Air Quality and Human Rights
Air Quality: the ‘health’ or amount of unwanted substances in the atmosphere
Nature – Spatial Dimension (where and why its there) – air quality differs due to the
different amount of unwanted substances being released into an area. For example, in
the city near industrial areas where smoke and other pollutants are being released into
the atmosphere constantly, the air quality would be relatively low.
Ecological Dimension (human interactions and environmental responses) – Transport,
industrial activity, smoking and burning fossil fuels are just some of the key examples
of human activity that affects the health of the air. Urban/populated areas high in
industrialisation usually have a poorer air quality than areas of a more rural, sparsely
populated origin.
Processes – usually nature has a balance that results in a good air quality, however
due to various ecological processes that quality of air has reduced rapidly in the past
100 years. For example, coal-burning power stations and industry, motor vehicles and
cigarettes are just some of the human activities adding to the deteriorating nature of
air quality. Air pollutants include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide,
ozone, lead and harmful particles from motor vehicles and bushfires.
Indoor air quality is worse than outdoor air quality because air flow is reduced and
harmful inputs (cigarette smoke) are trapped in small spaces. (Impacts) Clustered air
quality has “sick building syndrome” – (sore throat, irritated eyes, skin irritation and
headaches.)
Impacts – the declining nature of air quality affects both the environment and
humanity negatively.
Environmental impacts – include smog, the enhanced greenhouse effect, and death of
vegetation. The atmosphere is fragile and the ecological processes (see ecological
dimension) pose dire consequences beyond the atmosphere.
Social impacts (to humanity) – include asthma, lung cancer, lead poisoning, breathing
problems, respiratory diseases and it can lead to the aesthetically unpleasing view of
an urban city.
Economic impacts – an increase in the aforesaid health problems puts pressure on
health care to create sustainable facilities to treat the rising rate of toxic health
problems.
Responses – to reduce air pollution include:
Utilising public transport.
Lobby and research into renewable energy technology.
Providing more transit and bus lanes.
Using “polluter pays” principle (i.e. people pay for what they pollute).
Implement stricter emission controls for motor vehicles and industry.
National Environmental Protection Measure.
Unleaded petrol.
Environmental Protection Agency Monitoring.
Page
1
Aid




Australia gives aid to 31 countries including Papua New Guinea, South Asia,
East Asia, Pacific states, Africa and the Middle East.
In 2007-2008, Australia is estimated to give $4 billion in aid. $2.7 billion of
this is managed by AUSaid.
The Australia controls the aid programs however various NGO’s also do their
own programs. These NGO’s include Australian Red Cross and World Vision
and providing aid to third world countries.
Australia provides aid to other countries for the following reasons:
o economic instability
o educational injustices
o environmental depletion
o gender inequities
o goverance issues
o health problems
o human rights abuses
o provision of infrastructure
o regional stability
o rural development
o water crisises
Future Challenges – Human Rights and Reconciliation
In Australia we face challenges that must be resolved if we wish to live in a fair and
equitable society. These include the enormous loss of human rights suffered by
Indigenous people and the treatment of refugees in the early part of this century.
Human rights are the fair treatments and basic freedoms that all humans deserve.
The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 gives a range of
laws to protect human rights for example social, economic and cultural rights i.e. the
right to medical care, education, welfare and security, and civil and political rights i.e.
the right to vote, the right to a fair trial and freedom of expression. There are also
seven U.N treaties to preserve human rights for example, The International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Social, Cultural and
Economic Rights.
The International Criminal Court was developed to effectively deal with crime and
therefore establish a better preservation of social justice and human rights.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was created to help refugees
settle into their countries and attempt to address humanitarian crises that threaten
people’s human rights.
In the struggle for power and control, human rights are frequently abused in many
countries. Countries such as America, Russia, Africa and Australia have a number of
forms of human rights abuses including:
torture or ill-treatment by security forces, police and other authorities
detention without charge or trial
people are sentenced to death
human rights violations such as killing of civilians, torture and hostage-taking by
armed opposition groups.
The two human rights abuses that occur in Australia are loss of human rights of
Page
2
Indigenous Australians and the treatment of refugees.
A refugee is forced to flee their country due to fear of persecution or political belief.
A migrant has a plan and choose when to leave and where to go.
Australian NGO’s have implemented a number of human rights programs to
improve human rights internationally. For example, CARE Australia and Community
Aid Abroad.
The Australia Government’s strategies include the establishment of national human
rights institutions, providing AusAID programs and encourage global discussions on
human rights issues.
The Humanitarian Program has two components (1) Offshore resettlement where
refugees are given permanent protection through visas (2) Onshore protection where
refugees already in the country are given protection.
Problems with the onshore Humanitarian program include Australia’s policy of
mandatory detention of refugees and asylum seekers (grossly inhumane) and The
Tampa Incident (see below).
Australia’s refugee policy is one of mandatory detention. When refugees arrive in
Australia, they are detained, usually in offshore islands. In contrast, Sweden has an
open door to refugees and let more than three times as many into their country.
Australia seems to abuse human rights in the sense that refugees are not granted
permanent protection status and are held captive in overcrowded detention centres.
The Tampa Incident was where a Norwegian Vessel responded to report that an
overcrowded fishing boat was sinking. The illegal immigrants on board were refused
political asylum by P.M John Howard and the ship had to land outside Australia
waters. The event became legislative in that “queue jumping” was finally considered
illegal.
The ‘Pacific Solution’ to Australia overpopulation of refugees’ problem was
resolved when NZ and a pacific island offered to take refugees. However strong
human right abuses remained because these people where held in detention centres.
After the Tampa Incident, new legislation on entry into Australia was passed.
Certain Australian islands were cut out of Migration Act so now refugees who landed
in an excised island could not apply for visas. This known as Border Control.
Refugees are not always ‘welcomed’ into countries. The thoughts of terrorism and
fears of a threat to the country’s security and refugees are not accepted unless they are
under an official humanitarian program and/or have gained a visa. The Australian
Government frowns upon those who seek to come Australia without the authority to
do so. Many people and organisations believe Australia’s policy of detaining asylum
seekers while their refugee status was determined as a breach of Australia’s
international obligations. The UNCHR is one such organisation.
Australia is highly liveable and considered a lucky country because of its high
standards of living and abundance of natural resources. However, human rights are
threatened for Indigenous Australians.
Indigenous Australians have suffered through European invasion, dispossession,
protection, assimilation, integration and racism. (see history)
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is relevant to improving the rights and
well being of Indigenous peoples. There are articles explicitly relevant to Australia
that support this.
The Indigenous people suffer health inequities due to the remoteness of their
communities, exposure to health risks (alcohol, obesity) and social and cultural
factors (racism, disadvantages in education, physical environment factors).
Page
3
To meet the challenges of equality in human rights for Indigenous peoples,
Australia needs to improve health facilities, develop the remote communities
initiative, funding to assist health-care professionals for Indigenous areas etc.
The path towards reconciliation has been slow and difficult. There are signs,
however, that progress is being made towards healing the wounds of the past and
dealing with issues that have been the cause of disadvantages suffered by Indigenous
people.
The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation is a formal structure given to the
reconciliation movement of 1991.
The Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation is guidelines or ideas in order to
achieve reconciliation.
The Roadmap for Reconciliation includes The People’s Walk for Reconciliation,
documents for reconciliation and for the Government to say sorry and promote selfdetermination.
The Four National Strategies to achieve Reconciliation are
1. The National Strategy to Sustain the Reconciliation Process
2. The National Strategy to Promote Recognition of Indigenous People’s rights
3. The National Strategy to Overcome Disadvantage
4. The National Strategy for Economic Independence


The political steps New Zealanders did for Maori’s was (1) found the
document “Treaty of Waitangi” in 1840 to preserve traditional Maori law and
culture (2) reserved Maori seats in Parliament, land claims, education etc (3)
the “Treaty of Waitangi Act” enshrined Maori rights into law.
Australia can take into consideration the plight of those less fortunate and in
the case of the refugees, not lock them up for trying to seek safety. In the case
of the Indigenous Australians, their culture should be taken into account (as
well as what we have caused throughout history) when making decisions.
To address the challenges of refugees and Indigenous for the future, Australia needs
to ratify and meet the policies they adhere, educate a multicultural, democratic
country and eliminate bigot, socio-cultural barriers that may exist.
Page
4