BtN: Episode 13 Transcripts 25/05/10
On this week's Behind the News
· Why Australia wants China to stay busy.
· The ongoing fallout from nuclear testing.
· And the Aussie champ who's got the world on a string.
Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News.
Also on the show today we meet a family with a rather unusual pet cat.
Those stories later but first let's catch up with the latest news on the wire.
The Wire
A few weeks ago we reported on Thailand and the conflict there between the red shirt protestors and the Thai Government.
Well last week everything came to a head. The protestors were given a deadline to end their blockade in the capital Bangkok and then the army moved in.
More than 30 people were killed in the fighting and the protest leaders were arrested.
Now there's a big cleanup underway as life slowly gets back to normal.
A 13-year old American boy has become the youngest person to climb Mount Everest.
Jordan Romero from California scaled the world's highest mountain with some help from his Dad.
And when the teenager reached the summit naturally he rang his mum.
"HE CALLED AND SAID MOM, I'M CALLING YOU FROM THE TOP OF THE WORLD. IT WAS AMAZING. WORDS AREN'T EVEN ENOUGH."
Critics reckon 13-year-old Jordan is too young to make such a dangerous climb.
China Connection
Reporter: Nathan Bazley
INTRO: It used to be said that if America sneezed, Australia would catch a cold.
That might sound weird but it’s actually referring to finance, not germs.
What it means is Australia's economy relies on America so if they have problems we can expect to have worse ones.
But these days it isn't America that's our main worry, it's China.
Let's find out how things have changed.
NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This is the Great Wall of China, a 6000km barrier built thousands of years ago to protect China's northern borders.
It's an example of the lengths the Chinese would go to keep the outside world out, and they still thought that way up until about 40 years ago.
But then a change in China's leadership brought about a change in thinking.
The western world and its economy were welcomed in China for the first time.
And the money started rolling in.
Fast forward to today and China's economy is growing faster than any other country in the world.
Things are booming, mainly on the back of a huge industry in making cheap clothes and electronic goods, which the rest of the world wants.
This demand has seen them become the third biggest economy in the world.
This is where Australia comes into the picture.
The more products China produces, the more raw materials they need to make them.
And a huge amount of those raw materials comes straight from Australia.
In fact, China buys more of our products than any other country.
Last year they bought more than 42 billion dollars worth of our stuff, including iron ore, coal, gas and more.
So they're incredibly important to us.
If China does well, Australia will continue to do well.
But if something goes wrong, we might start to feel a dirty, great, big cold coming on.
Back in China, things are still moving at an insane pace.
But while the economy keeps growing, many of the workers at the bottom don't get to see much benefit.
Things made in China are cheap because the workers who make them don't get paid much money.
The average farmer here earns around $600 a year and the average steel worker earns about $800 a year.
The average Australian worker earns more than that in just one week!
That's led some to say workers in China get a rough deal, all to help Chinese industries make more money.
Here's an example.
This huge new Chinese city is missing one thing.
It's people.
The whole place is nearly empty, despite row after row of apartment blocks being built.
The Chinese government encourages this kind of development, but very few people, except for company bosses and others at the top of the food chain, can afford to buy.
It's a tricky problem for the mammoth country. China now relies heavily on the outside world buying its products, which works fine when everyone is buying up big.
But what happens if the world stops demanding China's stuff?
The Chinese might feel like an economic flu is settling in.
Presenter: Let's stay in the world of international trade for a quiz.
Quiz 1
What is Australia's main export to the rest of the world?
1. Wheat
2. Metals
3. Vegemite
Answer: Metals
And the metals we dig up account for nearly 40 percent of Australia's total exports.
Maralinga Victims
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
Intro: Now to a story that's been in the news on and off for years and it's to do with nuclear weapons.
And when you think of them you probably connect them with wars in far-away places.
But nuclear weapons have been used here on Australian soil not by enemies but by our friends.
Back in the 1950's atomic bombs were tested in South Australia and the people involved say their lives are still being affected.
Here's Sarah.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: It might look like a scene from a movie but this is real and it’s part of Australia's history. This is Maralinga; a remote area in South Australia. Its name means ‘field of thunder’ in the language of the Maralinga Tjarutja people who have lived here for thousands of years.
OLD NEWSREEL: Just recently the eyes of the world were on this tiny settlement for here was the site of an experiment with man's most revolutionary discovery, the atom bomb.
Britain had already tested a bomb off the coast of Western Australia when it asked for a more permanent site in the South Australian desert. The Australian government agreed and hundreds of scientists, technicians, builders, plumbers and soldiers moved in.
OLD NEWSREEL: From these tanks and 25 pounder guns an assessment of damage will be made following exposition.
They worked on the bomb sites with very little protective gear. Pilots flew into atomic clouds to collect dust. Back in the 50s many people didn't realise that the explosion wasn't the only dangerous part. There's also fallout, made of tiny radioactive particles that can spread for kilometres. It can get into soil and water where it stays radioactive for years.
REPORTER: Radiation in small doses is safe. We're exposed to it every-day from TV and computer screens and even natural minerals from the earth. It can even help people if it’s used in the right way; in X-Rays or to treat people with cancer.
But the sort of radiation that comes from nuclear fall-out can be really dangerous if someone's exposed to too much.
MARALINGA VETERAN: I'd only been back a few weeks when I had a severe attack of vomiting and diarrhoea.
After the tests some Maralinga workers got cancer. There were also reports of blood diseases, eye problems and skin conditions, all symptoms of radiation poisoning. Indigenous people were getting sick too.
In the 80s there was a big investigation with some pretty nasty findings. It turned out soldiers had been deliberately exposed to fall-out just to see what would happen. A bomb had been let off in the wrong weather and a cloud of black radioactive mist had reached stations and Aboriginal settlements.
YAMI LESTER, INSTITUTE OF ABORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT: We all got sick. Diarrhoea, vomiting, skin rash and sore eyes, I couldn't open my eyes it was that sore.
In 1994 the Maralinga Tjarutja people were given compensation. And the British and Australian governments have paid millions of dollars to clean up Maralinga.
But what about the soldiers?
At first they were only given money if they could prove the bombs made them sick. Plenty of others had illnesses but there was no way of knowing if it came from the radiation. Most have died but the Maralinga survivors have been fighting for compensation. This month, after more than 50 years, there was some good news. In this federal budget the government has put 24 million dollars towards paying for pensions and medical expenses. For many it’s not enough. They worry health problems caused by the bombs could be passed to their kids and their grand-kids and even their great grand-kids. And they say it's too high a price for serving their country.
Yo-Yo Champ
Reporter: Natasha Thiele
INTRO: There probably aren't many kids who haven't played with a yo-yo before or at least tried to.
Well one Aussie student has become pretty good at it.
In fact, he's been judged our Yo-Yo Champion.
Tash went to meet him to find out his secret.
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: The ups and downs of yo-yos have been fascinating Aussie kids for generations.
Our first yo-yo craze was in the 1950s and they keep going in and out of fashion.
But we can only dream about reaching the heights of 15-year old Adelaide student Vu Ho.
Vu only took up the yo-yo less than two years ago and now he's got a huge collection.
VU HO: I was on the Internet, then I just saw a few people with yo-yos and it looked cool, so I went to buy one and I started from there. At first when I started it was walk the dog and around the world and the simple cradle stuff, but then now it's a bit harder, you make up your own tricks.
Last month, he took on some stiff competition in the National Championships.
And he was pretty nervous.
VU HO: It was the first time I've been on stage, so I was really terrified.
He was the last to perform and the judges decided he was the best.
Vu scored one and a half thousand dollars worth of prizes.
VU HO: Some of my friends thought I was kinda like a loser, they didn't really care about my yo-yo, my friends cut my strings when I was playing at school but now some of them are pretty proud!
And now he's getting ready for the World Championships in August.
And as well as all his homework he finds about an hour each day to practice.
He specialises in three types of yo-yo styles.
There's the normal style, freehand, where there's a counterweight on one end.
And off string, so the yo-yo isn't attached to the actual string!
But things don't always run smoothly.
VU HO: A few months ago I was yo-yoing, the yo-yo flew back and hit my lip and I split the inside of it.
And the yo-yos of today can really hurt.
VU HO: Generally, the ones we use now they're mostly metal and they come in all different shapes and sizes, like this one is just all round. Some have flats and stainless steel rims, some people still use plastic. I prefer metal because I just like the feeling better.
And they're not cheap!
VU HO: They can range from ten dollars to a hundred or two hundred dollars easily.
And who would've thought the colour of the string used, would be so important in a yo-yo competition!
VU HO: The brighter it is, the more visible it is. So, I'm wearing black shirt so the brighter it is, you can see it.
And if judges can't see your string, they'll tell you to change it!
But it's not yo-yoing that Vu wants to do after school.
VU HO: I wanna be a chef. Right now I'm doing a V.E.T course on Kitchen Operations Associate Certificate One, so that's pretty fun!
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: So does that mean you'll be throwing utensils around like a yo-yo?
VU HO: Probably not, probably get kicked out!
He reckons the secret to playing the yoyo is good hand and eye co-ordination and everyone should give it a go!
VU HO: Anyone can yo-yo, just get a cheap yo-yo and just start from there. Go on YouTube and the Internet and search up yo-yos.
I couldn't wait to give it a go, but I've got a feeling Vu didn't give me the yo-yo that brings the best luck!
NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: I give up!
Presenter: Amazing stuff, we'll keep you up to date on Vu's progress.
Food Labelling
Reporter: Sarah Larsen
INTRO: Now to something that's always in the news: food!
They say you are what you eat so it’s no wonder that people want to know exactly what's in their food.
Right now a big review's going on into Australia's food labelling laws
It’s got a lot of people talking about exactly what information should be on packages at the supermarket.
SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: So you're planning a party hey? Cool. Let’s go shopping. Now you've just got to find food that everyone will like. Who's coming?
Shelly, great! Except, she's a vegan isn't she? So no animal products. Tony, nice, except he's really into fitness. He won't want anything with too much fat. Marie, cool but isn't she allergic to nuts? And Brian. His parents are farmers so he'd probably like you to buy Australian.
REPORTER: Thank goodness for labels. In Australia most packaged food has to have a label showing the ingredients; including anything people might be allergic to, the nutrition information,; like how much sugar and fat and salt is in something, and the manufacturer details; so you can tell if it’s Australian made.
But not everyone is happy with Australia's food labelling laws and right now the federal government’s looking into whether or not they should be changed.
KID: What's wrong with them?
That depends who you ask. Let’s take Tony for example.
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