Murphys Haystacks – Mortana, South Australia
Ongoing Issues
After publishing information about some issues that could be studied by school students in the 1990s we found added more later in that decade. Some of these are still relevant today.
The environment as an election issue
Here are some obviously out-of-date pages that still have relevance as possible starting points for topics in school classes. They relate to a Federal Election in Australia more than twenty years ago. But the environmental issues may be relevant today. Likewise the political processes can be compared with current approaches.
Begin on this page and follow the links (those that still work!).
The environment as an issue – The 2001 Australian Federal election
Afghan refugees
For example the comments on refugees may help in the study of current refugee issues in many countries. The specific history of the Afghan refugees from that time until now is both sad and fascinating. We hope that this small piece may encourage further study.Airport Sagas
An extra airport for Sydney, Australia
The Western Sydney International Airport has been long debated and is currently (2024) in the process of being built and connected to key parts of the metropolis. A study of the geographical history starting with this 1999 article is fascinating. A new airport for Sydney?Tourism
Here are some ideas to prompt a tourism study that was first written in 1999. What have have we learned about Bali tourism since then?Transporting hazardous waste
There have been several recent disasters caused by the transportation of hazardous waste. A disaster of note around the world was a train derailment at East Palestine, Ohio, USA on 3 February, 2023. ( Wikipedia account ) Sadly such spills are not uncommon in the USA ( Six most toxic spills ) or other places in the world. The ‘hazard’ of moving such waste can create a disaster if the proximity of people and/or vital services are given too little attention. Students need to consider the necessity of generating these waste products, routes, forms of transport and many other aspects before recommending safer practices.HIV/AIDS — an update ( albeit in 1999 )
Since the early 1980s when HIV/AIDS became a serious health threat throughout the world much has changed. How the disease is now treated medically, the intensity of its impact, and the geography of its spread have all changed significantly from the time these pages were first published.Population
| This is one population clock’s estimate of the current world population. Such estimates vary according to the assumptions made about demographic factors and the quality of the input data. Search trusted sources for more information. It is interesting that most of the sources linked in the following article have now gone and/or used Java applets which do not work in many browsers. Maybe the demographic and geographic aspects raised will prompt further study. Issues such as age, gender, location, population mobility can be starting points. This graphic is graciously supplied by Live-Counter. |
An introduction to hazards
A couple of historic pages introduce the concept of hazards and distinguish them from disasters. The first outlines and explains many aspects of study relating to those concepts.
An introduction to Hazards
The second old page introduces one of our (Manuel/McElroy/Smith:1997) textbooks published in the 1990s by Cambridge University Press. This may still be available in a local library and has much greater detail and contemporary examples of hazards which in many cases had resulted in disasters.
Read Hazards
Search WorldCAT for this, other other books, at a library near you.
See also Geography in a Hazardous World which was first published for Geography Action Week in 1997.
WorldCAT may be able to point you to a local copy of the print version.
Check the Geography Action Week theme for 1999 – Are You Ready? [See the Contents page here.]
