EASYPRINT SCRIPTS
21/03/06
This week: The power of cyclones. What’s a war crime and a queen's life.
This week cyclone Larry hit the coast of far north Queensland.
It was a category 5 cyclone - which is the most powerful kind.
It formed in the Coral Sea and gathered strength as it approached Innisfail on the coast.
Because people who live there were warned that it was coming they were able to prepare.
But cyclone Larry had winds of up to 290 kilometres an hour.
Buildings lost roofs, trees were blown over and power lines came down.
As well as the very strong wind the cyclone caused a very high tide as well.
Well, that's not unusual for cyclones.
But what exactly is a cyclone?
CYCLONES
Krista Eleftheriou, reporter
It was Christmas eve 1974 when a powerful cyclone called Tracy did this to Darwin. Sixty-five people died and many
more were injured and as you can see there wasn't much left standing afterwards. Cyclone Tracy was a category
four.
Australia's cyclone season is between November and April, when the ocean's temperature is above 26.5 degrees,
but they can occur at other times too. On average about ten hit northern Australia a year.
The word cyclone actually means turning wind with one eye. As you can see by the photo taken from above the
clouds look like they are turning in a circle.
Cyclones form over warm oceans when air, heated by the sun and ocean, quickly rises. The air is loaded with water
from the ocean and as it cools it creates huge thunderclouds. This rising air spirals upwards creating very windy
conditions.
Although these winds swirl around at very high speeds it can be quite calm in the centre of the cyclone, which is
called the eye. But either side of the eye is where the Cyclone's wind is strongest. Once the Cyclone is over land it
quickly loses power.
Similar severe tropical storms are found in equatorial regions across the world, all of them rotate in a circle. In Asia
they're called typhoons and in the Americas, hurricanes. In the northern hemisphere they rotate in an anti-clockwise
direction. Cyclones in the southern hemisphere rotate in a clockwise direction.
Journalist: You are seeing the roofing sheeting are blowing off.
Now you wouldn't catch me doing that. There are five categories of cyclones, depending on their wind speed. This is
what category one would be like. In fact category one winds are a bit faster than in this wind tunnel where the speed
is about 100 km/h. A category one reaches about 125 kilometres an hour. That's the weakest cyclone, they get a lot
more powerful.
Cyclones can also strengthen or weaken. Larry was a category five which has winds of more than 280 kilometres an
hour. That's three times faster than this.
It's not just wind that causes damage. This isn't normal flooding. It's a storm surge and they often occur with a
cyclone. The strong winds whip up waves and push the water onto land. The ocean rises over several hours as a
cyclone moves closer to the coast.
A storm surge does the most damage if it reaches land at the same time as a high tide. As for naming a cyclone,
well, it prevents confusion when there's more than one cyclone in an area.
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For up to date cyclone information listen to ABC Radio on the web at abc.net.au/goldcoast
and follow links in Cairns on 801 am, Townville 630 am, Mossman 639 am and on Atherton
720 am and Radio Australia on 11650 khz
WAR CRIMES
Kerry Staight, reporter
Over the weekend there was a private funeral for a man who was once president of a country called
Serbia.
His name was Slobodan Milosevic and he died while he was on trial for war crimes.
Kerry looks at what war crimes are and the accusations against this man.
There are a lot of rules that tell us how to behave. For example, if you chew gum in class you might get
into trouble, because in many schools that's against the rules. If you steal something, you might get into
trouble too, because stealing is against Australia's rules or laws. You probably knew that, but did you
know there are even rules that tell us how to behave in war?
Australian troops have been involved in some big wars, most recently the Iraq War. It's also signed
several international agreements, including the Geneva Convention, which set out the laws of war. These
laws or rules are meant to protect people not taking part in war and limit the amount of death and
destruction war can cause.
The basic rules include:
1. Wear a uniform - Just like many of you have to wear school uniforms, armed forces also have to wear
uniforms to make them stand out.
2. No impersonating - Our troops can't pretend to belong to other sides to get the result they want.
3. Don't hide weapons - This is a not allowed. Troops have to carry their weapons openly.
4. Protect non-combatants - People who aren't fighting must not be targeted. That includes civilians and
medical workers, wearing a red cross.
5. Look after prisoners of war - You can't attack opponents once they surrender. In fact you have to look
after them.
6. You also have to have a pretty good reason to go to war...
ACTOR: I don't like you.
ACTOR: I don't like you either.
Stop it... that's not a good enough reason. The rule is a country can only use force to defend itself or to
correct something terrible that's being done to a whole population. This is the reason the United States
gave for invading Iraq.
Of course, as with all rules, not everyone sticks to them. One-man accused of breaking the rules in a
major way is former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
Yugoslavia used to be here in Europe, but the country broke up into several smaller nations, after a
number of civil wars in the 1990's.
Thousands of innocent people were killed and poverty became a major problem. Slobodan Milosevic was
the leader during this time.
He was later put on trial for breaking the laws of war as well as other very serious crimes including
genocide.
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Genocide is when someone attempts to wipe out a group because of their race or religion or culture. It's
a word that was first used to describe the deliberate killing of six million Jews during World War Two.
Adolph Hitler ordered the killings, but died before he could be put on trial.
Slobodan Milosevic was put on trial for genocide, accused of being involved in the murder of 8000
Muslims in Bosnia. But he died before his trial had finished, so no one will ever know if he would have
been found guilty.
Did you know? Genocide was first internationally recognised as a crime in 1951.
True or False? Equinox is from the Latin word aequinoctium.
Answer: True
EQUINOX
Sarah Martinelli, reporter
There was an equinox this week, but what exactly is an equinox?
Before Sarah tells us, here are a few hints.
You may not have noticed that the Sun is rising later and setting earlier than a few months ago.
The days are getting shorter and the nights are growing longer.
Any ideas yet?
Well, Sarah's been looking into space to find out.
Imagine living on a planet where winter lasts 42 years. That would be extreme, but that's what happens
on the planet Uranus. On Earth most of us experience four very different seasons that each last three
months.
To find out why, we need to look at the Earth from space. Imagine a rod going from the North Pole
through the centre of the earth and out of the South Pole. Over the course of 24 hours, the planet spins
once around the central rod or axis. When we're facing the Sun, the sky is light and it's daytime. Then we
turn away from the Sun and it's night.
So why are some parts of the year hotter than others?
It's because the earth is a bit wonky. Its central axis, that imaginary rod that goes through both poles, is
actually tilted at an angle of 23.4 degrees. As the earth moves around the sun during the year, the
amount of light each area of the planet receives varies in length. This gives us our seasons.
The earth takes just over 365 days to move around the sun once and end up back in the same position.
This is the basis of the Gregorian calendar year, which is divided into seasons. Those seasons depend on
which part of the earth is tilted towards the Sun, and because it happens gradually our seasons change
slowly.
When the South Pole tilts towards the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunshine and the days
are longer. This is summer in this part of the world.
When the South Pole tilts away from the Sun, the Southern Hemisphere gets less sunshine and the days
are shorter. That's winter. In between these we have autumn and spring.
So how do we know when each season begins?
Autumn actually begins on the autumnal equinox; on March the 21st. Equinox is a Latin word meaning
"equal night". It's a time of the year when the day and night are of equal length, 12 hours each.
Spring begins on the vernal equinox, on Sept 22. Vernal is a Latin word for bloom, and spring is
associated with flowers blooming and new life.
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So what about summer and winter?
The day the South Pole is nearest the sun is called the summer solstice.
Sarah Martinelli, reporter: Looking from the earth, the sun reaches it's highest point in the sky all year.
This means it takes the most amount of time to cross the sky, so this is the longest day of the year. In
Australia it happens around the 22nd of December, and after this, the days start getting shorter.
Sarah Martinelli, reporter: "The day when the South Pole is the furthest from the sun is the winter
solstice. The sun crosses the sky at its lowest point all year, therefore it crosses the sky in the quickest
time, so this is the shortest day of the year."
It happens around the 22nd of June, and after this, the days start getting longer. Interestingly, the
further north or south you live in the world, the more pronounced the seasons are. For example in the far
north, in Alaska it's light 24 hours a day during their summer - could be hard to get to sleep.
It's Quiz time.
Who is the Queen's husband?
Answer: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Kerry Staight, reporter
And the Queen and Prince Philip have been in Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
Because the Queen lives in the United Kingdom she doesn't come to Australia all that often.
Some people are wondering whether this will be her last visit to Australia.
Kerry has been finding out about Queen Elizabeth the second and her life.
PRINCE HARRY: You're an idiot... get this on camera... you forgot your boots.
Paying your brother out doesn't usually make the news, except when your grandmother is the Queen.
Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor is a grandmother of seven, including Princes William, a mother of four,
including Prince Charles and the Queen of 16 independent countries including Australia.
She is also the head of the Commonwealth, which is why she was in Australia recently to open the
Commonwealth Games.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Australia in my lifetime has firmly established itself among the most respected
nations in the world.
And what a life it's been. Elizabeth was born in London in 1926. As a kid she didn't see too much of the
world, in fact she was home schooled. But when she was 26 her dad, the King, died and she became
Queen. That meant a lot of travelling. Sometimes in comfort - the Queen has her pick of a whole
collection of carriages. Other times, she's been a bit more adventurous.
The Queen is actually the most well travelled head of state in the world. She's made more than 250
official overseas visits including 15 to Australia. Thousands of people turned out for her first one.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II, 1954: I have always looked forward to my first visit to this country, but now there
is added satisfaction for me that I am able to meet my Australian people as their Queen.
The Queen's role is mainly ceremonial, which means plenty of this and lots of speeches like her annual
Christmas Message. In Australia she's opened some very important buildings, like the Sydney Opera
House. Yes it was a touch windy that day. And she's launched some big events, like the Commonwealth
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Heads of Government Meeting and EXPO. She's also found time for a few smaller visits, like this one to
the School of the Air.
While royal visits don't create the stir they used to, the Queen still has plenty of fans. And that means
plenty of pressies. Sometimes they can be a bit unusual - the Queen was once given an elephant. Oh well
she is an animal lover, after all she's owned 30 corgis and
as you can see from this BBC documentary she doesn't mind a spot of horse racing.
The Queen will be 80 next month, which means she has been on the throne for more than 50 years.
That's quite an achievement.
When she's not in Australia the Governor General represents her. At the moment that's this guy - Major
General Michael Jeffery.
Some people though think we don't need either. They want Australia to become a republic. That would
mean getting rid of more than just the Queen. For a start we'd need to replace all our coins because
guess what's on them.
True or False? The highest competition diving tower is 25 metres.
Answer: False
It's actually ten metres, and take it from me that's high enough.
DIVING GIRL
Krista Eleftheriou, reporter
A Brisbane schoolgirl will be among the divers taking the ten metre plunge, hoping to win a gold medal
for Australia at the Commonwealth Games.
And as I found out it's a huge achievement just to make the team
MELISSA WU, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: It's like a dream come true. It's what I've always
wanted to do, make an Australian team and represent Australia. So this is just amazing.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: At just 135 centimetres tall and 13 years of age, this is Australia's
youngest and shortest Commonwealth Games team member. She's standing here next to the tallest,
Australian Basketballer Lauren Jackson.
MELISSA WU, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: Yeah, I just want to be treated like a normal athlete not
like a little baby so yeah hopefully if I rise to the occasion and people will treat me like any normal
athlete.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: Melissa Wu or woodles as her teammates call her is the youngest
diver in Australian history to win a national title. She will be competing this week in the 10 metre platform
and 10 metre synchronised diving events at the Commonwealth Games.
MELISSA WU, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: I'm really excited, but also really nervous at the same
time, but I'm just hoping to go there and have fun and just go for the experience.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: Ten metres may not sound like much, but believe me this is a long
way up. If you looked out the window of the third floor of a building you would get an idea of just how
high this is. It's very scary. But for Melissa heights aren't a problem.
MELISSA WU, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: When you're up the top you're thinking about the dive
you're about to do, how to make it better rather than how high it is.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: Just as well. Melissa dives off this platform 500 times a week and
according to her coach being young helps her overcome fear.
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HUI TONG, NATIONAL HEAD COACH, AIS: If you're young, you're fear-free, less than when you're an
adult. You're learning things quicker.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: The Games will be Woodles first international meet. She's been
diving for only four years. Most of her teammates have been training for Melissa's entire lifetime.
MELISSA WU, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: I'm just a hard worker and I like to improve and I think
my coach just expects me to do my best and put all my effort in, so try and just give it my best.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: Another young gun is 17-year-old Matthew Mitcham. He's also
making his Commonwealth Games debut.
MATTHEW MITCHAM, COMMONWEALTH GAMES DIVER: Six hours of training a day and six hours of
school a day. You've got to fit in eating and homework and your recreation time and stuff like that. It's
hard, but so many kids do it.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: So what is it like to actually dive off the platform?
DIVER: You know that everybody's eyes are on you. So you stand there and you tighten every single
muscle. And then you jump up. Just for a moment, there's these butterflies in your stomach because you
know this one's got to be really good. You're just going through the air, you're spinning and it's an
amazing feeling.
KRISTA ELEFTHERIOU, REPORTER: Butterflies hey, we'll I certainly have those. Here it goes.
Good luck to Matthew and Woodles... ...
OK before we go I want to show you something.
Circus Oz invited me to try some balancing and juggling.
Jeremy, Sharon and I started with this routine which was a bit hard on my back.
After that we moved on to something trickier.
First they showed me what to do... then it was my turn.
That wasn't so hard, was it?
Jeremy and I managed another trick... look one hand!
I was doing so well they wanted me to try this!
Then I was shown how to juggle.
You can see more of that on short takes after school at 4:50
Our Friday morning special at 10:15 is School Rules, which covers the skills shortage, truancy, the ideal
school, homework and hopper ants.
That's it for now. Catch you soon.
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