World Affairs

Hello readers and welcome to this issue's World Affairs section. If you're concerned with or interested in the Land Down Under, then this issue is definitely for you. First up is an interesting analytical article dealing with the problems and possible solutions of a lengthy drought, entitled Australia's Water Woes , written by i am mcj . But now, take caution readers, because the next two articles aren't pretty. Cosmicdude2 has provided coverage of a terrible train crash in Victoria, Australia, in his article called Victorian Train Crash . And finally, Richman99 has covered the most recent tragedy, The Minnesota Bridge Collapse . Take your time, and be prepared for some tremendously informative material.

-Kyle

Australia's Water Woes - By: i am mcj

As Australia's drought crisis becomes a more pressing issue, scientists and politicians are trying to find new ways to provide the country with water. Desalination is becoming the most popular solution; however, some communities have already started using recycled water in their homes. The question is, which one is better?

Desalination is the process of removing salt and other impurities from seawater to produce drinking water.
The most common way of desalinating water is by reverse osmosis. In this process, membranes of different pore size allow the fresh water to pass through them whilst capturing the salt and other impurities in the seawater. The salt is disposed of while the pH level of the fresh water is altered to make it suitable for drinking.

A similar process is carried out with recycled water, although sometimes viruses and algal toxins can continue through the reverse osmosis process. Therefore recycled water is also treated by adsorption and oxidation. Adsorption is a process by which chemicals are added to the water, such as activated carbon that removes bad taste and odour from the water, as well as toxins. Oxidation disinfects the water. Ozone or chlorine dioxide are usually used for this process, as they neutralise odour and bad taste, as well as destroying pollutants, toxins and viruses. However, ozone is very expensive and is only used in areas that are experiencing severe odour and taste problems.

Desalination – Pros
According to NSW Utility Minister Frank Sartor, "desal [sic]… in the long term is probably inevitable." On average, desalination will produce up to 130ML of fresh water a day, which is approximately 10% of Sydney's daily water usage. A desalination plant can easily produce 500ML a day if demand rises, even if there has been no rain. Desalination can produce 47GL per year and could potentially produce up to 182GL per year.

Desalination - Cons
Desalination is an energy intensive process, as water needs to be forced through membranes for reverse osmosis at extremely high pressure. Due to the fact that so much energy is needed, the price of water will rise from the $1 charged now to $3 per kilolitre. Also, the energy used produces one of the most common greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, which is bad for the environment. To lessen the effect, the Australian Government is promising to plant more trees in a desalination plant area to absorb carbon dioxide or to use green energy. Planting trees is a cheaper way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, but it will be difficult to keep these at a minimum. Another problem that will be encountered is that excess sodium chloride, commonly referred to as salt, is a by-product of the desalination process. Due to the fact that so much salt will be produced, the only viable option is to dump it back into the ocean.

Recycling Water – Pros
In 2001, Sydney Water Corporation released 548GL of wastewater and 420GL of stormwater into the ocean. If this water had been recycled, it would have provided Sydney with 968GL, enough water for 18 months and there would be no more water restrictions. Instead, it may cause harm to marine life. Therefore, if water were recycled, it would not only mean more water for our consumption but also much cleaner oceans. The ability of recycled water to meet a city's needs can be seen from the fact that London, which receives only 611mm of rainfall per year for a population of 7.3 million, has not had water restrictions for 15 years because it uses recycled water. Sydney, on the other hand, without recycled water, receives 1,217mm of rainfall a year for a population of 4 million and has a water shortage problem. If recycled water is chosen to supply Sydney, by 2015 a water recycling plant will be producing 70GL per year.

Recycling Water – Cons
Using recycled water, although a logical answer to water shortages, still has its flaws. Building new pipes and pumps for recycled water will end up being very costly and will also take years to complete – time that Sydney does not have. NSW Premier Morris Iemma is firm that he will not introduce recycled water into the drinking supply as he doesn't "believe that we need to". He believes that it is costly and will take around four to five years to implement, compared to the two years it would take to build a desalination plant.

In conclusion, both recycled water and desalinated water can be beneficial and harmful and both have impacts on society, technology and the environment. Ultimately, it is up to the Australian Government to decide which method should be used by comparing things such as cost, time and degree of impact. Recycling water appeals to me as the better option, as it has milder impacts on the environment and has already been proven to work in many areas of New South Wales, such as Rouse Hill and Wollongong. Something urgently needs to be done to combat the water crisis and we need to urgently fix this problem.

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Victorian Train Crash - By: Cosmicdude2

11 people are dead, many more injured and the casualty toll expecting to be rising. It's these sorts of figures that freak you out. But these are the current casualty statistics of a train crash in rural Victoria, Australia. The event happened on the 5th of June. The crash occurred between a semi trailer and a passenger train at a level crossing in central Victoria.

In what is the state's worst rail disaster in six decades, the semi trailer ploughed in to the three-carriage train. The sheer force of the collision ripped the second carriage open from one side and separated the third carriage from the train. The incident occurred at around 1:40 PM. 8 people were initially thought to be dead but more searches have found an increasing number of people dead. Authorities are in fear that the death toll could rise even higher with 11 people currently being unaccounted for. The driver of the truck is in a critical condition, and was just saved from death. Miraculously, the train driver was only partially injured.

"The train was hit from the back end while he wouldn't have seen the direct impact, he would have seen it coming" Says inspector Talbot. Talbot compared the damage of the train crash to that of the London underground bombings in 2005.
"It would have been like a massive explosion. Passengers would have thought that a bomb had gone off in the carriage like it did in London. It's that sort of level devastation."

The Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks, flew in late afternoon to the scene to offer condolences to the family of those dead and injured. Fighting off tears, he said the Police, Coroner, and the rail safety authorities would launch a series of inquires regarding the accident. "I do not believe anyone can make any judgments until a full scale investigation has been led," Said Bracks. "I know that this is a difficult time and will bring into question rail safety in Victoria."

At the time of the crash, the crossing had bells and lights yet no boom gates at the time. A line spokeswoman said that the gates were working at the time. A survivor from the crash said that the driver may have just failed to see the train at the crossing before it was too late. "It was if the whole train was going to derail. The carriage behind mine was half gone and there was a big gaping hole between the carriages."

Police say that there was there were 40 people enlisted to board the train, yet authorities are still to determine whether or not 40 people boarded. The crossing has been the site of a train crash before, when in 1997, a truck struck a car from behind which then resulted in the car crashing into the train. There was one person who died.

After the train crash, it was found out that many of the injured in the crash were tended to and rescued by a hero, Bryan Frichot. He also managed to save the truck driver's life. But Bryan has led a horrible life. He was once charged with the murder of a 22-year old woman. The case was dismissed from court but one of his friends was convicted and charged. "Just dismissed on the third day of trial, it was a bit of a hard one." Mr. Frichot told the press.

Frichot said he reacted instantly and by instinct, as soon as he found out that the driver was in trouble. His father was burnt almost half to death from head to toe and was heavily scarred from a truck accident. "There was no way I was going to let another truck driver burn in his truck." After clearing the driver from the cabin and taking him outside, he went around rescuing more citizens who were injured in the crash.

"Three, four dead bodies around my feet whilst I tended to two injured survivors of the crash." Said Bryan. He says he knew many people on the train, and some people he will never see again. "I would not put my self down as a hero, just another guy off the street." Bryan hopes that because of his rescue of the driver and passengers, that the community will now accept him. He was never accepted into the community because of his convicted murder.

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The Minnesota Bridge Collapse - By: Richman99

On Wednesday, August 1st, the Minnesota Bridge collapsed during rush hour. The bridge was set about 65 feet over the Mississippi River. Many of those drivers were probably heading for the Minnesota Twins baseball game, but due to this disaster, the game was postponed.

At least 7 were reported dead on Wednesday, over 35 were injured, and 6 of them were in critical condition. 30 cars fell into the river, leaving the people inside the cars stuck. One truck caught fire, and the police were called. Divers were also attempting to rescue the trapped bodies.

Witnesses say that a school bus filled with children was on the bridge when it collapsed, but the children were evacuated immediately. Thankfully the bus didn't fall into the water.

Many cars were stacked on top of each other amongst the rubble and dirt. The few survivors that were alright are very thankful that they didn't get killed. They thought they would be dead. Think about it. You're riding on a bridge, and all of a sudden you just fall down. Cars are stacked all over you, but you are still alive and unharmed. That is a miracle.

Over the past few days, more bodies of adults and kids have been found. A 2 year old girl's body was also found in the rubble. Her mother is also probably dead by now.

As of August 12th, 9 have been reported dead, and a few more that most likely are missing and dead. Apparently OVER 100 were injured, and so far over 7 of them remain hospitalized.

Police right now are saying that there was NO terrorism involved, so we know that it wasn't a terrorist attack. Also, investigators have discovered a flaw in the bridge. Hopefully they'll find a way to prevent this from happening again. The Secretary of Transportation also gave her advice to the situation. "Remain mindful of the extra weight construction projects place on bridges."

It has also been found that there were flaws found before the accident, but they were fixed. So, we can't say for sure what caused the collapse.


The month of August started with a disaster, so let's hope that no more accidents like this happen often. All we can do is hope that everybody that got injured and was on the bridge is on there way to recovery, and that they are safe and well.

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