BtN: Episode 25 Transcript 4/9/12

Transcription

1 BtN: Episode 25 Transcript 4/9/12 On this week's Behind the News We dig deep and ask the big question: Is the mining boom over? 3D printers are becoming more popular we take a look at how they work. And we go behind the scenes of a seal show and see how they're trained. Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today I have a go at a really tough Paralympic sport called murderball. But first: Cigarette Changes Reporter: Nathan Bazley INTRO: We all know that smoking is bad for you and can even kill you but amazingly people still take up the habit. Over the years politicians have come up with new ideas to encourage people to quit. The latest is to force companies to change the design of cigarette packets to make them less appealing. And there's another even stricter idea being debated in one state which could lead to an all-out ban! NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: For ages, government TV ads have tried to shock people into not smoking. They've used sad stories and disturbing images. And in the most part, they've been pretty effective. But where should they turn next to stamp smoking out for good? Well there are two plans in the news right now; one is going ahead, the other's just been raised. Here's the confirmed one. GIRL: I think this one looks actually quite pretty. GIRL II: Yes, pink, pink, pink. GIRL III: It looks girly. I just like it. BOY: The pictures actually look quite nice. And ice cubes and mint. 1

2 BOY II: It makes you feel like you're in a wonderland of happiness. These kids from England are talking in an ad about what they think when they see different brands of cigarette packets. All sounds pretty positive, doesn't it? Well that is the reason why the Australian government has banned them. By the end of this year, cigarettes will have to be sold in packages that look like this. Every single packet will look the same and feature this ugly olive green colour. Research showed that was the most uncool design they could come up with, so that's why they went with it to remove the cool factor from carrying around a pack of cigarettes. The government announced this idea quite a while ago. And to say the big tobacco companies weren't a fan of it is an understatement! They said it was stealing away their logos and brands which they own. They also said it would lead to more being sold illegally. SCOTT MCINTYRE, BRITISH AMERICAN TOBACCO AUSTRALASIA: They'll be easier to copy. They'll be easier to smuggle in down from boats from Indonesia and all across Asia. But the high court disagreed and the law is going ahead. So it won't be too long before all you see in smokers' hands is some olive green and a pretty gross picture. So that's one idea for encouraging fewer people to take up smoking. But it could be argued it'll never stamp out smoking for good. So how about just doing exactly that? Here's a more extreme plan from some pollies in Tassie. If they have their way, anyone born after the year 2000 would be banned from buying cigarettes forever. So if you are 12 this year, you'd never be able to buy a packet. Not now, not when you're 18, never! The aim of all this is to stop kids from taking up smoking, whilst not stopping adults that are already addicted. But even though it might stop kids smoking, there are some people against the plan. Their main argument is that it's unfair and removes your freedom of choice. Which is it? We asked some kids born in the year 2000 to find out. STUDENT: I guess it would be good because then you'd never get addicted to it. STUDENT: I don't think it's exactly fair, cause I think everyone should have their own responsibility and choice. STUDENT: I believe it's good because it's saving lives of smokers and passive smokers. 2

3 STUDENT: People have their own rights and freedom of choice to see whether or not they smoke. STUDENT: I think it's bad that people do smoke and I don't want to be put in that position. Presenter: OK let's make that our poll this week. Online Poll The question is: Should smoking be banned? To vote just head to our website. Last week we asked if teaching school kids to drive cars would make roads safer in the future. 88 per cent said yes And 12 per cent said no. Thanks for voting. OK, let's see what else is making the news. Here's Matt with the Wire. The Wire Five Australian soldiers died in Afghanistan last week. Three men were shot and killed by an Afghan solider who was being trained by the Australian Army. And on the same day, two other soldiers died in a helicopter crash. The number of Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan is now 38. ***** The Federal Government wants Australia's school system to be in the top five in the world. 3

4 At the moment, Australia is in 7th place when it comes to reading and science and 13th for maths. A review into school funding recommended the government spend around 5-billion dollars on schools including giving extra money to schools in poorer areas. Julia Gillard, PRIME MINISTER: I've set our sights on 2025 because that gives us 13 years, the time it usually takes for a student to complete his or hers schooling. To make Australia among the best in the world. The changes will start in Boom and Gloom Reporter: Sarah Larsen INTRO: For as long as most of you have been alive, Australia has been in a mining boom. The stuff we pull out of the ground has been worth a lot and mining companies have been racing to pull out as much as possible. But it's not the first boom Australia's had and booms never last forever. When a major mining project was put on hold recently it got some asking if this boom will soon turn to bust. Here's Sarah. SARAH LARSEN, Reporter: For the past decade or so, one thing that's really put Australia on the map has been the stuff under the ground. Australia has some of the highest reserves in the world of stuff the world needs; iron, nickel, copper, gold, diamonds, coal, gas, oil, uranium and the list goes on. It's worth more than ever before and mining companies need people to get it out of the ground. And that's where these guys come in. They're studying Geology and many are hoping to work in the mining industry. LAURA: One of the main reasons I thought of getting into geology was getting into the field. ELIZA: Mum's try to convince me to go into geology because she thinks it s good path because of the mining. JOSH: If you want a six-figure salary, yes. The promise of jobs and high salaries has attracted heaps of young people to subjects like this. JESSICA: I think you don't want to spend four years of your life doing studying and paying for it and not having any job prospects. 4

5 It's not just geologists. Mines pay big salaries for all sorts of jobs machinery operators, engineers, safety experts, cooks, drivers and many more. But lately some have been asking if the boom times are coming to an end. This is Olympic Dam, a big mine in South Australia which was set to get even bigger. Its owner BHP was going to spend 30 billion dollars on a copper, gold and uranium mining project that would have employed thousands of people. But now it's been put on hold because the company says it's not getting as much money for the stuff it pulls out of the ground. Australia has had mining booms before. OLD NEWS BROADCAST: To the Western Australian Cinderella, Prince Charming is iron ore. But they didn't last forever and many say this one won't either. A lot of the money's coming from China. In the past decade the country's developed on a massive scale and it's needed Aussie resources to build and power that growth. But now things seem to be slowing down and it has people talking about what impact that'll have on Australia. MARTIN FERGUSON, Resource Minister: We have to understand the resources boom is over. TONY ABBOTT, Opposition Leader: This is real problem for the government, it undermines their whole economic strategy. Not everyone's worried. Recently a report said the industry will keep growing for another few years. JULIA GILLARD, Prime Minister: The export boom in resources still has very long way to run These guys are pretty confident that there'll still be plenty of jobs around when they graduate. JOSH: If China still exists yes I think there's plenty of demand for iron ore and uranium and gold and copper. JAYDON: I mean hopefully by the time I get there it'll be still sort of in there which I think it will be for a while yet so it's not something I really think about. 5

6 LIAM: Yeah I think probably until the end of time there will always be a need for geologists of some kind and there are other sorts of jobs I can do in geology like aqua geology. They say boom or no boom, there'll always be people interested in the amazing things that lie underground and the stuff our planet is made of. Presenter: OK, let's have a quiz. Quiz 1 The question is: Which animal was used to help keep coal miners safe? Mole Ferret Canary Answer: Canary Canaries were sent into mines to detect dangerous gases. If the poor old canary died it was an indicator that something might be wrong. 3D Printing Reporter: Natasha Thiele INTRO: Now you're probably used to printing off assignments from home or at school. All you need's a computer and a printer. But imagine being able to print off something you've drawn in 3D. Well that's already happening and now more and more schools and businesses are taking advantage of 3-D printing. Here's Tash. NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Imagine being able to scan your entire body, from your head to your toes, to your eyes and ears. Then being able to print off a 3D plastic model of yourself. Well, 3D printing is something that's already happening around the world and it could one day become part of our everyday lives. 3D printing is a type of manufacturing. It allows you to make a three-dimensional object using a computer, some software and a 3D printer. It works in a similar way to 6

7 a normal printer. But instead of printing lines with ink, it creates a 3D object layer by layer using materials like plastic, glass and metal. Let's take a look at how they work. LAURA, STUDENT: So this is SolidWorks which is a 3D drawing program and you can pretty much draw any shape on here and once you've got your design set, you import it into this program and then when you're ready to print it to the 3D printer, you just go and print. REPORTER: So how long does that take roughly? LAURA: This could take six to seven weeks sometimes, so it's quite a few lessons in class. JASMINE, STUDENT: So this is the 3D printer. Right now it's just making a base for the object. The plastic goes through the nozzle where it heats up and melts and then the nozzle moves forward and backwards and side to side, making the shape. REPORTER: Cool and how long will that take? JASMINE: This product will probably take an hour but yeah, you can make whatever you want with whatever detail you need and it takes longer or shorter amount of time. And once the printer's finished doing its job, this is what's left! Lots of things can be made using 3D printers from toys to teeth moulds, car parts and even artificial limbs. And it's not just metal and plastic that can be made into 3D models; you can even make different shapes out of food. The process can be quick, easy and sometimes even cheaper than getting things from the shops. You can customise your own design and have it ready within days. Some big manufacturing companies have been using this kind of technology for years. And now people are starting to use 3D printers at home and at school because they've become more affordable. You can get printers like this for around a thousand dollars. Three-dimensional printing has raised some questions about copyright. Some people think manufacturers could be affected in a big way, if their designs were leaked on the internet. People could download them at a click of a mouse and copy their designs, much like how people download movies and songs illegally. There are already websites out there that allow people to download 3D printer files called 'physibles'. A lot of them are copyright free, but some aren't. 3D printing is definitely something we'll be seeing and hearing a lot more about in the future and one that could add a new dimension to our lives! 7

8 Murder Ball Reporter: Nathan Bazley INTRO: The Paralympics are now well under way and we've already seen some amazing performances. But few sports capture the spectator s attention quite like wheelchair rugby. It's so tough that some people call it murderball. So is it as hard as it looks? I went to find out. NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: No matter how many times we put it up, the camera kept getting knocked back down. But considering wheelchair rugby is also known as 'murderball', we're probably lucky the camera still works at all. DOMINIC: For me it's really fun to do and it keeps me active and I really enjoy it. MATT: I enjoyed it the moment I got in, it was completely different to anything I'd tried before, my eyes lit up, I took that first hit and that's when I fell in love with the game. Another murderball fan is Jacob. Despite being able-bodied, he's a vital part of this group. JACOB, DEVELOPMENT OFFICER, WHEELCHAIR SPORTS SA: On a night like tonight, I come out and help the guys transfer out of their day chairs into their rugby wheelchairs, and then help them get strapped in, put their gloves on and just get ready to play. Then the bonus is I get to jump in a wheelchair and play with them so yeah, it's good fun! So how does this crazy game work? MATT: Basic aim is we have two cones at each end of the court which is the goal line, and you have to carry the ball over that goal line. Sounds pretty simple, but there is a lot more to it than that. Each player is assigned a class number, which works on how much movement you have. Matt is a 0.5. MATT: I have the least amount of function on court. So my hands are more affected than everybody else, my arms are more affected and I don't have any chest or trunk control. 8

9 Then you go up from there. Chris is a 1.5, so he has a bit more movement. And Steve, an ex Paralympian in the sport, is a 2.0, with more movement still. Now here is where that score comes in. The scores of the four players allowed on court can't add up to more than 8. So you could have four 2 point players, or as most teams do, have some lower point players and some higher point players. MATT: The high pointers, they are the stars of the show, they run the ball, they take the passes, then the low pointers like myself, the way I describe it is we make them look good. Our role is to set screens for them, or knock down defensive players on the other side. So with the teams sorted, it was time for me to join the battle. NATHAN: Some of those hits are pretty hard too aren't they, like when a chair comes straight for you, it rocks you. MATT: Yeah I noticed Pete lined you up a couple of times in that last quarter! NATHAN: Yeah I think the first time when you're sitting there and you're going straight at someone, you're just kind of fearing for your life a bit, but then once you get into it, it just goes through your chair more than you and you just go 'yeah that wasn't too bad' and you keep going. But if you want to see wheelchair rugby played at the highest level, it's probably best to tune into the Paralympics instead of watching me. The Score The medals have been rolling in for Aussie athletes at the London Paralympic games, starting with Susan Powell's win in the C4 individual pursuit. 23-year-old Kelly Cartwright won Australia's first gold on the field with this 4.38 metre long jump KELLY CARTWRIGHT: I've been dreaming about it for the last four years and I just can't believe it's happened. And Joann Formosa won Australia's first Equestrian gold in eight years. But this gold was no first for Matt Cowdrey. The swimmer took his second gold of the games in the 4 by 100 metre relay. 9

10 Australia is at second place on the medal tally after China. Meanwhile, one of the Paralympics' most famous athletes is involved in a new controversy. South Africa's Oscar Pistorius has accused his rivals of cheating by using over-sized blades. He came second in the T4 200 metres and is trying to fight the result but some say he's being a sore loser. ***** And in AFL Hawthorn will go into the final series at the top of the ladder after beating West Coast on the weekend. Presenter: OK, we're going to have a story about seals next. But first let's have a quiz. Quiz 2 The question is: What is a female seal called? Cow Ewe Heifer Answer: Cow And a male seal is called a bull. Seal Training Reporter: Alfie Tieu INTRO: If you've ever seen seals at the zoo you'll know they can be trained to do some pretty amazing tricks. So how are they taught that stuff and why do the zoo keepers do it? We sent Alfie behind the scenes of a seal enclosure to find out. ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: They're intelligent, playful and can perform impressive tricks. But this kind of performance has taken these seals and their trainers a lot of hard work! 10

11 Taronga Zoo has several seal trainers including Elly. ELLY NEUMANN, SEAL TRAINER: The animals really are watching our body language and our body signals, so they're all trained to respond to a cue or a signal, and that could be something as simple as a tap of our foot, or it can be as obvious as a wave. One technique Elly uses is target training. ELLY: So to train a wave is a lot of little steps, so we'll start of by touching her flipper, good girl, and every time we touch her flipper she gets a fish. Then what will happen is she'll move her flipper to touch her hand like that, touch her hand, touch her hand, this is an old one for you and that's how we get a wave! So just through all those little steps. REPORTER: It's genius isn't it? ELLY: It is quite genius isn't it Maya. Now Maya wasn't just being cheeky! If you were looking closely enough, you might have noticed Elly's cue! REPORTER: As much as I'd like to be a seal trainer, I can't simply do a cue and expect Maya to follow it. But if Elly walks in dressed in her zoo outfit and with fish on her belt and does the cue, off she goes! Seals use their sensitive whiskers to feel for objects like when balancing a ball on their nose. But these kinds of tricks can take a while to master. ELLY: Some behaviours can take two days, a behaviour like a ball balance can take up to two years. KID 1: It was really astonishing how they can just move the animals around by their signals that they use. KID 2: My favourite part was balancing the ball on the nose. KID 3: Yeah it looked like they had practiced it for months and months. The seal show isn't just about entertainment, it also teaches people on how we can help seals survive in the wild. 11

12 ELLY: I think the biggest message for kids today is that one of the greatest threats to marine animals is that we're eating the same food that they are and there's just not enough for everyone. The reality is if seals can't find any fish, they often try stealing them from fishing nets. TRAINER: It's a very, very sad ending. Bit of a drama queen, but you get the idea. That doesn't mean you have to stop eating seafood. You can find this logo at shops and restaurants, which means the fish has come from a certified sustainable source. Whether the seals are on stage as teachers or as entertainers, the trainers make sure they're always being treated with love and respect. ELLY: They do want to come out, they do enjoy it, it's very stimulating, it's very enriching. But there are days just like us that they don't wanna get out of bed and we respect that as well and they can just have a day, chilling out with their friends in the pool. And part of their job is building a strong relationship with their finned and flippered friends! Closer That's it for the show. You can jump onto our website if you want to get more info on any of the stories. You can send us your comments and don't forget to vote in this week's poll. I'll see you next time. 12