Invasive Species

Cane Toads are large and built amphibians.  They have dry and warty skin with boney heads.  Thety move in short and rapid hops.  Their front feet are unwebbed and their back feet are webbed with a leavery web between their toes.  Their average size is between 10-15 centimeters.  They range in color from brown, yellow, red, grey, and green.  The males are smaller than the females.  The females can lay between 4,000 to 36,000 eggs.  They were introduced to Austrlia in 1935 to control the population of beetles.  They live in more open areas including grass land and woodland.  They are most populated between Queensland and the Northern Territory.  The toads began to cause problems because they were posioning pets and injuring humans with their toxins.  They would also posion native animals from Austrlia whose diets consisted of frogs.  They would eat large numbers of honey-bees causing management problems for bee-keeper's.  They also could carry diseases that could be passed on to native frogs and fish.  They tried to biologically effect the breeding process of the toads.  There have also been quarintine checks and awareness announcements to inform the people of these dangerous toads.

The Giant African Snail is an invasive species to the United States.  This snail arrived in 1966.  This snail is known as the most dangerous species of snail known.  It is the most damaging snail because it eats/damages over 500 different species of plants a year.  They are being tested by scientists to see how they can be destroyed.  These snails need to be taken care of because they are ruining main products such as peanuts and beans. 

I think that invasive species need to be taken care of because they can destroy the culture and animals of the land.  I also think it needs to be illegal to bring new species of animals into a country.  The United States and Australia are common because they have the same issues about having invasive species.  These invasive species are destroying the land, the animals, and the culture.

Rabbit Proof Fence

In chapter 3 there are many times where the Aborigianals were treated unfairly.  The Europeans made steps in the wrong direction when approaching the thought of taking over new land for their people to inhabbit the land.  They used the weaknesses of the Aboriginal people to take advantage of the land and sources that were already provided.  By doing so they created their own form of government and enforced the laws harshly on the Aboriginal people.  When the new European settlers arrived the Aboriginals knew that this would be "the destruction of their traditional society and the dispossession of their lands"(13).  Refering back to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights the actions the Europeans were taking were breaking the law of haveing the right to participate in the cultural life of the community as well as the rught to own property.  These two laws were important to the Aboriginals because this was how they were going to be able to keep the traditions they had been brought up with alive and current.  When the Europeans arrived the Nyungar men also believed the sources they had would be shared between the two different colonies of people.  When the Europeans caught these men partaking in such actions they were "brought in to be sentenced under the English Law"(14).  This shows how the men and the Aborginal's in general were all discriminated against and not only that but they were not given the right to participate in government.  This would make an unfair justice court allowing all the Aboriginal's to be found guilty.  While being "driven off their traditional lands, the Aboriginal people of all area became a dispossed and devasted race.  The people discovered, too late, that the white invaders were human beings and not spirits"(16).  This means these people were not given the right of peaceful assmebly and association.  "It became apparent  then, that teh Aboriginal social structure was not only crumbling, but it was being totally destroyed"(15).

The civilzing of Australia resembles the same time period where the Europeans invaded North America and removed the Natives from their land.  During this time period "Manifest Destiny" was created this was the westward movement of the European people as they slowly went against their word to take the land that was promised to the Natives.  The same tactics were used throughout both of these times.  The Europeans took over and believed they were the superior race and the Natives in both cases gave in to their commands.

The government was at a fault by thinking they could take a child away from their families.  To take a child from their home and relocate them "for a better good" is not a good reason.  A child should never be taken from a family who is loving and caring as most of these families were.  Even though the government thought this would bring the children a better life and a broader horizon it would be a terrifying experience to be taken from your faimly for no given reason.  These children did not even know exactly when they would be taken.  When thinking about one day getting a knock at the door and finding out you were no longer allowed to be with your parents would the first thought in your mind be "this is better for my future"?

Help Conserve The Great Barrier Reef

Video #1
1.  A coral larvae that settles and grows into an upside down shaped jellyfish.  Polyps grow and multiply which form a colony(a.k.a. coral).

2.  Climate change and difference in water temperature.

3.  When the sea stays warm for too long the zozenthelly leaves the coral.  The zozenthelly is the main source of food and when they leave the coral also loses its color.

4.  Due to climate change done by daily activities as in driving a car, pollution, and air pollution.

5.  Save energy by turning off lights that are not in use and turning off appliances not in use, avoid unnecessary car rides, and recycle everything!

Video #2
1.  1,500 species of fish, 360 species of hard coral, 1/3 of the World's soft coral, 22 species of sea birds, and 32 species of shore birds.

2.  Climate change is responsible for warming our oceans.

3.  Increased flooding pollutes the Great Barrier Reef and the warming of the ocean causes the birds to move to cooler water leaving no food for the birds.

4. The additional ways to help reduce climate change would be too buy environmentally sustainable products, open windows instead of using the air conditioning, and drying clothes on the line instead of using a dryer.

Video #3/4
1.  The benefits to this kind of media are they are very factual and they are fun to watch.  The drawbacks are they are not as appealing to adults and they did not go into as much detail.

2. Adults from Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f2j0mfn814
-This would be more beneficial to adults from Australia because the News is a very factual source and it also gets more in dept and would be easier for them to access.  This would also be more appealing to adults rather than cartoons.

Foreigners not from Australia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SdDiHbG1tY
-This shows what could happen to the Great Barrier Reef.  The reasons why this would be more important to foreigners because these are things the Australians already know.  This would inform them about what will happen if these bad habits that are ruining the reef.

Tourists visiting the Great Barrier Reef:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-dqmL7dz8Q
-This shows the tourists all the facts about the reefs.  This also explains what is happening to where they will be visiting.  This could also make them more curious to ask more questions and help make more of an effort to help back at their home lands.  This also explains the facts about the reefs in great detail.

Facts About The Great Barrier Reef

1.  The Great Barrier Reef is considered the "largest living structure on Earth"

2.  What compound does coral extract from the ocean to make solid tentacles?
-Calcium Carbonate

3.  How does red algae impact the structure for coral?
-Reparations are done by fast growing and encrusting red algae.  It acts like pink glue to connect sand, shell, and coral to calcium carbonate.

4.  What year did the Great Barrier Reef become a National Park?
-1975

5.  What is the percentage of the reef is protected from fishing?
-33% is fully protected

6.  How old do scientists believe the current reef is?  The ancient reef?
-the current reef is 20,000 years old
-the ancient reef is half a million years old