Questions for discussion

Gas Bonanza1. Briefly summarise the BtN story.2. What percentage of Australia’s power comes from natural gas?3. Where are the biggest reserves of natural gas in Australia?4. How much natural gas is thought to be in the Gorgon gas

field?5. Explain how natural gas is made.6. Which countries want to buy gas from the Gorgon project?7. Why are some people opposed to selling the gas to other

countries?8. What are some environmental concerns about the gas project?9. How has the company building the mine responded to these

concerns?10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN

story?

Create a plus, minus and interesting chart about mining natural gas.

Asbestos alarm1. Discuss the main points of the BtN asbestos story with another

student.2. What is asbestos?3. Why was it described as the `wonder’ building product?4. Over what time period was asbestos used in Australia?5. How big are the fibres?6. What diseases can asbestos cause?7. When is it dangerous?8. How long can it take for asbestos related diseases to develop?9. What products were recently found to contain asbestos?10. What are three facts about asbestos that you learnt watching

the BtN story?

Send a message or tell us what you think on the BtN Guestbook.

Made in Australia1. Explain the BtN story to another student.2. What are imported goods?3. Where does Australia import most goods from?4. Complete the following sentence: `Buying imported products

means that the money…’

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 24

1ST SEPTEMBER 2009

5. What effect does that have on Australia?6. What does it mean when products are labelled `made in

Australia’?7. What does `product of Australia’ mean?8. Why are Australian owned and made products good for local

business?9. What are the benefits of buying products from overseas?10. Do you think more should be done to promote Australian

owned and made products? Explain your answer.

`Should companies have to put more information on labels about where their products are made?’ Vote in the online poll.

Venezuelan orchestra1. What was the main point of the story?2. What is an orchestra?3. Describe the backgrounds of the kids in the orchestra.4. What instrument does Genesis play?5. What is her ultimate goal?6. How does the project support disadvantaged kids?7. How did the idea for the orchestra start?8. Describe an average day for kids involved in the orchestra.9. How has music changed their lives?10. How did this story make you feel?

Find out more about the instruments used in an orchestra at http://library.thinkquest.org/C005400/inst/index.html Create a quiz, crossword or word search based on the information you find.

Lyrebird mimics1. Illustrate an aspect of the BtN lyrebird story.2. Why is the enclosure being built at the Adelaide Zoo?3. What sorts of noises has Chook the lyrebird been imitating?4. Apart from constructions noises, what else does Chook mimic?5. Why do lyrebirds mimic?6. Think of three adjectives to describe the behaviour of

lyrebirds.7. Where in Australia are lyrebirds found?8. What does omnivorous mean? 9. At what time of the year do lyrebirds mimic? 10. How did the lyrebird get its name?

Test your knowledge in the online lyrebirds quiz.

© ABC 2009

© ABC 2009

Gas bonanzaFocus Questions

11. Briefly summarise the BtN story.12. What percentage of Australia’s power comes from natural gas?13. Where are the biggest reserves of natural gas in Australia?14. How much natural gas is thought to be in the Gorgon gas

field?15. Explain how natural gas is made.16. Which countries want to buy gas from the Gorgon project?17. Why are some people opposed to selling the gas to other

countries?18. What are some environmental concerns about the gas project?19. How has the company building the mine responded to these

concerns?20. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN

story?

Making gasDiscuss with students the main points of the BtN story. Brainstorm a list of uses for natural gas both in the home and the wider community. It is believed that natural gas is formed over millions of years from decaying marine plants and animals. Explain to students that they will be investigating how natural gas is produced. Students will be conducting an experiment that investigates how decaying organic materials can form a gas (biogas in this experiment). Before students begin the experiment, clarify their understanding of how natural gas is formed. Materials

Small amount of minced meat or a boiled egg Vegetable scraps Plastic bottle Balloon Sand Funnel Water (approximately 30 ml) Duct/masking tape

Procedure1. Place the food in the plastic bottle.2. Cover with sand.3. Slowly pour in water.4. Attach balloon to the neck of the bottle.

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 24

1ST SEPTEMBER 2009

Learning AreaScience

Key learningStudents will conduct an experiment to develop a deeper understanding of how natural gas is formed.

.

5. Secure with tape.6. Move bottle to a warm place.

Students will need to make daily observations over a 5-7 day period and record any changes. Ask them to predict what they think will happen.Record daily observations (write and illustrate).What do you think caused the changes to the balloon?

Discuss with students the results of their experiments and possible reasons for the changes observed. What are the similarities and differences between the formation of gas in their experiment with the formation of natural gas?

Further investigation

Research the differences between biogas and natural gas (composition, production and uses).

8 Related Research LinksABC News – WWF outraged by $50b Gorgon projecthttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/30/2640643.htm

ABC News – Gorgon gas project a step closer|http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/17/2658543.htm

ABC News – Oil spill emergency off WA coasthttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/21/2663062.htm

ABC News – Green groups up in arms over oil spillhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/24/2664260.htm

ABC News – Garrett gives Gorgon gas go-aheadhttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/08/26/2667209.htm

The Gorgon Projecthttp://www.gorgon.com.au/01gp_project.html#frames(content=01gp_project_body.html)

Energy Australia – Natural gashttp://www.energykids.energyaustralia.com.au/natural_gas

© ABC 2009

© ABC 2009

Made in AustraliaFocus Questions

21. Explain the BtN story to another student.22. What are imported goods?23. Where does Australia import most goods from?24. Complete the following sentence: `Buying imported products

means that the money…’25. What effect does that have on Australia?26. What does it mean when products are labelled `made in

Australia’?27. What does `product of Australia’ mean?28. Why are Australian owned and made products good for local

business?29. What are the benefits of buying products from overseas?30. Do you think more should be done to promote Australian

owned and made products? Explain your answer?

What is made in Australia?

Watch the BtN story again, asking students to pay close attention to the part of the story where Nathan explains the three main types of labels found on food. Clarify students’ understanding of the following:

Made in Australia Product of Australia Australian owned and made

Some organisations promote Australian products by placing their logo on the product. Examples of these logos can be found at the following websiteshttp://www.australianmade.com.au/faq_s http://www.ausbuy.com.au/faqs.html#c53.

Ask students to: Draw the different logos and write an explanation of what

they mean. Find out how companies get the logo on their products? What do the logos mean for the owners of the product and

the consumer?

Working in groups of 3-4, students will be analysing a range of food packaging to determine which category they fit into. Ask them to record the name of the product, the wording on the label and any words or graphics that suggest that the product is Australian.

© ABC 2009

EPISODE 24

1ST SEPTEMBER 2009

Learning AreaSociety and Environment

Key learningStudents will critically analyse food labelling in relation to Australian and imported products.

Students will need access to a range of food packaging for this activity.

Information on label

Product Wording on label(including logo if

used)

Additional words or graphics

For example Australian flag, map, animals

Made in Australia

Product of Australia

Australian owned and

made

Discuss what each group discovered about the labels on the products they analysed. Focus the discussion on:

Was it clear on the label where the ingredients were from, ownership of the company, production/manufacture of goods?

Were there any additional words or graphics that suggest the product is Australian?

Is the labelling clear for consumers? Could it be improved? How?

Going furtherDesign a survey and interview people who are responsible for purchasing food to find out about what influences their decisions and choices about what they buy. This could include taste, price, packaging and where the product is from. Do they look for Australian made and owned products? Why or why not?

8 Related Research LinksABC News – Community back `Buy Australian’ push: Unionshttp://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/26/2636546.htm

© ABC 2009

ACCC – Australia Made campaignhttp://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/286933/fromItemId/815972/quickLinkId/815429/whichType/org#

Australian Made – Frequently asked questionshttp://www.australianmade.com.au/faq_s

Ausbuy – Frequently asked questionshttp://www.ausbuy.com.au/faqs.html#c53

© ABC 2009

BtN: Episode 24 Transcripts 01/09/09

On this week's Behind the News:

Why families are being warned about some deadly bags.

The push to make Australians buy Australian. And the bird that thinks it’s a construction worker.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to another week of Behind the News.

Also on the show today – kids making music to change their lives.

But before we go to our features, let’s check the breaking news.

The Wire

Bushfires in New South Wales have burnt one house and threatened many others.

Fire fighters are worried it means we're facing a really dangerous fire season because the fires were so early.

The high danger season normally doesn't start for a few months.

© ABC 2009

*************

Across in the United States there are also major fires in California.

More than 10 thousand homes have been evacuated there.

Gas BonanzaReporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Let's go to our features now.

Energy is crucial - just think of how many times you use it in a day.

To make all that power you need enormous amounts of raw materials, but imagine how much more they need in countries like China and India where they have massive populations.

They need so much they have to buy from overseas and one place they come to is Australia.

Sounds like a good thing, but as always, there is another side to the argument. Here's Sarah to explain.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: There's something Australia's got and the world wants it. Australia has gas.

REPORTER: Of course, we're talking about natural gas; the stuff that cooks dinners, warms showers and powers generators that make electricity.

© ABC 2009

Almost 20 percent of the power used in Australia comes from natural gas. The biggest reserves in the country are here; under the sea bed near Barrow Island in Western Australia. They're known as the Gorgon gas fields. They reckon there's enough down there to power a city of a million people for more than 800 years. Gas is a fossil fuel, which means it probably came from the remains of ancient plants and animals that lived on the earth and in the ocean. When they died they were covered by earth and with millennia of heat and pressure and became either oil or coal or gas. There's oil under Barrow Island as well and these nodding donkeys have been pumping it out for decades. But now, there's a plan for a much bigger project to tap the gas in the Gorgon fields nearby. It could end up being the most expensive thing ever built in Australia. It'll mean a lot of jobs and a lot of money. A few weeks ago China agreed to pay 50-billion dollars for 20-year's supply of gas from the Gorgon project. That's the biggest business deal ever done in Australia! India's also signed up for 25-billion dollars worth. But hang on. Not everyone's celebrating!

Let's go back to Barrow Island. It's an important place for some rare plants and animals like the Flat Backed Turtle which breeds there. It's been a nature reserve for almost 100-years. And even though drilling has gone on the plants and animals are still thriving. But some worry the Gorgon Project will change that. There will be a processing plant here so the gas can be turned into liquid and sent overseas. That'll mean a lot of ships and thousands of workers who might bring pests that could ruin the environment. The company says it's working with environmentalists to make sure that doesn't happen. But some say it would be safer if the plant was built on the mainland. And last week another issue came up.

In the Timor Sea a rig sprung a leak. It's owned by a different company but some people reckon the same thing could happen to the Gorgon Project. But the company in charge says it's not fair to compare oil with gas. It says the

© ABC 2009

chances of something like this happening are really low. There is another issue. While other countries are ready to pay big bucks for Aussie gas, some reckon we should keep it here. They say it doesn't create as much pollution as coal so Australia should be using the gas instead of coal to make electricity. The government's looked at all these issues but last week it decided the project should go ahead, which means that pretty soon a lot more people in distant parts of the world will be powering their lives with Aussie gas.

Presenter: That's an incredible amount of money - and all for some gas.

Now Sarah told you there that it's made into a liquid to be transported, so we might make that our quiz.

Quiz 1

The question is 'What is natural gas called when it is a liquid?'

1. LPG2. LNG3. Kerosene

Answer: LNG

LNG stands for liquefied natural gas, LPG is something which is used in lots of cars and stands for liquefied petroleum gas.

Asbestos Alarm

© ABC 2009

Reporter: Catherine Ellis

INTRO: Let's talk about another raw material now - this one is called Asbestos. It was a substance that was used in the building of many homes and by many industries - but it was dangerous and could kill people.

For that reason it was banned, but now experts are warning us of another way that it could threaten Australians. Catherine's got all the info.

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: It's a mineral found underground and was once described as the 'wonder' building product.

Asbestos made stuff fireproof, waterproof and strong - it was light and a great insulator.

So from the 30s to the 80s it was widely used to make everything from water pipes, to roof insulation, floor coverings, cement and paint in homes, schools and other buildings.

There was huge demand for it around the world and it all seemed fabulous until people realised how dangerous it could be.

The tiny fibres - which can be up to 200 times thinner than a human hair - are toxic.

If you breathe them in, they can cause a range of lung diseases, including cancer.

CATHERINE: Many buildings including schools and homes still contain asbestos because they were built between the

© ABC 2009

30s and 80s, but if you're sitting in your classroom or living room you've got nothing to worry about because the stuff is only dangerous when it becomes airborne.

So it has to be broken up and the fibres released before people can breathe it in.

Before it was banned miners and other workers got it all over them - and it could even spread to the rest of their family when they came home with it on their clothes.

Many victims have spent years fighting for compensation from asbestos companies - angry that they knew about the dangers but didn't tell the workers or the public ‘til years later.

Mums and dads have become sick from renovating homes built with asbestos.

And because the lung diseases can take forty years to develop, some people are only finding out now that they've been affected.

ROSE MAIRE, ASBESTOS DISEASES SOCIETY: A lovely young man who is an accountant has just died and his exposure was as a 14-year-old helping his older brother build a fence -and there are a lot of cases like that.

These days asbestos isn't used because it's been banned and old buildings that do contain it often have warning signs like this one.

Also builders renovating old homes now know what to look out for and there's specially trained workers in protective suits that can be called in to safely take it away.

© ABC 2009

But now there's a new worry.

It's been revealed the hessian bags used by an asbestos company to transport the deadly fibre were recycled.

So fruit sellers, banana plantation workers and wheat farmers, who used the bags, have been exposed.

Kids used them for sack races - four of the children at this carnival died from asbestos illnesses.

Another huge worry is the bags also went to carpet factories to make underlay - so many thousands of homes could contain it.

Experts say it's okay if it's left alone, but those wanting to rip up old carpet should get advice before unknowingly exposing themselves to the deadly fibre.

Buy AustralianReporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: During the tough economic conditions a lot of people have put forward plans to help local businesses hold off the recession and continue to make money.

One of them put to the government a few months back was the 'Buy Australia' campaign, which aimed to give preferential treatment to Aussie companies when the

© ABC 2009

government buys all its goods and services and encouraged you to do the same.

It sounds like a good idea, but how do you know which companies are actually Australian?

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Products, products, products.

Every day we are faced with something being sold to us.

There are so many options out there and the supermarket is where most of us make the choice of what we'd like to buy.

NATHAN: But how do you decide on what you want? Is it taste? Price? Or maybe how bright the packaging is? Well one thing that probably hasn't crossed your mind is where a product comes from.

Products brought in from overseas are called imports.

USA is where most of our imports come from, followed by China, then Japan.

We pay them money and they sell us their stuff.

But what you might have noticed is by doing that, our money is heading overseas.

NATHAN: But some Australians have a problem with that. They reckon money that heads overseas can't help our economy - it'll help theirs instead.

© ABC 2009

If you spend your money on something Australian, then the money is more likely to stay here.

So it’s a pretty good thing for local businesses, who need to hire more staff, who spend more money; which is all awesome for our economy.

NATHAN: So how do can you tell which products are Australian and which aren't? Well there are three main types of labels you can find on your food at home.

The first says 'Made in Australia', like on this Vegemite, and while this might sound good, all it means is that more than half of the cost of producing it was spent here.

The company that makes Vegemite is actually owned overseas, so that's where some of the profits could go.

The second label is 'Product of Australia', like on this long life milk.

This means it's mostly made here and at least some of the ingredients are from Australia too. But the company still doesn't have to be owned here.

The third label is 'Australian Owned and Made', like on these cornflakes, and it's the best of all the labels for local businesses.

It means that the product is made here AND the company is mostly owned here, so the profits will hopefully stay put!

This is the basis of the campaign to 'Buy Australian' and unions here spent a lot of time trying to convince the government to do as much of its spending here as possible.

© ABC 2009

But originally, they said no.

Wait. Why would they say no to something that seems so good for the country?

Well there are some benefits to buying things overseas.

Things made in bigger countries can often be made much, much cheaper than here at home; and if we buy lots of things from other countries, they're often more happy to buy things off us.

So it's a complicated argument!

Eventually, the government agreed to try to buy Australian and it will set up a campaign to convince us to do the same.

It's hoping that extra money bouncing around the country will result in a healthier economy and healthy smiles from producers too.

Presenter: As we touched on, there are quite a few Aussie labels that you'll see on products.

Some are by organisations that promote Australian companies making Australian products - others are not as straightforward.

They can be a bit confusing, so we've put more info on our website to help you work out what to look for.

© ABC 2009

Poll

We'll also make that this week's poll.

The question is 'Should companies have to put more information on labels about where their products are made?'

If you want to vote go to our website at abc.net.au/btn

Venezuelan OrchestraReporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: A few weeks ago we brought you the story of some talented Aussie kids who were chosen to play in the Australian Youth Orchestra.

Well this week we have a similar story, but from a completely different perspective.

In it we travel to Venezuela where kids from poor and violent neighbourhoods have a similar dream - to play classical music.

But despite their disadvantage, there is a program helping them to do just that.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This orchestra has one of the best reputations in the world.

© ABC 2009

On tour, they play with passion and skill for some of the richest and most powerful classical music lovers around.

But the backgrounds of the kids that make up this group couldn't be more different.

Most have come from areas of crime, violence and poverty; on the streets of Caracas in Venezuela.

But music has become their ticket out.

Caracas is the capital of Venezuela which is east of Australia.

13 year old Genesis lives there in a part of the city known for its violent gangs and poor residents.

Her building doesn't have a lift, so each day she climbs twelve floors to her small apartment, where she lives with her mother, step-father, grandmother, two brothers, two aunts and two cousins.

GENESIS DA SILVA: It's very dangerous. People are very involved... it's always to do with the gangs. No-one is really taking care of their life. It's very difficult.

But despite all this, Genesis knows exactly what she wants to do with her life. She wants to play music.

GENESIS DA SILVA: My ultimate dream is to be part of an orchestra. My goal has been to get there and I think that with the effort and the desire that I put in, I can achieve it.

© ABC 2009

Her family wouldn't come close to having the money to pay for her chosen instrument, the Clarinet, let alone lessons.

But here in Venezuela that doesn't matter because of a special government project.

It all started as an idea to steer kids away from a life of crime. Free music lessons and instruments for kids willing to put in the effort.

From that idea it's grown into 220 youth orchestras, with over 400,000 kids lining up for lessons each day.

Most are from some of the poorest areas of the country, and they can't get enough of it!

REPORTER: Most kids in the West like to go home from school and play on the computer. I mean do you have to force these kids to play music?

RAFAEL ELSTER, MUSIC SCHOOL DIRECTOR: They are poor people. They don't have computers. They don't have toys. They don't have anything. This is the most valuable thing for them, their instruments, the orchestra.

It's so valuable to kids like Genesis that they put huge amounts of time and effort into their lessons.

After sitting in school classes from seven to one, they play music ‘til six before finally heading home for the day.

RAFAEL ELSTER: So these kids work like 14 hours a day. When they don't, they just go home and sleep. That's no time for getting in trouble.

© ABC 2009

Genesis is hoping that ultimately, all that practice will lead to this, the nation's top youth orchestra.

Today, she is playing after their rehearsal for friends and family.

But one day, she hopes to be one of them; who leave the slums on the back of a songbook.

The Score

Now we’re about to meet another special kid in The Score.

************

Mia Lines is only four years but she is already training three hours a day to become a tennis star.

MIA: I want to win all of them

REPORTER: So you want to win a grand slam?

MIA: Yeah

Her dad quit his job and took her to the United States to learn from the coach who produced the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick.

He introduced her to the game just after she was born.

© ABC 2009

Some people say it’s too much.

MIA’S DAD: I’m going to let Mia decide how she goes . Some say 3 hours is too long – a lot of people let kids play 3 hours on play stations.

He says she still gets the chance to be a kid.

************

Presenter: What do you think about that? Drop us a line in the Guestbook.

Lyrebird MimicsReporter: Catherine Ellis

INTRO: Now to Adelaide Zoo where builders are busy constructing a huge enclosure for the arrival of two pandas from China.

But something quite amusing has been happening - one of the zoo’s long time residents 'chook' has been imitating the sound of their tools!

No doubt you've heard birds sing and say basic stuff like "polly wants a cracker", but this bird is absolutely insane! Catherine went to check out 'chooks' amazing party tricks!

CATHERINE ELLIS, REPORTER: You can see everyone is hard at work turning this, into this, getting ready for the arrival of Wang-Wang and Funi in October.

© ABC 2009

But even when the workers down their tools, often the noise keeps going.

And here's where it's coming from! 'Chook' can do the drill, the hammer and whole range of building site sounds.

BRETT: We think that one of the car starting noises that he does is one of the tractors starting up sounds a lot like a diesel starting up. As well when they did the roof he's learnt how to do some of the roofing screws getting put into place which is quite interesting.

He can also - okay not sure what that is but he can do the Kookaburra and mimic dozens of other birds.

So what type of bird is he? Chook is no chook, he's a lyrebird whose natural sound is (LYREBIRD SOUNDS).

But all lyrebirds have this amazing ability to mimic.

BRETT: It's just to attract a mate really he's trying to attract a female and I think the bigger repertoire they have, the better chance they've got of getting a mate as well as scaring away potential males that could get in their way.

Chook may have an impressive repertoire plus some cool dancing moves, but at 30 years of age he's still single and living alone.

Lyrebirds have beautiful feathers, but they rarely fly - they're runners!

BRETT: I've seen them in the wild and they're incredibly fast and very good at running through the undergrowth. If

© ABC 2009

you ever see a lyrebird in the wild if you can follow them you've done very well.

Lyrebirds are found in rain forests along the East Coast of Australia and Tasmania.

But there's a place we can all spot them - on the ten cent piece!

Lyrebirds are omnivorous creatures, which means they eat animals and plants, like insects, fruit and berries. Their strong feet are designed to dig and Chook loves digging for worms!

BRETT: This is a digging machine.

CATHERINE: Yeah he's sort of digging my arm to pieces.

BRETT: He's mating with you.

CATHERINE: Are you serious!

Well he's certainly keen.

Not so keen on my cameraman, though!

And I caught more of that on my camera.

It's not really Ben though, it's the camera mic. chook doesn't like. He's really pretty friendly.

CATHERINE: I can teach you some songs maybe some Britney Spears or something.

© ABC 2009

CHOOK: “Oh baby baby.”

Okay that didn't really happen, but the other sounds are amazing. You may have to wait ‘til next year, to see it for yourself because lyrebirds only mimic during the mating season which ends around September and doesn't start up again until April.

Presenter: Ha- you have no idea how relieved I am that there isn't a bird imitating Britney - although probably better than imitating Catherine singing.

Quiz 3

That's nearly it for today, but just before we go let’s see how much you know about lyrebirds.

Lyrebirds are called lyrebirds because:

1. They are telling lies when they mimic other animals2. When they spread their tails they look like a musical

instrument called a lyre3. They were discovered by a botanist called Thomas

Lyre

The answer is - their tails look like a musical instrument called a lyre.

Closer

© ABC 2009

Hope you got that one right - it was an instrument used a lot in ancient times.

Now that's it for another show. See you next time!

© ABC 2009