist views and Marxist model, Guevara joined them in their fight, aiming to later spread the revolution throughout Latin America (Guevara, J.M., 2017). In 1959, Fidel Castro and his army entered Havana, and after suffering many casualties, he succeeded in overthrowing the Batista regime (A & E Television Networks, 2009). Many Cubans welcomed this victory, and praised Guevara as a patriotic, strong leader, just as was painted on murals throughout Havana (Sparkman, 2017). But this social and political revolution was opposed by the Cuban upper class and the USA government. During the time of Batista, American companies or wealthy individuals had owned over half of the sugar plantations in Cuba, and most mines, utilities and cattle farms, but the new communist regime imposed by Castro

Guevara’s liberation ideals and his leadership in the armed revolution of Latin America was cut short when he was captured and killed by the C.I.A in Bolivia in 1964 (Britannica School, 2018). In conclusion, ‘El Che’, as Guevara was best known, was indeed a controversial character and has been portrayed as both a saviour by the Latin Americans, and a terrorist by the North Americans and the Cuban upper-class. Despite Guevara resorting to questionable methods to achieve his goals of social and economic liberation, he demonstrated remarkable compassion for his people from a young age, through his early journeys of Latin America, his involvement in armed activities through the continent and his participation in the Cuban Revolution, up until his death. His ideal of liberation for Latin America may not have completely succeeded, but his contribution to the rise of communism in Cuba remains alive today, over half a century later.

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Despite conflict when looking at all of Guevara’s actions put together, his actions were necessary, his intentions were selfless, and his determination to bring change to Latin America was driven by his love for the people, and not a personal desire for power. Revolution is not a spontaneous combustion, you must set it alight, and he did. In his own words: ‘At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say that the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revolutionary lacking this quality’ (Biography.com, 2018).

Brainy Quote, 2001. Che Guevara Quotes. [Online] Available at: https://www.brainyquote.com/citation/quotes/che_guevara_ 166469 [Accessed 19 May 2018]. Britannica School, 2018. Che Guevara. [Online] Available at: http://school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/CheGuevara/274689 [Accessed 7 March 2018]. Farber, S., 2012. Che Guevara's Political Relevance Today. [Online] Available at: https://isreview.org/issue/101/che-guevaraspolitical-relevance-today [Accessed 28 May 2018]. Garcia, I., 2013. Che Guevara: Hero or Villain. [Online] Available at: http://translatingcuba.com/che-guevara-hero-orvillain-ivan-garcia/ [Accessed 25 May 2018]. Guevara March, A., 2005. Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War. s.l.:Ocean Press. Guevara, E., 1960. A Child of My Environment. In: The Motorcycle Diaries. s.l.:Ocean Press. Guevara, E., 1995. The Motorcycle Diaries. London: Verso Books. Guevara, J. M., 2017. Che, my Brother. 1st ed. Cambridge: Polity Press. Sinclair, A., 2017. Che Guevara: Argentina-Cuban Revolutionary. [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/biography/CheGuevara [Accessed May 2018]. Sparkman, C., 2017. Patriotism, rebellion, relics in Cuba. [Online] Available at: http://thepioneeronline.com/34117/studyabroad-cuba/patriotism-rebellion-relics-in-cuba/

Sources A & E Television Networks, 2009. Bay of Pigs Invasion. [Online] Available at: https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bayof-pigs-invasion [Accessed 21 March 2018]. A & E Television Networks, 2009. Che Guevara. [Online] Available at: http://www.history.com/topics/che-guevara [Accessed 15 February 2018]. Biography.com, 2018. Che Guevara Biography. [Online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/people/cheguevara-9322774 [Accessed May 2018].

‘Che Guevara, Havana, by Rene Burri, 1963’ by Photo Tractacus; Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

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You Can’t Eat Houses

Shanice Timotius (Year 9) suggests actions to counteract loss of farmland in Rochedale. Rochedale is a growing suburb that is quickly filling up with houses. Rochedale lies about 25km south-east of the city of Brisbane (Figure 1). The area was once a mixture of rural and residential land, but with the development of places like the Rochedale Estates, Arise and Rochedale Grand, these rural properties are disappearing fast. Originally, small farms covered Rochedale, and grew a diversity of market crops. Unfortunately, urbanisation in Rochedale is quickly using up this land to provide housing for the surging population (Crew, 2017).

As the world's population continues to grow, more and more places are becoming urbanised. Urbanisation is defined as ‘the increase of population in urban areas, forming towns or cities’ (Britannica, 2018). Urbanisation can have a positive impact on places, as it provides more homes for a rising population. It plays a key part in developing areas, particularly growing suburbs. However, urbanisation can also have a negative impact. Urbanisation causes numerous problems such as traffic congestion, rapid growth and lack of suitable housing (BBC, 2014). It can also add to the problem everyone is contributing to: environmental degradation.

N N

Fig. 1 – Rochedale Location and Boundaries (created bythe author using Google Maps)

Popular Rochedale Carindale. It also has many recreational and educational facilities around the corner including schools, parks and local cafes. Although all of these facilities seem to take a lot of space, the majority of land in Rochedale is either residential or being developed (Figure 2).

Rochedale is becoming the new hot suburb for families looking for new homes, due to a number of reasons. Rochedale is in close proximity to public transport, the Gateway Motorway and major shopping centres like Garden City and 10


Fig. 2 – Land Use in Rochedale 2018 (created by author using Google Maps)

N

Agriculture

Facilities

Commercial

Residential

Land development

Landfill

11


“There is a lot happening in Rochedale and it’s not slowing down.”

Age Demographic in Rochedale

- Michael Lanskey, real estate agent (Lutton, 2016)

Age

In addition, Rochedale is known for its diverse, family-friendly community. This attracts a mix of ages (Figure 3), the majority group being adults from 25-39 years. The largest age group of adults is 30-34 years (10.7%). Figure 3 points to many families, as 0-4 years are the third largest group (8.8%). The high number of schools in the area may also attract families. Overall, the proximity, facilities and community attract a wide variety of ages, and contribute to Rochedale’s rapid success.

85 years and over 80-84 years 75-79 years 70-74 years 65-69 years 60-64 years 55-59 years 50-54 years 45-49 years 40-44 years 35-39 years 30-34 years 25-29 years 20-24 years 15-19 years 10-14 years 5-9 years 0-4 years

Housing worth more than farming

0

5

10

Percentage (%)

Rodney Dunn, who was one of the oldest farmers left in Rochedale, watched the suburb change to an urban community. He arrived in the 1960s, when it was a semi-rural area occupied mainly by farmers (Robinson, 2007).

Fig. 3 – Age Demographic in Rochedale

(created by author using data from Queensland Government, 2018)

With the population growing and people wanting wide open spaces, the price of the rural land has risen. Farming families can’t afford to increase their farms’ size by buying adjacent properties and they’re not allowed to subdivide them to get profit (Robinson, 2007). The agricultural lobby says people are being forced off their land and out of business. Now, there is barely any farming land left (Figure 6). Developers such as AVEO, Pask Group, Mirvac and Villaworld are using this land for housing and other development (Schrinner, 2018).

“Rochedale is finished as far as farming goes.” - Rodney Dunn, Rochedale farmer (Robinson, 2007) While some developments such as Coles and the childcare centre (Figures 4 and 5) will increase Rochedale’s liveability and desirability as a suburb, they still have many consequences.

Fig. 4 – New Coles Development (taken by author)

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Fig. 5 – Childcare Development (taken by author)

It is crucial that farming land is saved:  Without local farms, there’s no local food, which means food has to travel further to get to our plates.  Farmland is green space.  Farmland provides fiscal benefits to local governments and boosts the economy. It does this by contributing to a community’s infrastructure and helps a local economy through sales, job creation, support services or businesses.  On a large scale, as more land is lost, it will become more difficult to produce the amount of food needed to feed the growing human population (Gerber, 2010).

Agricultural land in 2018 Agricultural land lost since 1994 Fig. 6 – Rochedale Agricultural Land in 1994 & 2018 (created by author using Google Maps and data from Queensland Government, 2018)

The farmland issue Loss of farming is a widespread issue, however data from an author survey show that only 37% of the community is concerned for the wellbeing of farmers, with 27% having never considered it before.

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Farming land loss impacts not only Rochedale, but all of Australia socially, economically and environmentally. Figure 7 summarises just a few of the impacts of farming land loss in Rochedale. On a local scale economically, farmers will become even more disadvantaged as they struggle to make a profit. As more and more farming land is lost, Australia relies more on imports. This is not only bad for the economy, but also the environment as emissions are released from the transport of the food. 22% of global CO2 emissions stem from the production of goods that are consumed in a different country (Gerber, 2010). Socially, more imports will result in less fresh and quality produce. Another social impact is that farmers are forced to move out into drier lands. On a local scale environmentally, it will contribute to urbanisation issues and loss of habitat for animals. Loss of farming land may not be wreaking havoc on the earth now, but if nothing is done, it will.


Fig. 7 – Negative Impacts of Farmland Loss (created by the author)

Taking Action

Another great way to contribute to the community is through community gardens. The Rochedale Community Garden provides a range of facilities to support gardeners, including both community gardening areas and individual allotments. In addition, the members regularly organise social get-togethers, gardening bees, educational workshops and other activities. Socially, this builds a sense of community within the neighbourhood. And it’s not just Rochedale that has these hidden gems; you can find them in your area too and get started now (Griffin, 2018).

Food travels a long way before it reaches our plate; agricultural products are often transported to factories and can then be transported thousands of kilometers before it reaches the supermarket and people’s mouths. Most people live in cities remote from agricultural places, and many more will do so in the future (Low, 2005). Luckily, there are ways to lessen the impact of farming land loss. The local council could take action, but it is evident that the community already has the resources in its hands but needs to put them into action. Here’s what can be done to lessen the impact of farming land loss:

Plant vegetable gardens at home Vegetable gardens are as simple as they sound; edible vegetables grown in gardens. Environmentally, vegetable gardens encourage organic growth and is good for the ecosystems and other animals. Socially, vegetable gardens encourage local growth and the fresh flavour of the final result is far better than any store-bought produce. Economically, it saves a substantial amount of money. Planting one tomato plant can provide 4 kilograms of fruit over the course of one season.

Support local farmers’ markets and community gardens Farmers markets are a great way to support our local farmers and promote fresh produce, instead of food flown from another country. They have many economic, environmental and social benefits. Rochedale already has its own farmers market, Rochedale Markets (Figure 8), which is supplied by local producers, and a few local farmers like Jarvis Fresh Strawberry Farm. Try to use local farmers markets like Rochedale markets more often, rather than large scale supermarkets.

Workshops about vegetable gardens are offered by councils. Some workshops include guidance on growing a vegetable garden, turning food scraps into garden compost, growing spices and so on (Brisbane City Council, 2018). Six out of ten 14


Fig. 7 – Rochedale Markets (taken by author)

Redeemer students are planning on planting or already have a vegetable garden (author survey). However, people need to be informed of the benefits vegetable gardens bring, in order to have as many people planting them as possible.

Sources BBC, 2014. Urbanization in MEDCs. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/urba n_environments/urbanisation_medcs_rev1.shtml [Accessed 23 March 2018]. Brisbane City Council, 1996. The Brisbane 2011 Plan. Brisbane: Brisbane City Council. Brisbane City Council, 2005. Rochedale Urban Community Master Plan Draft. Brisbane: Brisbane City Council. Brisbane City Council, 2018. Plants, Trees and Gardens. [Online] Available at: https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environmentwaste/natural-environment/plants-trees-gardens [Accessed 28 April 2018]. Britannica, 2018. Urbanisation. [Online] Available at: https://school.eb.com.au/levels/high/article/urbanization/7 4449 [Accessed 28 March 2018]. Crew, G., 2017. The History of Rochedale. [Online] Available at: https://www.rochedalehistory.com.au/ [Accessed 2 April 2018]. Gerber, J., 2010. Care2. [Online] Available at: https://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-saving-farmland-isso-important.html [Accessed 14 April 2018]. Griffin, S., 2018. Rochedale Community Garden. [Online] Available at: http://rochedalecommunitygarden.net.au/ [Accessed 26 April 2018]. Lambert, O., 2016. Melburnians are vying to get a spot in a super green apartment. [Online] Available at: http://www.news.com.au/finance/realestate/buying/melburnians-are-vying-to-get-a-spot-in-a-supergreen-apartment/newsstory/b72e932c342ee39fd3dac5c4834f6b99 [Accessed 5 April 2018]. Low, N. et al, 2005. The Green City. Sydney: UNSW Press. Lutton, E., 2016. Move over, Sunnybank: Rochedale is the new hot spot. [Online] Available at: https://www.domain.com.au/news/move-over-sunnybankrochedale-is-the-new-hot-spot-20160922-grlzyc/ [Accessed 20 April 2018]. Queensland Government, 2018. QImagery. [Online] Available at: https://qimagery.information.qld.gov.au/ [Accessed 2 April 2018]. Robinson, G., 2007. Urban fringe farmers a dying breed. [Online] Available at: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/urban -fringe-farmers-a-dyingbreed/2007/04/30/1177788004459.html [Accessed 2 April 2018]. Schrinner, A., 2018. Interview with Deputy Mayor [Interview] (19 April 2018). Winger, J., 2015. Growing Dwarf Trees. [Online] Available at: http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/11/growingdwarf-fruit-trees.html [Accessed 28 April 2018].

As well as vegetable gardens, dwarf fruit trees are an excellent addition to the garden. A dwarf fruit tree is the same as a normal fruit tree, except it will only reach a maximum of three metres tall, some as small as one metre. Dwarf fruit trees are very beneficial environmentally, socially, and economically. They are safe, small, can be grown in containers and are easy to care for. 85% of Redeemer students would take advantage of fruit trees, and 91% of Rochedale residents said they would too (author survey). Overall, growing fruit and vegetables helps promote sustainable living and take pressure off farmland (Winger, 2015). Conclusions As the population continues to increase, urbanisation will be impossible to completely eradicate. While it may not pose a huge threat now, if this problem is left unaddressed, the future may be one of minimal fresh produce, polluted environments and a suffering agriculture industry. Therefore, the people of Rochedale must support local farmers markets and community gardens, and plant personal vegetable gardens to counter the loss of farming land caused by urbanisation. Evidently, these actions are nothing big to make an immediate change. If action is taken now in Rochedale, change will inspire neighbouring suburbs to follow. Food and the environment will always be a significant part of lives and it is humanity’s job to maintain it. 15


Heroes of the Colosseum

Gladiators of Rome were the sporting entertainers of their time and are worthy of our admiration, writes Zac Whittaker (Year 7).

(Detail of the Villa Borghese gladiator mosaic; in the public domain)

The crowds gather, the excitement builds, the contestants enter the arena, the crowd erupts. No, this is not the State of Origin, a cricket match, a soccer game or an AFL game. It is ancient Romans gathered at the Colosseum to watch their hero gladiators battle for supremacy and honour just as our own sporting greats do throughout the year.

need to be examined carefully. Gladiatorial contests, which originated in the first century BC in Roman (Italian) cities such as Campania, Pompeii and the capital, Rome, meant much more than a show of ‘blood and guts’ to the early Romans. Early duels between two gladiators were organised for private celebrations amongst the wealthy elite or for funerals to honour the person who had died.

However, while the violence and bloodshed which entertained the Romans centuries ago would be totally banned today, it is important to try to see these heroes and these battles from the Romans’ point of view.

Later, as their popularity grew, they played an important part in the political propaganda during elections. The strength and courage of each valued and respected gladiator was promoted as demonstrating the Roman nation’s courage to die for its beliefs and values and the nation’s overall power and strength throughout

To better understand the significance of gladiatorial contests in their era, their origins 16


the world. In time, they also became public contests of religious significance to celebrate and honour their various gods responsible for their well-being. Considering each of these special functions, it is obvious that, similar to today’s sports which developed principally as entertainment or a demonstration of individual skills or national pride, gladiatorial contests played a very significant part in early Roman society. Therefore, perhaps, we should not be too eager to judge or condemn them according to present day standards.

symbolized by the gift of a wooden training sword or staff (rudis) from the judge. Considering how difficult the struggle for such a prize would have been, it is interesting that some gladiators chose to return to the gladiatorial arena even though they had been granted their freedom. In the arenas in which they performed, they were regarded as heroes similar to the sporting greats of today. Current sporting figures come from all races, religions and social backgrounds. Similarly, gladiator careers had various origins. However, there was a difference as some were forced and some were chosen. Some gladiators were slaves sold by their owners. Others were prisoners of wars fought by the Roman armies or prisoners who had committed serious crimes.

While the gladiatorial contests provided spectacular (though bloody and brutal by today’s standards) entertainment, the gladiators themselves, just like our own sportsmen and women, were the true heroes of these contests. If successful in combats, they enjoyed the resulting fame, glory and wealth not unlike our sporting heroes of today. Victorious gladiators were desired and extremely popular amongst the females of Rome and were sometimes referred to as:

Those who joined willingly were free men and some were even important government figures wanting to test their own skills and courage. One such gladiator was Emperor Commodus:

“decus puellarum, suspirium peullarum (the delight and sighedfor joy of girls).”

“Emperor Commodus (108-192 CE) was keen and mad enough to compete himself in the gladiator arena.”

They also received items such as palm branches, laurel crowns, valuable presents and prize money. However, their greatest reward was freedom. Manumission (emancipation) was

Other Roman emperors who personally fought in the arena were Caligula, Titus, Hadrian, Caracalla, Geta and Didius Julianus.

(‘Duelling for the Dead’ – a wall painting from a tomb in Paestum; Queensland Museum, 2017)

17


(A floor mosaic of a female gladiator with a tiger; Queensland Museum, 2017)

Lastly, some who fought were women. These gladiatrices were prepared to fight publicly against one another or wild animals and courageously faced the possibility of death just like the men. However, they were never regarded as highly as the men. Fortunately, this situation is improving in today’s society.

motivator for commitment to training and for fighting courageously.

“Gladiator games were a bloody entertainment and the gladiator contests were literally a matter of life and death.”

Throughout the centuries, sporting figures have always strived to be victorious. Each time any gladiator entered the arena, victory was possible, but pain, suffering or death were more probable. Therefore, gladiators were highly motivated to train hard to be physically fit and skilled to meet any challenge they might encounter, either against another gladiator or ferocious animals (lions, tigers, bears, crocodiles, elephants, to name a few). Gladiators were placed into different groups and each group received specific training, clothing (helmets, shin guards, arm and wrist guards, sword belts, footwear etc.) and weapons (spears, swords, arrows, tridents, shields, nets etc.).

While many gladiatorial contests did end in death on account of their violent nature contestants being stabbed with spears or tridents; or being sliced apart by swords, knives or axes; or being mauled, trampled or torn apart by wild animals – some contests saw both the winner and the loser survive. When this occurred, a ‘thumbs up’ from the emperor and the spectators meant the loser’s life was spared, but a ‘thumbs down’ meant death. Those who fought bravely had the best chance of being spared. If, by any chance, gladiators turned coward and tried to run from their challenge, they were caught and suffered a painful death as a consequence. Cowardly behaviour was definitely not tolerated.

Because clothing and weapons differed in contests, the gladiators had to often rely on their skills and their intuition to survive. Even today in sporting arenas, skills and intuition are important ingredients for success, though not for survival. But each contest for the gladiator was a matter of victorious life or death, a great

“A gladiator reluctant to confront his opponent might be whipped, or goaded with hot irons, until he engaged through sheer desperation.” 18


Victorious gladiators often suffered injuries during contests as well. Part of their reward, as is the case with today’s sportsmen and women, was excellent medical treatment to heal their injuries as they were considered ‘a substantial investment’ for their owners and trainers. Bravery was expected and rewarded.

Sources Britannica School High, 2018. Gladiator. [Online] Available at: https://school.eb.com.au/levels/high/article/gladiator/36961 [Accessed 4 May 2018]. Britannica School Middle, 2018. Gladiator. [Online] Available at: https://school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/gladiator/27 4566 [Accessed 16 March 2018]. Cartwright, M., 2018. Roman Gladiator. [Online] Available at: https://www.ancient.eu/gladiator/ [Accessed 3 May 2018]. First Year Foyle, n.d. Facts About Roman Gladiators. [Online] Available at: https://theromanempirebyfoyle.wordpress.com/the-life-of-agladiator/ [Accessed 6 May 2018]. Gladiator | The Battle with A Retired Gladiator. 2000. [Film] Directed by Ridley Scott. United Kingdom: Dreamworks Studios, Scott Free Productions, Universal Pictures. Queensland Mueseum, 2017. The Gladiators! Heores of the Colosseum!. Brisbane: Queensland Muesuem. Wikipedia, 2018. Gladiator. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladiator [Accessed 4 May 2018].

In conclusion, gladiators who fought bravely and were victorious were very valued and respected warriors. The contests in which the gladiators participated, though brutal and inhumane by our standards today, played very significant roles in Roman society until approximately the fourth century AD. Consequently, rather than condemn all things gladiatorial, we should perhaps leave ourselves open to acknowledging the courage, the determination, the endurance, the hardship and the importance of these hero giants of the Roman colosseum, just as we allow ourselves to admire, and even hero worship, present day sportsmen and women.

(untitled by ArtCoreStudios– Licensed under CC0)

19


The Taste of Waste

Householders and supermarkets are the main culprits when it comes to food waste, says Daisy Zhou (Year 7). Globally, one third of all food that is produced does not get eaten. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food uneaten. Yet, one in nine people do not have enough food to eat. That’s absolutely crazy. Why waste so much good food if so many people are starving?

Food waste occurs on farms because if food grown there doesn’t meet the supermarkets’ expectations it will get thrown away. Weird shaped foods will get thrown away because of how it looks, even though it is still perfectly fine to eat. The food gets rejected just because supermarkets are worried families won’t buy them.

Every day, people buy many food items without considering whether they will actually get used. If it doesn’t get used, it will most likely get thrown away. Australia wastes so much food that the average Australian household wastes $1,036 by throwing out food each year, much of which ends up in landfills. This could have been spent on six months of electricity. Food that gets thrown away into landfills takes up land and could have been used for growing more vegetables. If there wasn’t as much waste, then maybe there wouldn’t be as many landfills as there are in Brisbane (Figure 1).

Food waste also occurs in homes because many families buy a lot of items without considering whether it will get used, and once it goes past the use-by date, families will just throw it away without realising where it goes and how much harm it does. My household throws out around seven bags of food scraps each week. If there is a clean-out of food, then more food is wasted, around ten to twelve bags (Figure 3). Families contribute to the food waste crisis because firstly, families can be very picky about the quality of food that gets bought, therefore supermarkets reject a lot of perfectly good vegetables and other foods if it is close to the useby date, best before date, or if it’s weirdly shaped. Secondly, families buy more food than actually needed and therefore, when the food goes past the use-by date, families just

How does waste occur? Precious food is wasted everyday along the food supply chain – from when it’s grown, during transportation, in the packaging and manufacturing process, at the supermarkets, but most of all, in homes (Figure 2).

(’42.4 kg of food found in New Zealand household rubbish bins’ by Love Food Hate Waste NZ – Licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0)

20


Waste in the Food Chain Production Handling and Storage

17% 6% 61%

Processing

9% 7%

Distribution & Market Consumption

Landfill sites

Fig. 2 – Waste in the Food Chain (created by author)

Fig. 1 – Brisbane Landfill Sites (created by author using Google Maps)

Bags of Food Thrown out by my Household BAGS

throw it in the bin because they may have forgotten about it, didn’t need to use it, or it was hiding at the back of the cupboard, therefore not being used. ‘Use by’ and ‘best before’ When food goes past the ‘use by’ date, a lot of supermarkets throw it out. Some do a pretty good job of minimising this waste. If food is only just past the ‘best before’ date, some supermarkets donate it to food banks, where it gets used to feed the homeless. There aren’t any laws against selling foods past the ‘best before’ date because they are still safe to sell (although some foods which could be potentially dangerous must be disposed of). The ‘use by’ date is different though. If stores are selling products such as raw meats, eggs and milk past the ‘use-by’ date, then they could be breaking the law.

2 1.5 1 0.5 0

DAY OF WEEK

Fig. 3 – Household Food Waste (created by author)

waste that ends up in landfill produces a large amount of methane which absorbs radiation and heats up the earth’s atmosphere, adding to climate change. Reducing supermarket waste Foodbank is by far the largest hunger relief organisation in Australia. It helps the homeless and the hungry by providing food. Foodbank receives food and grocery products from farmers, manufacturers and supermarkets and distributes this among people who cannot afford it. Some supermarkets that give food to them include Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and IGA. Manufacturers which donate to Foodbank include Kraft Foods, Nestle, McCain, Mars and Arnott’s. This helps reduce food waste because instead of supermarkets, farmers and

Impacts of waste Food wastage has economic impacts when families waste so much money on wasted food. Money and resources used to make the food is also wasted. There are also environmental impacts of food waste if the food ends up in landfill. When food is thrown in the bin, most of it ends up in landfill sites where it rots before it breaks down. Food 21


manufacturers throwing away goods, Foodbank uses this and feeds the hungry.

Sources Do Something!, 2018. Fast Facts on Food Waste. [Online] Available at: http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/foodwaste-fast-facts/ [Accessed 28 March 2018]. Foodbank, 2018. What is Foodbank. [Online] Available at: https://www.foodbank.org.au/about-us/whatis-foodbank/ [Accessed 11 May 2018]. Jager, C., 2016. Ask LH: Are Grocery Stores Allowed to Sell Expired Food?. [Online] Available at: https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2016/05/ask-lhare-grocery-stores-allowed-to-sell-expired-food/ [Accessed March 2018]. OzHarvest, 2018. Let's Fight Food Waste. [Online] Available at: https://www.ozharvest.org/fightfoodwaste/ [Accessed 28 March 2018]. Trott, M., 2018. Foodbank [Interview] (22 March 2018).

Reducing home waste Only buy things needed:  Check what food there already is.  Write and shop to a list to reduce buying items that don’t actually need to get used. Eat what is bought:  Look at the dates, move things around so food which needs to be used is at the front.  If there is a meal that is not finished, freeze it and eat it the next day.

SNIPPETS (%)

Transport to and from School 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Car

Bus

To School

Other

From School

Effects of Traffic on RLC Students 100

(%)

80 60 40

20 0

Yes

No

Caught in traffic congestion daily Late due to traffic

Local Facilities and Traffic (researched and created by Ainsley Rudwick, Year 9) 22


SNIPPETS

Vaquita Interconnections (created by Emily Ness Wilson, Year 7) ‘Officially’ the atomic bombs were dropped to save American lives, but there was a lot going on behind the scenes at the time, and everything was not as it seemed. A global struggle for power was at its height. The Soviet Union was trying to expand as much as possible and the Americans were trying to limit this. Truman’s predominant motive for dropping the atomic bombs was to slow the USSR expanding into Asia and to impress the Soviets (Edwards, 2005). There are questions about why the Americans used the bombs on the 6th and 9th of August when Russia was planning to declare war on the Japanese.

conversation with President Harry Truman about when to hold the Potsdam conference: ‘He [President Truman] did not want to meet until July… The test was set for June, but had been postponed until July’ (Burr, 2015). Truman believed that having the atomic bomb (and later deploying it) would give him a diplomatic advantage over the USSR. Additionally, the American military was far more interested in the devastating effects of the bomb (Ceustermans, 2014). Historian Yuki Okawa, a Japanese political consultant, even goes so far as to suggest that dropping the atomic bombs was a ‘human experiment’ (Fars News Agency, 2016).

According to Historian Gar Alperovitz, America believed dropping the atomic bombs would scare the Soviets and make them easier to manage post-war (Regnery Publishing, 2018). The Americans were desperate to have the advantage of atomic power to hold over the Soviets and to limit Russian gains when the map of Europe was redrawn. This is shown in a diary entry by Joseph E. Davies, recounting his

Finally, the United States was determined to use the atomic bombs instead of letting them rust away. The government at the time was loath to admit that they had wasted billions of dollars making bombs that weren’t even necessary (Ceustermans, 2014).

(Motives for using the atomic bombs in World War II by Grace Farmer, Year 9) 23


SNIPPETS (created by Ella Hughes, Year 9)

The Life and Achievements of Amelia Earhart (created by Amy Yoon, Year 8) 24


SNIPPETS

N

The Great Barrier Reef

Legend: refer to table

(’Great Barrier Reef’ by Stop Adani – Licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)

(all graphics created by Joanna Chang, Year 9) 25


EVERY Aboriginal culture – compared to European (Ranveer Gill Y8)

Ebola – disease control (Ella Hughes Y9) Edison, Thomas – impacts (Jake Stower Y8) Eggs – free range v. caged (Isaac Clark Y9) Eiffel Tower (Swathi Varma Y7) Emissions, car – reducing (Jed Hall Y7; Karxi Qu Y7)) Energy, renewable (Ryan Feroz Y9) Eureka Stockade (Erin Bradshaw Y8) E-waste (Alex Smith Y9)

Aboriginal heritage (Rylee Richardson Y8) Adani coal mine (Dominic Duval Y7) Apartment living – green spaces (Mikayla Miranda Y7) Air pollution – Japanese underground (Sabrina Lee Y7); general (Wilson Liu Y7) Alcatraz – escape theories (Isaac Georghiou Y8) Alexander the Great – character (Ava Killian Y7) Anglo-Zulu Wars – modern impacts (Ethan Speldewinde Y7) Arthur, King – reality of legend (Jacqueline Salles Y9) Atomic bombings – necessity (Daniel Choi Y9; Grace Farmer Y9; Daniel Ng Y7) Australia Day – date suitability (Ryan Brown Y8; Yaqi Zheng Y8) Automobiles – impacts (Rudy Czerner Y8)

Fashion, women’s – reflection of eras (Madison Andress Y8) Fast fashion (Ellie Leung Y7) Feminists – comparisons (Maddie Vela Y8) Floods – impacts (Megan Kelly Y9) Food waste (Rikki Jones Y9; Annabelle Cheon Y9; Trisha Khatri Y7; Maddy Milestone Y7; Daisy Zhao Y7) Frank, Ann – character (Jordana Wenke Y8) French Revolution – impacts (Zander Shepherd Y8)

Balloons – sustainability (Jasmin Wu Y9) Barnum, P.T. – reality v. ‘Greatest Showman’ film (Sonal Chand Y8) Berlin Wall – experiences (Emersyn Morris Y8); impacts (Elizabeth Ducke Y8); (Mark Taylor Y7) Bicycle paths – Rochedale (Nicholas Strong Y9) Black Death – effects (Tom Son Y8; Monika Svarc Y8) Boudicca, Queen – judgement (Peta Paschali Y9) Bradman, Donald – impacts (Bowen Xu Y7) Brisbane – liveability compared with Melbourne & Sydney (Saraya Lagana Y9); Utopian society (Joshua Parkes Y9) Bushfires – protecting homes (Matthew Rostron Y7)

Gallipoli campaign – mistakes (Rebecca Reid Y8) Gandhi, Mahatma – achievements (Arshia Cheema Y7) Gladiators – compared to modern sportspeople (Zac Whittaker Y7) Great Barrier Reef – management (Joanna Chang Y9); bleaching (Tim Howard Y7); degradation (Shruti Joshi Y7); effect of fertlisers (Andrew Pollard Y7) Great Depression – impacts (Andy Xin Y8) Great Wall of China – importance (Megan Wu Y7; Edward Wong Y7) Greece, ancient – achievements (Timothy Hughes Y8) Guevera, Che – judgement (Robert Blakeley Y9)

Cambodia – living standards (Teagan Dalton Y7); children (Cindy Lee Y7) Chocolate – historical significance (Leila Koppens Y8) Cleopatra – death theories (Ashley Meakins Y7); impacts (Billy Wearne Y7) Coal mining – water contamination (Viahn Pulikottil Y9) Colosseum – modern perspectives (Anjlee Suri Y8) Community Garden (Annabelle Henderson Y9) Concorde – demise (Samuel Hetherington Y9) Cook, James – attitude to indigenous people (James Song Y7) Cotton farming (Ava Walker Y9) Criminal punishment – changes (Mia White Y8) Crusades – justification (Joshua Cheung Y9); First – purpose (Tiffany Saputra Y7) Cuban Missile Crisis – role of J.F.Kennedy (Danny Ly Y7) Cycling – SE Queensland (James Paschali Y7) Cyclone Tracy – lessons (Victoria Evans Y7)

Harlem Hellfighters – impact on racism (Jared Cosep Y7) Hatshepsut – exploits (Jasmine Cox Y8) Hisarlik – similarity to Troy (Tommy Ryland Y8) Hitler, Adolf – role in WWII (Kevin Pan Y7); impacts (Jared Thomas Y7; Alva Zhou Y7) Holocaust – German people’s complicity (Jess Aitken Y9; Andrew Tek Y7) Homelessness (Blake Fuller Y7) Hong Kong – handover (Macey Wong Y8) House design – sustainability (Ben Thallon Y7) Humpback whales – protection (Angelo Szetu Y7)

Immigration – Chinese to Australia (Jessica Lin Y8) Influenza – responses (Olivia Lizana Y8) Internet – history (Andrea Tomasovic Y7) Introduced pests – historical responses (Jaimyn Seeto Y8)

D-Day Landings – significance (Mykaelah Ludcke Y8)

Julius Caesar – impacts on Rome (Sohan Bhoola)

Da Vinci, Leonardo – modern equivalents (Charlie Harris Y8) Deforestation (Elijah Oxford Y9) Disney, Walt – impacts (Namreetha Arulprakash Y8) Divination – history (Tyra Arthur Y7) Drake, Sir Francis – secret voyage theories (Ashton Froes Y8)

Kangaroo rats, giant (Megan Rudwick Y7) Keller, Helen – influence (Katrina Lee Y8) Koalas – threats (Sam Eivers Y9; Charlotte Taylor Y7)

Earhart, Amelia – disappearance theories (Amy Yoon Y8)

Light pollution (Hamish Sayers Y9) 26


PROJECT Litter – at Redeemer (Dayna Ekundayo Y9; Dmitry Scothern Y9); where it goes (Allanah Neal Y7) Luna Park, Sydney (Ellena Ericksson Y8)

Romanov, Anastasia – reality (Ella O’Neill Y9) Rugby – Union & League split (Griffin Howlett Y8)

Salem witch trials – theories (Keira Knijnenberg Y9); Emma

Mabo, Eddie – legacy (Claire Perriman Y7)

Routledge Y8) St Helena prison – modern perspective (Abbey Endres Y8; Kane Broderick Y8) Samurai – effects of demise (Katherine Williams Y9); effects (Vanessa Wong Y8) School uniforms – suitability for climate (Mikaela Pfeffer Y9) September 11 – effects (Caitlan Taylor Y9; Lilly Parkes Y7); government errors (Cade Linde Y8) Sikh Diwali – compared with Bandi Chhor Divas (Simarleen Kaur Y8) South China Sea – dispute (Connor Reid Y9) Space junk (Brandon Kiehle Y7) Sparta – reasons for success (Jude Kolomilskov Y8) Suffragettes – impacts (Scarlet Lacey Y7) Sugihara, Chiune – achievements (Joellah Wan Y7) Sun Yat Sen – legacy (Yanni Chan Y9)

Macarthur, Douglas (Jaiveer Thiara Y7) Machu Picchu (Catherine Ju Y8) Medusa – legend (Isabella Daley Y9) Messi, Lionel – significance (James Atkins Y9) Miami – sea levels (Alex Black Y7) Middle East – borders (Austin Hancock Y7) Mona Lisa – reasons for popularity (Annalise Atkins Y7) Mount Tamborine – farming issues (Lachlan Bligh Y9) Mummification, ancient Egyptian – advanced methods (Esther Kotzur Y7) Munich Olympics – massacre (Mitchell Laurens Y8)

Napoleon – significance (Jemma Wernick Y7; Nicholas Boon Y8) Napoleonic Wars – effects (Kostya Reznik Y7) Natural pool – at IBROX nursery (Will Serafini Y7) New Zealand – touring plan (Shae Godfrey Y9) Northup, Solomon – lessons (Nicole Kuo Y8)

Tasmanian devil – threats (Joshua Li Y7) Thorny devils – awareness (Christian Saunders Y7) Tillock Park – redesign (Sarah Were Y7) Titanic – failures (Jack Harris Y8; Ava Wilson Y7); blame (Brayden Kong Y7); effects (Taylor Drake Y8) Toilets – history (Rebekah Aitkins Y8) Traffic congestion (Emely Ly Y9; Sienna Vardy Y9; Josh Smith Y9) Turtles, green sea – protection (Jesmieka Deo Y7); female dominance (Katerina Evlachkov Y7)

Obama, Barack – achievements (Jeffery Yan Y7) Olympic Games – cheating history (Will Draper Y8); ancient & modern compared (Liam Green Y8; Michaela Meyer Y8) O’Malley, Grace – perspectives (Clauia Birrer Y9)

Park, local – redesign (Jayden Wood Y9) Parkes, Henry – significance (Emma Chow Y7) Paronella Park – history (Sophie Garbutt Y8) Pearl Harbor, bombing of – long-term outcomes (Bridget Farmer Y7) Penicillin – impacts (Emma Chen) Pirates – east Africa (Charlotte Gross Y7) Pirates and privateers – comparison (Rhys Thurstun Y8) Pisa, Leaning Tower of – significance (Amy Foo Y7) Plastic pollution (Ethan Nagel Y7; Aaron Wu Y7); Australian oceans (Gloria Shen Y7) Polar bears – shrinking Arctic (Angelo Chen Y7) Port Arthur massacre – effects (Jackson Leadbetter Y8) Pyramids, ancient Egyptian – theories (Hannah Rowland Y8); ingenuity (Holly Laurenceson Y7)

Uluru – management (Hannah Dreghorn Y9) Urban heat islands (Dennis Zhang Y7) Urbanisation – of farming land (Shanice Timotius Y9)

Vaquita – protection (Emily Ness Wilson Y7) Venice – financial history (Lucy Dunster Y8) Vikings – battle tactics (Ryan Taylor Y9); (Lillian Karppinen Y7) Vivaldi, Antonio – significance (Ally Liu Y7)

Wake, Nancy – impacts on attitudes to women (Anastasia Spyropoulos Y7) Waste disposal (Ajay Lai Y9; Tim Myatt Y9; Olivia Kemp Howlett Y9; Anthony So Y9) Water consumption – at IBROX nursery (Lucy Serafini Y9) Water tanks (Tiffany Wells Y9) White spot virus – Moreton Bay (Hannah Rowland Y7) World War I – vehicles (Jack Sendall Y8) World War II – causes (Grace Gannon Y8) Wright brothers – others’ contributions (Gabe Silva Y8) Wu Zetian – character (Angel Wang Y8)

Qin Shi Huang – impacts (Alexander Louie Y7; Angela Gong Y8)

Rasputin – character (Clare Neill Y8) Red panda – threats (Sanjai Hewton Y7) Refugees, Syrian (Faith Thie Y7) Refugees, Rohingya – conditions (Bill Childs Y7) Robin Hood – accuracy of legend (Daniel Yuan Y8) Rochedale estates – facilities (Timothy Bell Y7) Rochedale neighbourhood centre (Ainsley Rudwick Y9; Andrew Kenny Y9)

Yorktown, Battle of – significance (Christian Henry Y7) Zedong, Mao – influence (Christina Perriman Y9; Jane Shen Y7) 27


Go Solar

Solar energy is the way to go for households, according to Ryan Feroz (Year 9). Over millions of years, sediment, rock and sand covered organic matter, resulting in the formation of large quantities of fossil fuels, including coal, natural gas, crude oil, petroleum and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Energy from these sources is often seen as a limitless source, abundant in quantity. But fossil fuels are a limited resource; continuing the use of them will eventually lead to future generations lacking a reliable energy source. Fossil fuels also contribute heavily to greenhouse gas emissions, thereby fuelling climate change.

Methods of Electricity Generation in Australia 4%

2% 1%

13%

73%

Therefore, more Queenslanders should utilise solar power and other forms of renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Renewable energy sources should be looked to as the definitive method of energy production in the future due to the many positive impacts it has on the planet.

Coal

Natural gas

Rooftop Solar

Bioenergy

Wind

Fig. 1 – Electricity Generation (created by author using data from Origin Energy, 2018)

generated from coal and natural gas, which are fossil fuels.

Energy

Non-renewable & renewable energy sources

Effective energy sources are required for basic necessities, such as electricity. Electricity can be generated by a nuclear reaction, hydropower, or by burning coal, which is the most common method.

Most of the energy consumed in the world comes from non-renewable energy sources. These sources were created over the course of millions of years by fossils, dead plants, and the pressure of rock and soil on the earth. Therefore, these sources cannot be replenished. Renewable energy can always be replenished due to the course of nature. Solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy, biomass from plants and hydropower are the five main types of renewable energy (Energy Information Administration, 2017).

Australia contributes to over 2.5% of world energy production, making us the world’s eighth largest energy producer (Origin Energy, 2018). Australia is also the second largest coal exporter in the world. Australian coal exports were worth $40 billion in 2013-2014 (Origin Energy, 2018). Australia also holds the title for being the third largest LNG (liquefied natural gas) exporter in the world, worth about $16.4 billion in 2013 – 2014 (Origin Energy, 2018). Figure 1 shows that 73% of all Australian energy production comes from coal, while only 7% comes from renewable sources.

It is thoroughly important we maintain our nonrenewable energy sources. The rate of consumption simply cannot match the rate of production as non-renewables were made over millions of years. Therefore, we must look to renewable energy sources to sustain our future. Renewable energy sources emit almost no greenhouse emissions. The processes that

The electricity sector is responsible for most greenhouse gas emissions (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018). This occurs as electricity is often 28


involve the making and installation of renewable energy technology only produce a small amount of global warming emissions. Replacing carbonintensive energy sources with more renewable energy sources would severely cut down global warming emissions. Adding more forms of renewable energy will also improve the health of the general public. Figure 2 displays the negative impacts of nonrenewable energy. Pollutants can have long-term negative effects on human populations. These pollutants could lead to 1.4 million premature deaths by 2100 (Choi, 2013). Fig. 2 – Impacts of Non-Renewable Energy

Renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydropower do not have these impacts, thus

(created by author based on Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018)

Fig. 3 – Energy Generators in SE Queensland (created by author using Google Maps, based on Queensland Government, 2018)

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improving health. Solar and wind energy do not require water to operate. Unnecessary water consumption would significantly decrease through the use of renewable energy sources.

Queensland already experiences events such as droughts, floods, heat waves and bushfires, the effects of climate change will worsen the impact of these events.

Figure 3 displays the location of various types of energy generators across south-east Queensland. Though coal contributes 73% of energy generation in Australia, south-east Queensland is clearly pushing towards a more renewable future (Origin Energy, 2018).

The south-east will experience reduced amounts of rainfall, but the intensity of rainfall will increase. It is also likely that the entire state will spend more time in drought. Sea level will continue to rise, causing coastal hazards to become more of a risk. The ocean will become warmer and more acidic, posing increasing threats to the Great Barrier Reef and its species (Queensland Government, 2018). Therefore, climate change will have negative impacts on rainfall and water quality in the south-east.

Greenhouse gas emissions & climate change The greenhouse gas effect is a natural process. Without this process, life on earth would not be possible. The atmosphere behaves as a blanket, trapping in heat but allowing light to pass through. However, human activity has significantly boosted this process (WWF, 2018). Since the Industrial Revolution, the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil have dramatically increased the concentration of greenhouse gases. The atmosphere traps in heat, causing a heating effect.

It is important to adapt and to use more forms of renewable energy to lessen the impact of climate change. Figure 4 highlights the main factors contributing to Queensland emissions. Stationary energy (also known as electricity generation) is evidently the leading cause behind these emissions. Household Energy Use

Climate change is set to hit Australia in many ways. Queensland in particular, will experience higher temperatures, more frequent hot days, more fire events, reduced rainfall, rising sea level and more acidic ocean water (Queensland Government, 2018). By 2030, Brisbane's temperature will be similar to the current climate of Bundaberg. The average summer temperature would rise to over 30 degrees celsius (Queensland Government, 2018). Although

Australians are significant producers of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide per person is almost double the average when compared to other developed nations. It is also four times as much as the entire world's average (WWF, 2018). Although each individual person's daily lifestyle routine does not seem significant to the larger causes of greenhouse gas emissions (such as coal mining and electricity generation), if everyone makes a change together we really reduce the

100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Stationary energy Transport Fugitive emissions Industrial processes Agriculture Land-use change and forestry

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

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Top Sources of Queensland Emissions

Waste

Years

Fig. 4 – Queensland Emission Sources (created by author using Google Maps, based on Queensland Government, 2018)

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impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. There are a large variety of options available to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as being more energy efficient in your home, choosing public transport, eating less meat, reducing waste,

choosing renewable energy and raising awareness. These options reduce the impact of climate change. Figure 5 shows the top six energy-using appliances throughout the author’s home and the number of times used. It displays how much energy these appliances would use in a year.

Number / kwh

Top Six Energy Using Appliances 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

As obvious as it may seem, some consumers do not pay careful attention to the energy star rating. Doing so helps to not only reduce emissions, but also to save more money in the long run. When not using electronic devices, make sure to unplug them. Washing clothes in cold water also helps to reduce emissions. Transportation is also a leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions. Householders can combat this issue by choosing more sustainable transportation methods, such as public transport and cycling. This helps reduce a large amount of emissions from vehicles. Appliance Times Used

18% of greenhouse gas emissions come from the production of meat and dairy products (David Suzuki Foundation, 2017). Eating locally grown food and avoiding processed items will help reduce emissions. It is recommended to eat a

Energy Used (kwh)

Fig. 5 – Energy Use by Appliances (created by author based on author home research, 2018)

Fig. 6 – How Electricity is Used in Homes (created by author based on author home research, 2018; house image by Flowers in Space, 2018))

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minimum of one meat-free meal a day to help make a difference.

and other forms of renewable energy production will not only help in cutting down electricity costs, but also help reduce the impact of climate change.

When garbage is buried in landfills, it produces greenhouse gas emissions. It is important to cut down waste by only purchasing products with a minimal, simplistic and recyclable approach to packaging.

Solar Panels As of April 2017, about 32% of Queensland homes utilised solar panels (ABC News, 2017). While this is an impressive statistic, more homes should use renewable energy. Figure 7 shows solar-powered homes in Levington Estate, Eight Mile Plains. It highlights that many homes still do not feature solar panels.

Choosing renewable energy over other forms of energy production will make a significant impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Renewable energy sources are abundant; they will always be replenished. Using solar panels

Solar powered homes Fig. 7 – Solar Powered Homes in Levington Estate (created by author using Google Maps, based on Google Earth satellite imagery, 2018)

The effectiveness of solar panels in providing energy for homes depends on the size of the panel, the sunlight it receives and the efficiency of the solar cells. Figure 8 demonstrates that the larger the panel is, the more electricity it generates. It also displays the importance of buying modern solar panels. The statistics displayed demonstrate that solar panels can be

extremely effective in not only generating enough energy to power homes, but can also provide significant savings. Queensland often features extremely hot, unforgiving conditions. While this amount of sunlight is ideal for solar panels, the heat that comes along can negatively impact the 32


type of solar panel is best suited for Queensland weather. Positive Impacts The renewable energy industry is rapidly growing. Investing in more forms of renewable energy will not only help reduce the impacts of climate change, but will also contribute to boosting the economy due to the creation of many jobs. By 2030, the renewable energy sector will lead to 50% more employment than in 2014 due to electricity generation (Climate Council, 2016). This is an enormous economic benefit that should not be overlooked. Using more renewables can also bring many positive health effects. Solar panels emit almost no pollution into the air. Subsequently, solar energy is clearly a significantly cleaner source of energy than the burning of fossil fuels. Many cities would benefit from a cleaner quality of air in the region. This is an invisible benefit that can bring major health benefits. Finally, solar energy also has many environmental benefits. Solar energy reduces air and water pollution and solar cells do not require water to generate electricity. This is a big advantage of solar power over other forms of energy generation. Natural gas and coal-fired facilities require water for cooling processes. This pollutes water resources and puts a strain on other forms of water use. Solar power ultimately allows us to preserve our finite resources. The sun will always continue to provide limitless energy. It provides 173 000 terawatts of solar energy every second, which is more energy than we will ever require (Sun Valley Solar, 2015).

Fig. 8 – Solar Panel Size and Efficiency (created by author based on Zientara, 2018)

effectiveness of the panel. Therefore, it is important to consider what types of panels are best suited for Queensland weather before purchasing one.

It is incredulous that renewable energy is not more commonly used due to the many positive economic, social and environmental impacts it brings. It is obvious that this energy source should be capitalised. Although non-renewable energy sources may appear abundant today, the world will run out of it eventually. Therefore, it is best that we are properly equipped with renewable forms of energy production.

Crystalline silicon solar panels are made of multiple layers of silicon and electrical contacts. They are durable and have good efficiency levels, but they are not flexible. They are also available in the forms of monocrystalline and polycrystalline cells (Modernize, 2018). Thin film solar cells use less silicon, therefore making them less fragile. They are flexible and adaptable, making them useful for any purpose (Modernize, 2018). However, crystalline silicon solar panels are better suited to high temperatures. They withstand hot temperatures without losing much of their output (Modernize, 2018). Therefore, this

Sources ABC News (2017). Solar power boom helps Queenslanders slash bills [online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-12/qld-leadingnation-in-household-solar-power-and-batterystorage/8440396 [Accessed 4 May 2018].

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Origin Energy (2018). Fossil Fuels in Australia [online] Available at: https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/aboutenergy/fossil-fuels.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Queensland Government – Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (2018). Climate Change in Queensland [online] Available at: https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/assets/docume nts/climate/queensland-climate-change-impactsummary.pdf [Accessed 4 May 2018]. Queensland Government – Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy (2018). Electricity Generation Map [online] Available at: https://maps.dnrm.qld.gov.au/electricity-generationmap/ [Accessed 4 May 2018]. Stephen, M. (2018). Ways to Manage Our Non-Renewable and Renewable Resources [online] Available at: https://sciencing.com/ways-manage-nonrenewablerenewable-resources-23595.html [Accessed 14 Apr. 2018]. Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). Benefits of Renewable Energy Use [online] Available at: https://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/renewableenergy/public-benefits-of-renewablepower#.WtKpmYhubTA [Accessed 15 Apr. 2018]. World Wildlife Fund (2018). Causes of global warming [online] Available at: http://www.wwf.org.au/what-wedo/climate/causes-of-global-warming#gs.Pvcze=g [Accessed 2 May 2018]. Ritland, K. (2015). 3 Environmental Benefits of Solar Energy [online] Available at: https://www.svssolutions.com/blog/threeenvironmental-benefits-solar-energy [Accessed 4 May 2018]. Zientara, B. (2018). How much electricity does a solar panel produce?. [online] Available at: https://solarpowerrocks.com/solar-basics/how-muchelectricity-does-a-solar-panel-produce/ [Accessed 4 May 2018].

Choi, Q. (2013). Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Could Prevent Premature Deaths. [online] Available at: https://www.livescience.com/39849-greenhouse-gasemissions-premature-deaths.html [Accessed 30 Apr. 2018]. Climate Council (2016). [online] Available at: https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/9bbeec433 6c0f87f7e04205516b3cfa7.pdf [Accessed 4 May 2018]. David Suzuki Foundation (2017). Top 10 ways you can stop climate change [online] Available at: https://davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/top-10ways-can-stop-climate-change/ [Accessed 3 May 2018]. Energy Information Administration (2017). What Is Energy? Energy Explained, Your Guide to Understanding Energy [online] Available at: https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page =about_home [Accessed 14 Apr. 2018]. Heuberger, B. (2017). Social Impacts of Solar Energy [online] Available at: https://classroom.synonym.com/socialimpacts-of-solar-energy-12084229.html [Accessed 4 May 2018]. Modernize (2018). What Kind of Solar Cells Are Best for Hot Climates [online] Available at: https://modernize.com/home-ideas/35708/solar-cellsbest-hot-climates [Accessed 4 May 2018]. New South Wales Government – Department of Environment & Heritage (2018). Causes of climate change. [online] Available at: http://climatechange.environment.nsw.gov.au/Aboutclimate-change-in-NSW/Causes-of-climate-change [Accessed 30 Apr. 2018]. Origin Energy (2018). Electricity Generation in Australia [online] Available at: https://www.originenergy.com.au/blog/aboutenergy/energy-in-australia.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018].

(‘Solar Panel’ by Oregon Department of Transportation – Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

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The Case of the Deaf Juror

(‘Justice, Not Only Blind, but Deaf and Dumb Too’ by Bart– Licensed under CC BY 2.0)

In 2012, a woman was summoned for jury service. However, shortly after, she was excluded from the jury panel after the court board was informed she was hearing impaired and would require an Auslan interpreter. She took action, accusing the Queensland government of unlawful discrimination, sparking a four-year legal battle. The case sparked a debate about whether hearing impaired people are incapable of effectively performing the functions of a juror and whether excluding deaf people from taking part in the jury is a discriminatory ruling (Hamilton-Smith, 2016).

What happens when a deaf person is denied jury service? Anastasia Baveas (Year 10) investigates.

of performing the acts of a juror. She later wrote to the Ipswich Courthouse stating she was ‘looking forward to sitting on the jury’ and informing them that she was deaf and would require the aid of two Auslan interpreters. The Deputy Registrar responded to Ms Lyons’ request notifying her that she would not be able to perform jury service and advising her to in the future, if she received another questionnaire, state she was hearing impaired. Ms Lyons responded to the email, requesting to be supplied with a copy of the Jury Act that states she is not allowed to be on the jury. The Deputy Registrar provided Ms Lyons with an excerpt of section 4(3)(1) of the Jury Act 1995 (Qld) (Kim, 2016).

Lyons v State of Queensland [2016] HCA 38 Ms Lyons complained that the State of Queensland had unlawfully discriminated against her before a single member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, again to the Appeal Tribunal and finally before the Queensland Court of Appeal. In every attempt by Ms Lyons, the court had to decide

Early in 2012, Gale Lyons received a written notice informing her that she had been summoned for jury service. Ms Lyons did not apply to be excused from the jury service and her answers to the questions in the questionnaire did not give any impression that she was incapable 35


Issues

whether she had been unlawfully discriminated against. Each time resulted in failure. She then took the matter to Canberra before receiving an application for special leave to appeal to the High Court in March, but all five judges that heard the case dismissed her appeal (Kim, 2016).

Prior to Ms Lyons’ appeal being dismissed, the court had to decide on many issues. One of these is whether an interpreter should be present in the jury room for deliberations. The case brought a clash between a citizen’s desire to carry out a civic duty and a principle of our criminal justice system - that jury deliberations must remain confidential, between sworn jurors.

This case is important as the culmination of a four-year legal battle in an attempt to become the first deaf juror in Australia. It also holds significance as it resulted in a large debate involving accusations of discrimination by the State of Queensland towards the applicant and encouraged the fight for equal rights on behalf of the disabled community.

The case also sparked the debate regarding Ms Lyons’ ability to successfully participate in the jury. Does being deaf make you ‘incapable of effectively performing the functions of a juror’? The court must consider any limitations of a hearing-impaired person that will affect their jury performance as well as any limitations of a translator that will affect their jury performance. Other issues include whether the Jury Act is outdated and how any decision will affect the state (Mackay, 2017).

The Law The Jury Act 1995 (Qld), Section 4 (Qualification to serve as a juror) subsection (2) states any person who is summoned for jury service is eligible for jury service unless the person is mentioned in subsection (3); this subsection mentions a person who has a physical or mental disability that makes them incapable of effectively performing the functions of a juror (Austlii, 2017). This case brought out varying opinions on whether a deaf person fits into this category.

Discrimination is the main issue related to this area of law. Did the Deputy Registrar of the Ipswich District Court unlawfully discriminate against the appellant? The court had to decide whether the Jury Act eliminates this possibility (Shrubb, 2016).

The Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) Section 7 (Discrimination on the Basis of Certain Attributes Prohibited) prohibits discrimination on the basis of the attribute of impairment (Austlii, 2018).

Outcome Eventually, the High Court dismissed Ms Lyons' appeal on the basis that the Jury Act prohibits any outsiders (an Auslan interpreter), being present during jury deliberations, and that law applies equally to people with, or without, Ms Lyons' impairment. In other words, the High Court held that the decision made by the Deputy Registrar to excuse Ms Lyons from taking part on the jury panel did not amount to unlawful discrimination (Mackay, 2017). The opinions based on the case and its outcome are varied.

This raised questions as to whether Ms Lyons, being hearing impaired, had been unlawfully discriminated against based on this attribute. The definition of direct discrimination can be found in the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) section 10 (Meaning of direct discrimination). Subsection (1) states that direct discrimination happens if a person treats a person with an attribute less favourably than another person without the attribute is or would be treated in circumstances that are the same (Austlii, 2018). In other words, if someone treats someone with an attribute worse than someone without the attribute in the same situation, it is considered direct discrimination.

Viewpoints Many disagree with the outcome of the case. It is argued that there is no evidence to say that no adjustment could be made to enable the Auslan interpreter to do their job without affecting the confidentiality of the jury deliberations. The NSW Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities found that the exclusion of deaf jurors was a result of disability-based discrimination. Ms Lyons believes disabled

Ms Lyons was treated less favourably than another person without the attribute (hearing impairment) when in the same circumstance. This raises several issues.

36


people are not receiving equal opportunities and that she has the right to do her civic duty, describing the situation as ‘a slap in the face’, and explaining that ‘it is a continuous fight for us to have equal opportunities’ (Kim, 2016).

people’s eyes, a discriminatory judgement and an unjust and inequitable outcome for the deaf community. Ms Lyons, along with many others, argue ‘people with disabilities need to participate in society more’. She explains that the deaf community is ‘not treated equally and allowed to serve our society’ (Hamilton-Smith, 2016).

Some argue that the laws are outdated. The Director of the Australian Centre for Disability Law, Phillip French, supports this argument as he explains ‘sheriffs around Australia who administer the jury system have taken the view they are bound by an ancient principle of English justice that says any additional person in the jury room would lead to a miscarriage of justice,’ also stating that Queensland is ‘backward’ in regard to this area of law due to prejudice (HamiltonSmith, 2016).

However, jurors are making decisions that seriously affect an accused’s life. The second alternative, continuing to disallow deaf juror participation, would ensure the accused person received a fair trial; a just and equitable outcome for the defendant. This is what is most important. Attorney General Yvette D’Ath fully understands the strong views that people like Ms Lyons have on the matter, however, she states that the chance that the accused may receive an unfair trial is a risk the state is not willing to take. ‘The confidentiality of jury deliberations and right of an accused person to a fair trial are among the most fundamental tenets of our justice system’, she said (Kim, 2016).

On the other hand, there are also those who support the state’s decision and the result of the case. Queensland Law Society President, Bill Potts, both applauds Ms Lyons for her attempts to perform her civic duty but also mentions a need for a balance. He explains many risks of allowing a deaf person to take part in the jury. These include a hearing-impaired person’s limitation on detecting the tone of someone’s voice through a translator, the interpreter’s presence in the jury room (as they are not a member of the jury) and the fact there is no way to test the accuracy of the translations (HamiltonSmith, 2016). Others described the risk in the presence of a 13th person in the jury room communicating with any juror as an irregularity which has been ‘held to vitiate the verdict’ (Shrubb, 2016). Walter Sofronoff, the Counsel for the State Government, believes there was no discrimination as there was ‘only an application of the law’ (Field, 2016).

It is recommended that the laws in Queensland’s Jury Act are kept in place. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that the accused receives a fair trial and the chance that the participation of a deaf juror may jeopardise this is not a risk worth taking. Sources Austlii. (2017, March 30). JURY ACT 1995. Retrieved from Australasian Legal Information Institute : http://www9.austlii.edu.au/cgibin/viewdb/au/legis/qld/consol_act/ja199591/ Austlii. (2018, March 30). ANTI-DISCRIMINATION ACT 1991. Retrieved from Australasian Legal Information Institute: http://www9.austlii.edu.au/cgibin/viewdb/au/legis/qld/consol_act/aa1991204/ Field, D. (2016, July 25). Queensland law does not allow for deaf jurors on trials, High Court hears. Retrieved from NEWS: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-25/nothing-in-law-toallow-for-deaf-jurors-high-court-hears/7659464 Hamilton-Smith, L. (2016, July 25). Deaf woman takes Queensland Government to High Court over 2012 exclusion from jury. Retrieved from ABC NEWS : http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-25/deaf-woman-suesfor-her-right-to-serve-on-a-jury/7652658 Kim, S. (2016, October 5). Deaf Queensland woman Gaye Lyons loses High Court bid to become juror. Retrieved from ABC NEWS: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-05/deaf-woman-gayelyons-loses-high-court-challenge-juror/7904324 Mackay, J. (2017, February 14). Should a deaf person be able to serve on a jury? Retrieved from Stacks Law Firm : https://www.stacklaw.com.au/news/criminal-law/deafperson-able-serve-jury/ Shrubb, W. (2016, October 5). Deaf jurors and discrimination, Part 2. Retrieved from Rule of Law Institute of Australia: https://www.ruleoflaw.org.au/deaf-jurors-discrimination-2/

Alternatives & Recommendations Two possible alternatives for legal reform are to either allow an Auslan interpreter to be present during deliberations, or continue to exclude deaf people from taking part in the jury. The first alternative, allowing the Auslan interpreter to be present during deliberations, would mean a legal reform of Queensland laws. It would work in deaf peoples’ favour, allowing Ms Lyons to participate and carry out her civic duty as a juror. Excluding deaf people from the jury without hard proof that no adjustment can be made to allow the interpreter is, in many 37


(‘stuck in traffic’ by jacsonquerubin– Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Slow Going Emelie Ly (Year 9) analyses growing traffic congestion around Rochedale.

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Rochedale has limited modes of transport to deliver people and goods around the area. Motorcycles, cars and taxis may not necessarily be the smartest option. The many facilities, services and residences constructed in Rochedale sometimes make traffic quite congested. Typical Wednesday traffic has the highest congestion on the Gateway Motorway from 2:45pm to 5:45pm. Figure 1 indicates slow traffic at this time. These traffic spikes may be due to general public working time – most commuters are employees travelling to and from workplaces via the Gateway Motorway, regularly around evening. In addition, the highway stretches within the western outskirts of Rochedale and carries many travellers to further destinations such as the Sunshine Coast, making roads very busy.

Wednesday 8:40 am

Congested areas can be seen on Underwood Road and Rochedale Road between 8:40am and 2:45pm-5:45pm (Figure 1). The main factor causing congested traffic there is schools in the suburb, which predominantly lie on Rochedale Road and Priestdale Road. Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochedale State School, and Rochedale State High School generally begin class around 8am-9am and are grouped very close to each other, forcing traffic to cluster. Around 3:00pm, school finishes and students are expected to be picked up by parents or catch buses to go home, hence traffic builds up during this time and gradually eases around 5:45pm. Wednesday 3:45 pm

Typical traffic on Sundays is very different as there is almost no traffic within the suburb, save for the Pacific Motorway passing through. Figure 1 shows slow and light traffic between 10:40am to 12:40pm on the Pacific Motorway but all other roads have no or low congestion. The lower congestion in Rochedale is due to no school running on weekends and thus significant decreases in vehicles on the road. Fast traffic, no congestion Light (average) traffic, low congestion Slow traffic, medium congestion Very slow traffic, high congestion Rochedale

Sunday 12:40 pm

Fig. 1 – Typical Traffic in Rochedale (created by author using Google Maps / Traffic)

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Causes of Congestion When excessive amounts of cars are moving on the same road, congestion starts to build up and causes travelling time delay (Clark & Bryant, 2010). The flow of traffic, or interaction between travellers and infrastructure (Chegg Study, 2018), becomes difficult to restore after congestion occurs and can produce severe consequences. However, there are many other factors to consider when congestion develops. The main element is speed – sudden fluctuations in speed create a chain reaction of slowing or stopping on the road (Figure 3). Drivers travelling at a constant rate allow traffic to flow freely without any delay. However, if one driver brakes, all other vehicles behind must slow down to avoid a collision and accelerate again to restore the gap in between; this interruption of flow is called a traffic jam. Drivers entering the back of a queue drive faster than those trying to accelerate out of the jam. Therefore, the pattern will persist until the number of incoming vehicles drops low enough to allow leading vehicles to restore the flow and speed. If the change in speed is not significant and there is no consequential stoppage, this leads to ‘synchronised flow’ (Greenemeier, 2012).

Fig. 2 – Morning Traffic, Corner of Underwood and Logan Roads (taken by the author)

Other factors include unpredictable events such as malfunctioning vehicles, accidents, police duty and traffic light systems not working properly (e.g. loss of ‘green time’). Overdevelopment in areas where mass transit systems are already overcrowded forces congestion to accumulate. Rail freight utilises railroads and trains to transport goods but may not necessarily be used in all circumstances, which leads to more trucks on the road and therefore, traffic (Rosen, 2013).

Fig. 3 – Causes of Traffic Congestion (Created by the author based on Greenemeier, 2012)

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Effects of Congestion

up to two weeks per year of just sitting in traffic queues (Bryant & Clark, 2010).

Traffic congestion is a global issue occurring most frequently in highly-developed areas. The consequences affect everyone living in the vicinity regardless of whether they contribute to the traffic queue or not. The consequences of traffic congestion are negative for the environment, economy and society.

Attempting to reduce traffic congestion by widening roads requires substantial amounts of money, which will most likely be obtained through government taxes. Taxes that are directed to tackle road congestion cost more than $16 billion a year in large Australian cities (Martin & Thornton, 2017) and may continue to rise due to population growth. The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics reveals the average cost to a community from traffic congestion in Australia’s capital cities is $16.5 billion per annum. Business people and private travellers that are delayed due to traffic lose time equivalent to the majority of the cost ($14 billion) (Davies, 2015).

Gas emissions from vehicles and use of fossil fuels to operate cars all result in air pollution and create suffocating atmospheres in congested cities. When traffic congestion occurs, vehicles stuck in a queue for a long time generate traffic pollutants - this contains diesel particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds and can combine to create ozone (California Environmental Health Tracking Program, 2015). These chemicals are toxic to humans and can cause various health issues ranging from mild to severe. Although Rochedale presently has fair air quality, ozone is currently the most common air pollutant there (BreezoMeter, 2018) and this could cause damage to ecosystems and people.

Rochedale is at a smaller scale but the effects can be significant. Congestion is rising and a solution is vital. Redeemer Transport Students from Redeemer Lutheran College (RLC) were surveyed and questioned about their preferred methods of transportation during morning and afternoon peak hours (i.e. around 8:00am and 3:30pm). Figure 4 shows that parents dropping students off is the most popular process of getting to and from school; therefore, assuming that parents each own a vehicle, cars are the most popular vehicles around RLC. Other options such as bike riding and carpooling are the least popular with close to no students opting for these.

Social effects of congestion also include higher risk of fatal accidents on the road (Jovanis & Hobbs, 2018). Individuals must pay unnecessary expenses for petrol and maintenance. Daily noise pollution produced by traffic congestion harms the health of residents living nearby (Singh, 2014). Furthermore, travel times are longer due to congestion and considerable amounts of money and time are spent waiting in traffic. In Los Angeles, an average commuter accumulates

Usual Mode of Transport to School (AFTERNOON) Mode of Transportation

Mode of Transportation

Usual Mode of Transport to School (MORNING) Drive yourself

Walk Bike ride Bus Carpool with another family Parents drop you off 0

10

20

30

40

Drive yourself

Walk Bike ride Bus Carpool with another family Parents drop you off 0

50

10

20

30

Number of Students

Number of Students

Fig. 4 – Modes of Transport to and from Redeemer (Created by the author data from author surveys)

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Buses Public transport is the ideal solution due to its many benefits of reducing traffic and impacts on the environment, economy, and community. Residents tend to drive more in personal vehicles if households are located further away from CBD or public transit services (Martin & Thornton, 2017). However, Rochedale is already supplied with plenty of bus stations (Figure 5), so why is traffic congestion still an issue? Perhaps Rochedale people are not informed about the efficiency of public mass transit and thus do not use it fully. Figure 6 displays the lack of RLC students utilising buses provided for them each school day, with 68% of students travelling in individual automobiles instead. Bus stop

Buses offer inexpensive travelling opportunities to and from markets and services and improve the ‘look’ of Rochedale (Union Internationale des Transports Publics, 2015). Hence, buses are recommended for their economic boosts and minimalisation of environmental effects.

Fig. 5 – Bus Stops in Rochedale (Created by the author using Google Maps)

Other Strategies London was known to have Europe’s worst traffic congestion (O'Sullivan, 2016) until 2003, where a new transit system, called congestion pricing, was installed. This method uses a monetary approach to reduce traffic (Manville, et al, 2018) only in congested zones (e.g. during peak hours). People who wish to drive on these roads must pay a small fee, whereas those who think it is not worth driving during peak hour will travel earlier (or later) – therefore allowing those who pay a quicker trip. Driving outside peak times will not require a fee as there is no congestion to be charged for (Terrill & Batrouney, 2017). On the day the system was implemented in London, 300 additional buses were supplied to the Central London bus network, with 29,000 more passengers entering the charging zone the year after. By 2006, general traffic was significantly reduced by 15% and congestion by 30%. There was also a decrease in private cars entering the zone by 39% (Badstuber, 2018). Thus, congestion pricing proved to be highly successful.

Frequency of Bus Travel per Week

Not at all

1

2

3

Rochedale

4+

Fig. 6 – RLC Student Bus Travel (Created by the author using Google Maps)

Social benefits of buses include the opportunity for anyone to access public mass transportation, allowing full access around the suburb, to neighbouring suburbs and main bus lines to Brisbane city. Public transit immensely decreases traffic congestion which positively influences the entire community in such a way that air pollution, risk of health issues, and likeliness of accidents is also decreased (Hermes, 2012).

Figure 7 highlights six other viable suggestions of how to ease traffic congestion.

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Rochedale currently does not usually have high congestion but it will significantly increase once development is finished. Traffic congestion is inevitable when considering the increasing population and construction. Unless immediate action is taken, the issue will most likely worsen.


development is finished. Traffic congestion is inevitable when considering the increasing population and construction. Unless immediate action is taken, the issue will most likely worsen. Sources Badstuber, N., 2018. London congestion charge: why it’s time to reconsider one of the city’s great successes. [Online] Available at: http://theconversation.com/london-congestion-charge-whyits-time-to-reconsider-one-of-the-citys-great-successes-92478 [Accessed 10 5 2018]. BreezoMeter, 2018. Rochedale, Australia Air Quality. [Online] Available at: https://breezometer.com/real-time-airquality/?lat=27.612&locale=en_au&lon=153.136&partner=goo gle [Accessed 9 05 2018]. California Environmental Health Tracking Program, 2015. Air Contaminations: Traffic Pollutants. [Online] Available at: http://www.cehtp.org/faq/air/air_contaminants_traffic_poll utants [Accessed 8 04 2018]. Chegg Study, 2018. Traffic Flow. [Online] Available at: https://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/trafficflow-8 [Accessed 03 05 2018]. Clark, J. & Bryant, C., 2010. How Traffic Works. [Online] Available at: https://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/howtraffic-works.htm [Accessed 3 05 2018]. Davies, A., 2015. Is more public transport the answer to traffic congestion?. [Online] Available at: https://blogs.crikey.com.au/theurbanist/2015/11/12/ismore-public-transport-the-answer-to-traffic-congestion/ Greenemeier, L., 2012. What Causes Traffic Jams? - Instant Egghead. [Online] Available at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/video/what-causestraffic-jams-instant2012-12-17/ [Accessed 16 04 2018]. Hermes, J., 2012. How Traffic Jams Affect Air Quality. [Online] Available at: https://www.environmentalleader.com/2012/01/how-trafficjams-affect-air-quality/ [Accessed 29 04 2018]. Jovanis, P. & Hobbs, F., 2018. Traffic Control. [Online] Available at: https://school.eb.com.au/levels/high/article/trafficcontrol/110747 Manville, M., Fairchild, J. & Aloisi, J., 2018. How to ease traffic congestion. [Online] Available at: https://soundcloud.com/massinc/the-codcast-ep-81 Martin, L. & Thornton, S., 2017. How a congestion tax might work in Australia. [Online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-11-23/congestion-taxroad-use-how-might-it-work-in-australia/9169032 O'Sullivan, F., 2016. London Has the Worst Traffic Congestion in Europe. [Online] Available at: https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2016/09/londonhas-europes-worst-congestions-says-a-new-study/499640/ Rosen, A., 2013. What Really Causes Traffic Congestion?. [Online] Available at: https://bklyner.com/what-really-causes-trafficcongestion-sheepshead-bay/ [Accessed 13 04 2018]. Singh, S., 2014. Reducing Traffic Congestion. [Online] Available at: https://www.slideshare.net/Sudhanshu_Singh/reducingtraffic-congestion-30970290 [Accessed 9 05 2018]. Terrill, M. & Batrouney, H., 2017. Stuck in traffic: We need a smarter approach to congestion than building more road. [Online] Available at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-1003/congestion-sydney-melbourne-smarter-approach-neededthan-roads/9010164 [Accessed 29 04 2018]. Union Internationale des Transports Publics, 2015. Monthly Focus: The Economic Impact of Public Transport. [Online] Available at: http://www.uitp.org/news/monthly-focuseconomic-impact-public-transport [Accessed 29 04 2018].

Fig. 7 – Easing Traffic Congestion (Created by the author)

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Liberation Ladies Maddie Vela (Year 8) compares three American feminists.

Left to right: Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Eleanor Roosevelt (Sources: Wright State University Libraries, 2014; Wikipedia, 2018)

be. She also founded the National Women’s Political Caucus and wrote a number of books for women on self-confidence, including the most popular, ‘Revolution from Within’.

Throughout the years, we have seen an increased interest in female rights all around the world. Many inspirational women have influenced the outlook on women’s rights. Three examples of inspirational feminists are Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan and Eleanor Roosevelt. These women were all influential in their own way, however Betty Friedan was by far the most influential. Gloria Steinem Gloria Steinem was born on the 25th of March 1934 in Toledo, Ohio in the United States. When Gloria was working as a journalist in New York City, she noticed that she was getting paid less than her male co-workers even though she was working the same number of hours. She also noticed that she was not getting feature articles even though she was a brilliant writer. This sparked her interest in women’s rights. She decided to write a column just for women in the newspaper. She believed that women should be treated as equals and that wives should not be ‘owned’ by their husbands. So, after the success of the column, she turned the column into a full magazine. She named it ‘Ms. Magazine’ because the title ‘Ms’ was a way for women to not be ‘owned’ by their husbands if they did not wish to

The first cover of Ms. Magazine in 1972 (Source: Spillar, 2012)

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Life for Women in the 1940’s –1970’s Life was very different for women of this time compared to the lives of women today. As children, they were expected to learn the housewife roles of cooking and cleaning. They were expected to marry a man and look after their home, cook the food, have children and then look after the children. There were not many women with jobs in this time and those who did have jobs were likely to be teachers or nurses. In the 60’s and 70’s more and more women were getting jobs, but they were not paid equally to their male co-workers. For many women this life was pleasant but for others it was not what they wanted. The attitude of the society at the time (the 40’s to 50’s especially) was that: ‘Nothing destroys the happiness of a married life more than the lazy, slovenly wife.’ Written in a 1930 article from the Bath Chronicle, this perfectly illustrates some of the issues women had to deal with.

"We need to be long-distance runners to make a real social revolution. And you can't be a long-distance runner unless you have some inner strength.”

with her life than stay at home. She wanted to get back into the workforce. She wondered if other women felt the same way, so she surveyed other Smith College graduates. She took those results and wrote the book ‘The Feminine Mystique’ in which she encouraged women to do more with their lives and seek the same opportunities that their husbands received. This opened the public to the idea that not all women were happy with just being a housewife. There were a lot of women who appreciated the book and saw it as a voice for women. Others saw it as a negative idea and believed she was putting pressure on the women who did enjoy being house wives and did not wish to seek opportunities.

– Gloria Steinem about her book ‘Revolution from Within’

Steinem received a lot of criticism for her selfconfidence books as they were seen by some people as a ‘retreat from social activism’ because she was not facing the issues at hand but instead writing books about self-respect. She did have people against her, however she was seen by many as a ‘voice for women’:

Besides being the voice for women wanting more, she did a lot of other things to improve the lives of women around the world. She cofounded the National Organization for Women, she directed campaigns for a better voice for women in the government, she became director of the first women’s bank and trust company, she directed campaigns for child care centres and for legalised abortion and she had an active role in the women’s movement alongside Gloria Steinem. A strong independent woman who knew what she wanted and encouraged others to be the same, she really was a powerful influencer.

“She was to the women’s movement what Martin Luther King Jr. was to civil rights: the galvanizer.” - Christine Stanwell, speaking about Gloria Steinem.

Writer, journalist and women’s rights activist, Steinem really was an extraordinary woman who was a good role model and an influential feminist. Betty Friedan Betty Friedan was born on 4th of February 1921 in Peoria, Illinois. In her adult years, she lived in New York with her husband and three children. She had a bachelor’s degree in psychology and worked as a reporter for a short time in New York before she met her husband, Carl Friedan. After falling pregnant with her second child, she lost her job and changed to the role of a stay-athome mother and housewife. She was extremely restless and knew that she wanted to do more

“The most powerful catalyst for change, sociologists will tell you, is when people learn what they already know. Betty didn't invent the discontented housewife. She described the discontent. She didn't create the second-class citizenship. She analysed it.” – Ellen Goodman writing for the New York Times about how Betty Friedan changed society. 45


The Feminine Mystique (Source: Cottin Pogrebin, 2013)

Eleanor Roosevelt

heavily debated as she was not one hundred percent committed to women’s rights alone as she also worked on justice for people of colour and general human rights, however she really wanted to see more equality for women. She said:

Eleanor Roosevelt was born on the 11th of October in 1884, in New York City. Eleanor Roosevelt is one of America’s most influential First Ladies and was loved by most of the nation. She was First Lady for four terms before her husband, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, passed away. Afterwards she continued to work in government for the United Nations and received the title ‘First Lady of the World’ as she was now not only making a difference to America, but also the whole world.

“In numbers there is strength and we in America must help the women of the world”. The larger percentage of the public loved her work and thought very highly of her goals and achievements, however there were a few who thought that she was too active in her role due to

While she served in her role as First Lady, she worked on many human rights movements and laws. She was one of the most active first ladies in her time and was Franklin’s eyes and ears, seeing the views of many different groups of people. While she was in office as First Lady, she did many things to improve the lives of women in America. She had leadership roles in organisations such as the League of Women Voters and Women’s Trade Union League. She influenced the government to hire many more women in the office and worked for an equal pay act which ended up being passed. She was also head of the Women’s Division of the Democratic National Committee. She was very active in the media and wrote many articles for the ‘Women’s Home Companion’. Her title as a feminist is

Roosevelt helped create the UDHR (Source: UN Archives, cited at Lucis Trust

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government. She was seen as huge inspiration and will be remembered forever.

the fact that no other first ladies had ever been so public and engaged with the citizens before her. But the people who were disenfranchised and had little rights at the time found her as a voice and inspiration. She was also seen as an inspiration to many women of the next generations. For example, Representative Bella S. Abzug saw her work as very effective and inspirational:

Comparing the Three These women all had an extremely active role in pioneering the idea of feminism and women’s rights and had a large impact on society’s outlook on equality. There are a lot of things that these women had in common. They all wanted equality, an equal voice for women in government, and for them to be seen as equivalent to their husbands. In saying this, there were a lot of things that set each apart from one another.

“She was what I would call an instinctive feminist. Most of her work was for the advancement of women, whether it was in peace or politics. She helped women get into top positions in the Roosevelt Administration, including Frances Perkins, who was the first female Cabinet member.”

Eleanor Roosevelt was not seen as a feminist, she was seen as First Lady and a human rights activist meaning she did not only fight for equality for females, but also people of colour. In saying this, we should not neglect the improvements she made to women of the day. Not only was she an active member of the government, she was an outstanding role model

– Bella S. Abzug

She was most remembered for her attitude and actions. For a woman in that day, she had a very strong career and was very influential in the

Three Feminists Compared (created by the author)

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for other women. It was almost unheard of for a woman to do as much as she did at that point in history. This encouraged many other women to aspire to do the same.

Sources A & E Television Networks, 2018. Gloria Steinem. [Online] Available at: www.history.com/topics/womenshistory/gloria-steinem [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Biography.com, 2017. Gloria Steinem Biography. [Online] Available at: www.biography.com/people/gloria-steinem9493491 [Accessed 23 February 2018]. Biography.com, 2018. Betty Friedan Biography. [Online] Available at: www.biography.com/people/betty-friedan9302633 [Accessed 5 March 2018]. Britannica School, 2018. Betty Friedan. [Online] Available at: school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/BettyFriedan/323969 [Accessed 2 March 2018]. Britannica School, 2018. Eleanor Roosevelt. [Online] Available at: school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/article/EleanorRoosevelt/276785 [Accessed 14 April 2018]. Britannica School, 2018. Gloria Steinem. [Online] Available at: school.eb.com.au/levels/middle/articles/GloriaSteinem/69551 [Accessed 21 February 2018]. Cottin Pogrebin, L., 2013. ‘The Feminine Mystique’ at 50: Three Feminists on Betty Freidan’s Legacy. [Online] Available at: https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-femininemystique-at-50-three-feminists-on-betty-freidans-legacy [Accessed 10 May 2018]. Fetters, A., 2013. The Skeptical Early Reviews of Betty Friedan's 'The Feminine Mystique'. [Online] Available at: https://www.theatlantic.com/sexes/archive/2013/02/theskeptical-early-reviews-of-betty-friedans-the-femininemystique/272659/ [Accessed 9 March 2018]. Lucis Trust, 2018. Eleanor Roosevelt Reads the Great Invocation. [Online] Available at: https://www.lucistrust.org/the_great_invocation/eleanor_roo sevelt_reads_the_great_invocation [Accessed 6 July 2018]. Michals, D., 2017. Eleanor Roosevelt. [Online] Available at: https://www.womenshistory.org/educationresources/biographies/eleanor-roosevelt [Accessed 14 April 2018]. Spillar, K., 2012. Ms. Turns 40 - And Wonder Woman's Back On Our Cover!. [Online] Available at: http://msmagazine.com/blog/2012/10/01/msturns-40-and-wonder-womans-back-on-our-cover/ [Accessed 14 May 2018]. Wikipedia, 2018. Betty Friedan. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan [Accessed 2018 March 2018]. Wikipedia, 2018. Eleanor Roosevelt. [Online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleanor_Roosevelt [Accessed 18 March 2018]. Wright State University Libraries, 2014. Gloria Steinem, Jan., 1972. [Online] Available at: https://www.libraries.wright.edu/community/outofthebox/2 014/07/30/a-day-in-the-life-of-special-collectionsarchives/gloria-steinem-jan-1972/ [Accessed 18 May 2018].

Gloria Steinem was very different to Eleanor in her role as a feminist. Being seen as a ‘voice for women’, she often talked about issues that many other women did not have the confidence to. Living in a world where women were told to follow men, she was all for empowering women. She started a newspaper just for women that discussed subjects that were often overlooked such as rape, domestic violence, equal pay, voting rights. She wrote books about selfconfidence because in those days women were not built up to be confident and strong as they are today, as they were dependent on their husbands. Through her books and articles, she broke this stereotype and encouraged women to become strong and confident. She is seen as a confident role model for many women. The improvements and influences that Betty Friedan made on society were by far the most significant. With her book ‘The Feminine Mystique’ she broke the stereotype placed on the housewives and women of the day. She challenged society to see women as more than wives and mothers and encouraged them to chase their dreams. She also worked on many important issues and improved the lives of women in the US, as well as inspiring them to be more and to strive for the same opportunities as men. Gloria Steinem was inspirational, Eleanor Roosevelt made things happen due to her position in power and Betty Friedan did this and more. Her work on ‘The Feminine Mystique’ was ground-breaking and challenged men to look at women’s roles differently and for women to look at their rights differently as well. She also worked on a lot more issues than the other two and really pushed the social viewpoint of women and what they should aspire to. With this, it is clear that she was the most influential in her role as a feminist. These women have made a difference to the world and opened its eyes to gender equality and women’s rights. Without influences like these, the world would not be the same today.

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(‘Questions’ by Russ Allison Loar – Licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

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