Social Sciences – Term Three & Four

Challenge & Responses Aotearoa  

This new topic for Social Science will last from Term three to Term four. Our learning objectives in this topic are:

• Students will identify and describe the challenges a society can face.
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of how challenges affect their local community.
• Students will visually represent a range of challenges using digital or physical media.
• Students will develop research skills to explore key events and figures in New Zealand’s history.
• Students will effectively communicate their understanding through writing, presentations, and creative projects.

09.08.24

Ruku// Challenges Faced by Local Communities – “I will speak Māori”

09.08.24

Ruku// Google Earth Timeline Aotearoa

Click on the Image to be taken to my time line 🙂

Historical Challenges & Responses   

14.08.24

Ruku// He Tohu Summary, A Description.

He Tohu

He Tohu means ‘The Three’. These three are the three documents that makeup New Zealand. Starting from the earliest to the latest is the He Whakaputanga / the Declaration of Independence  [1835], Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi [1840] and lastly The Women’s Suffrage Petition [1893]. Today, we are going to review and provide a description of each pivotal document.

1835, He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni – the Declaration of Independence of the United Tribes of New Zealand. 

[Reference(s): He Tohu, Youtube]

He Whakaputanga was a crucial document. It is New Zealand’s first constitutional document stating who controls the country and how it will be run and one of the earliest statements about Māori Identity. In the document itself, there’s a segment that says ‘he whenua rangatira’ which translates to having a deep meaning of land at peace under the rightful owners. Eruera was a Māori male who was the adoptive son of the chief who was sent to Sydney to learn how to read and write. Because of the skill he developed, he worked alongside James Busby to write the Declaration of Independence between the Indengious People of Aotearoa concordat with the British King Edward.

1840, Te Tiriti o Waitangi – The Treaty of Waitangi.

[Reference(s): He Tohu, Waitangi-Tribunal]

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in the Bay of Islands. The treaty was 9 sheets of the Treaty in Total. 8 of these sheets are in Te Reo and one is in English. This treaty was taken around the country to be signed by as many rangatira/Māori Chiefs as possible, they managed to have 540 rangatira signed. The treaty was about letting other people live in Aotearoa and letting the British make rules.

1893, The Women’s Suffrage Petition.

[Reference(s): He Tohu, NZ History, Wikipedia]

Aotearoa wasn’t the first people to think about allowing women to vote. They took inspiration from both the British Empire and the United States. The Petition went on for quite a while until they finally claimed their victory in 1893. This was a pivotal moment not only in New Zealand but in other countries as well. Women all over the world are now free from this standard of being men’s property and only being kept at home. An important figure during this time was none other than Kate Shepard. She was very well-known in the Women’s Suffrage Movement, after all, she was one of the founding members of the New Zealand branch. During 1893 she wrote a campaign which was passed and signed.

 

16.08.24

Ruku// Signatory Proflie

23.08.24

Haro// Blooket Quiz – Treaty of Waitangi

My Blooket link!:

5.11.24

Ruku// Mini Research: Kate Sheppard

[SOS] Ruku__ Kate Sheppard

16.10.24

Ruku// The Suffrage Movement Essay

The Women’s Suffrage Petition / Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wāhine

Causes and Effects, Attitudes and Values.

INTRODUCTION

Today we will be reviewing one of the most pivotal moments in New Zealand’s history. This is the famous Women’s Suffrage movement. Not only was this significant to New Zealand but the whole world.

CAUSES

Values and Perspectives Before the Petitions 

During this time, women were seen as the property of men or domestic people. They were only taught how to clean, cook and care for children in schools. Many people saw women as unfit for anything to do with politics except School Committees and Education Boards. Henry Wright stated, ‘Women were recommended to go home, look after their children, cook their husbands’ dinners, empty slops and attend to the domestic affairs that ‘nature’ assigned them.’

However, voting was usually determined by sex and class. Suppose you were a woman, instantly no votes for you. You wouldn’t get a vote if you were a male and were not wealthy. In New Zealand, Māori men had the same voting rights as Pākehā men.

Life During this Time – Alcohol Abuse & Protest

Adding onto Values and Perspectives, alcoholism had a massive impact on most, especially men who owned land and had a higher status in politics. The age to drink alcohol wasn’t high either, so this was detrimental.

Unfortunately, women’s fight for a place in politics was tied to alcohol prohibition. European men brought alcohol into Aotearoa as at the time it was a daily necessity, but all it did was heighten sexual assault rates and domestic violence.

Many people that supported women’s rights, had other ideas. Others wanted married women to have more rights to own property, others wanted divorce laws, and gender equality and some wanted to raise the age of consent which at the time was 12 years old.

PROCEDURES

WCTU & Kate Sheppard

Since alcohol impacted mostly women during this era, it wasn’t a shocker that the people leading the alcohol prohibition movement were women. These women were the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, the WCTU. The WCTU first started in the US and then spread globally.

Mary Leavitt was an important figure who came to Aotearoa to extend the WCTU. But she too was a fighter for women’s rights in general. The WCTU wasn’t an anarchist group that wanted their way no matter what. The WCTU was a very peaceful, Christian group.

The amazing woman herself, Kate Sheppard was the face of women’s fight to vote. Originating from Liverpool, United Kingdom in 1868. Many described her as bright and very accommodating towards her local church, which made her magnetized to the WCTU. Her first petition was to ban the sale of alcohol towards children which was rubbish. 

Efforts to pass the Bill

After the refusal to sell alcohol to children, Sheppard realized that male politicians didn’t care for women’s voices in politics– unless they needed women’s votes. Her mind was set on Women’s Suffrage, which caused her to write her first pamphlet, ‘Ten Reasons Why the Women of New Zealand Should Vote’ in 1888.

the 1891 Petition had 9,000 signatures. After that was overturned the 1892 petition had 20,000 signatures but that too was overturned. Finally, in 1893, 32,000 women signed the petition, almost a quarter of the women in Aotearoa.

The Argument 

The court session was one of New Zealand’s longest hearings, with 31,872 signatures gathered through 13 petitions combined.  Following Kate Sheppard, were Marion Hatton, Rachel Reynolds, Ada Wells, Harriet Morison, the WCTU and Māori Wahine. Together they represented the Wahine of Aotearoa so they could finally have a say and break free from their stereotypical sphere. 

The most notable opposition to Women’s Suffrage was Henry Smith Fish. He came from a wealthy family which might’ve gotten to his head. He painted himself in a way that came across as aggressive, disrespectful and double-dealing. Because of this, people started to make puns out of his name such as ‘the Talking Fish’. He came across as hostile towards women especially those representing Women’s Suffrage. Sometimes during the hearing, he argued that women were too emotional to participate in politics. Adding to that, he enforced the idea of the ‘stereotypical sphere’, stating that women’s primary roles were at home.  His thoughts were that if women were doing anything other than Taking care of children, cooking, and cleaning, it would lead to breakdowns of family structures and social upheaval.

Fish created counter petitions where he practically bought ones. His other tactics were public speaking and writing, organizing the anti-suffrage groups, using political connections and spreading misinformation about the WCTU to stop women from voting. 

EFFECTS

The Bill Passing

After hours in court, the light finally shone onto Sheppard and Wahine all over New Zealand. The bill has finally been passed. This also brought light to women.

 Showing that they’re more than domestic people who had only such little purpose. With the punchy pamphlets and the 3 compelling attempts to get the bill passed, many men thought, “Was there even a problem?” 

Global Effect

New Zealand was the first country to ever allow women to vote. Many countries started to follow in their footsteps. There has also been a designated day called, “White Camellia Day”. In Christchurch, the 19th of September is the day to remember Kate Sheppard in the National Memorial where they place white camellias on her Memorial. Kate Sheppard left such a big mark on New Zealand that she’s even on the 10-dollar bill as well as being recognized nationally.

When Kate Sheppard passed away, the Christchurch Times wrote in 1934, “A great woman has gone, whose name will remain an inspiration to the daughters of New Zealand while our history endures.”

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, New Zealand in itself had their close times with passing the bill. But with trial and error they managed to achieve their goal and change the attitudes of men in parliament by allowing women to vote. The WCTU led New Zealand and the Globe to a safer place for all women.

REFERENCES

1. New Zealand Parliament. (2022). Suffrage Day, 19 September: Celebrating women’s right to vote. Retrieved from https://www.parliament.nz/en/get-involved/features/suffrage-day-19-september-celebrating-women-s-right-to-vote/
2. Neill Atkinson, ‘Voting rights – First voting rights, 1852’, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/voting-rights/page-1 (accessed 6 September 2024)
3. New Zealand History. (n.d.). Women together: A history of women’s suffrage in New Zealand. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/women-together/introduction
4. New Zealand History. (n.d.). Women’s suffrage. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage
5. Papers Past. (1890). Women’s suffrage. Colonist. Retrieved from https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CL18900919.2.23
6. New Zealand History. (n.d.). Ten reasons why the women of New Zealand should vote. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ten-reasons-why-women-new-zealand-should-vote
7. YouTube. (2024). S1 E13: Decades of Change | RNZ T. Made by The Aotearoa History Show YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTPYUS9cqC0
8. Buchanan, K. (2018, September 19). 125 years of women’s suffrage in New Zealand. In Custodia Legis. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2018/09/125-years-of-womens-suffrage-in-new-zealand/
9. Gallivant. (2013, September 19). Women’s suffrage. Silkannthreades. https://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/tag/womens-suffrage/
10. New Zealand History. (n.d.). Women’s suffrage. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage
11. Archives New Zealand. (n.d.). Women’s suffrage petition. Retrieved from https://www.archives.govt.nz/discover-our-stories/womens-suffrage-petition
12. Ministry for Women. (n.d.). Women’s suffrage in Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved from https://www.women.govt.nz/about-us/history-womens-suffrage-aotearoa-new-zealand
13. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Fish, Henry Smith. Retrieved from https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2f8/fish-henry-smith
14. New Zealand History. (n.d.). Henry Fish. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/people/henry-fish
15. Christchurch City Council. (n.d.). Women’s suffrage. Retrieved from https://ccc.govt.nz/culture-and-community/heritage/womens-suffrage
16. New Zealand History. (n.d.). World suffrage timeline. Retrieved from https://nzhistory.govt.nz/politics/womens-suffrage/world-suffrage-timeline

 

16.10.24

Ruku// News Paper Article

16.10.24

Ruku// Diary Entry

Dear Diary,

I hear my nephew talking about a march. He lives in the city with his Whanau, his wahine Huhana and his tamariki Aroha and Hemi. They are going on a march for our rights– battling discrimination. I couldn’t be any more proud of him. Of course, I gathered my strength and joined the march. I heard Whaea’s speech and felt more inspired to partake in the march.

Days went by and the march was long. Men and Women marched and chanted as did I. Many started to doubt, even before the march, but we stayed strong. We finally reached the end of our land march and we felt accomplished. I never thought something as simple as a march could be such a big part of my life, let alone New Zealand History. Nonetheless, I hope our message gets through.

Signed,

Wiremu Rangi

6.11.24

Ruku// Whina Cooper Presentation

16.10.24

Ruku// Google Maps, Natural Disasters of New Zealand.

1.11.24

Ruku// Critical Analysis

Christchurch 2011 Earthquake

Social impacts:

Following the Christchurch earthquake, 185 people lost their lives, and over 1,500 sustained injuries. Many individuals were left traumatized, leading to long-term mental health issues. Thousands of people were displaced, resulting in job and housing losses. The east side of Christchurch was particularly impacted by liquefaction, leading to certain areas being designated as red zones. Damage to schools, hospitals, and community centres disrupted daily life and social services for months or even years.

During this challenging time, communities united to support each other. Volunteer groups, like the Student Volunteer Army, played a crucial role in recovery efforts. The earthquake also encouraged improved preparedness, including heightened awareness of safety protocols, enhanced emergency response systems, and more resilient infrastructure.

Economic impacts:

The earthquake caused around $44 billion in damages. The Central Business District (CBD) was the hardest hit, forcing many businesses to close, leading to job losses and economic stagnation. Rising insurance costs made it challenging for businesses and homeowners to secure future coverage.

On the positive side, reconstruction efforts created new jobs in construction and related industries, benefiting people who lost jobs and young people entering the workforce. The rebuilding process modernized infrastructure, improving building standards to make structures more earthquake-resilient. Additionally, the city’s renewal included an emphasis on green spaces, creating a vibrant, sustainable environment.

Environmental impacts:

Liquefaction was widespread, particularly in sandy soil areas, causing silt and water to rise to the surface, and damaging roads, homes, and underground infrastructure. Suburbs like Sumner and Redcliffs experienced landslides, leaving unstable cliffs and requiring cleanup and stabilization. Roads across Christchurch were heavily cracked, disrupting transportation and requiring significant repairs.

The Chile Earthquake of 1960.

The Chile Earthquake of 1960, also called the Valdivia Earthquake, is the largest recorded earthquake of the 20th period. As the name suggests, this earthquake started on the southern coast of Chile, Valdivia on May 22nd 1960. This earthquake was so devastating that it lost the lives and homes of many, also generating tsunamis that would hit across the Pacific to Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. Today, we are going to go into a deep dive into the social, economic, and environmental aspects to compare and contrast them with the Christchurch 2011 earthquakes.

Economic Damage

The damages that it made to Chile were devastating. Different sources state that there is an estimate of the budget that ranges from US$400 million to $800 million. Including inflation over the years, it would be 4.1 billion to 8.2 billion as of 2023. Converted into New Zealand Dollars, that ranges from roughly 6.9 billion to 13.7 billion. This quake left circa two million people homeless which was (at that time) one-quarter of the nation. The Chilean government has estimated that over 58,000 were completely torn apart and destroyed. Though the earthquake only lasted 10-11 minutes, it still managed to have a domino effect; creating a tsunami.

In Hawaii, the tsunami took the lives of 61 people (mostly located in Hilo) and caused 75 million dollars (USD) in damages. In Japan, it was on Honshu Island a day after the earthquake happened. But still destroyed 1600 homes and left 140-185 dead or missing. Lastly, in the Philippines, there were 32 people dead or missing after hitting the many islands.

Social Changes

There were a myriad of social changes that happened in Chile due to this devastating earthquake. Of course, the earthquake was named after the city that was sadly affected the most. Homelessness and deaths also tie in with social changes, none positive in this case. Homes were stripped away from innocent families in front of their eyes in a mere 10 minutes. The political aspect of this is that the people of Valdivia needed a huge change to ensure housing and safety; ramifications. This is when they elected the first socialist president, Salvador Allende during a democratic election. They needed this because they desperately needed the change to help everyone, especially the working class, rural farmers and indigenous people. Unfortunately, it took over a decade for all problems to be resolved significantly. The efforts of the government to try to help others led more of the rural population to seek shelter and work in the city, which is a big change for those who live in rural areas.

Indigenous groups like the Lafkenche (subgroup Mapuche) are most of the indigenous people of Chile. In Lafkenche it translates to ‘the people of the coast’. Regrettably, they have suffered from health inequalities, infant mortality, women’s health, and mental health and have a much lower mortality rate. After the quake, this has been nothing but devastating as they only thrived on small amounts of agriculture enough for them and their families.

Environmental Damages

This massive earthquake helped the sea levels from the deglaciations that were already starting to deteriorate 2000 years ago due to a separate earthquake. The coastal level however dropped a staggering two metres which caused permanent flooding on land. Unfortunately, this has created a permanent connection to the sea through drainage waterways. The ground even began to sink due to the earthquake which is called subsidence, this then produced its own local flooding as well. 

 As stated previously, the Indigenous people of Chile often get the short side of the stick, having less help from the communities around them due to discrimination. There was also a lot of debris from fallen homes, shelters and other miscellaneous items being picked up by the wind and thrown around. The consequences are a rise in littering and the sheer amount of trash around. Trees and other materials have been used to try and rebuild the city of Valdivia even the residents of Valdivia tried making shelters of what was left of their homes or what was left of the city. Agriculture was also interrupted for those who grew their plants and raised their animals. 

 

Contrast

The difference between the two is because of the severity of the earthquake. The people of Valdivia started to take more drastic measures because of the drastic earthquake which caused political movements. These movements included the government trying to fix the rise in unemployment, the loss of homes, the rebuilding of Valdivia and the support of the people in rural areas. Christchurch however, was the community coming together and helping each other through these tough times.

The prime minister at the time had stated:
“My message would be that I don’t think anyone should feel any sort of pressure to no longer feel how acute it was or to move on, if people are still experiencing the trauma, that is completely natural and understandable and I hope we put aside that kiwi stoic nature.”

Christchurch had bounced back in three days with 75% of electricity coming back into surviving homes.

Unfortunately for Chile, it took them over a decade to recover from this earthquake. They had to apply to the U. S. State Department for assistance during late May. Then a new socialist president came into play after the quake. 

President Obama had heard the Chilean government and responded with his condolences and urged those on the coasts to be safe and follow instructions. He had also stated the following:

“Once again, we’ve been reminded of the awful devastation that can come at a moment’s notice.  We can’t control nature, but we can and must be prepared for disaster when it strikes.  In the hours ahead, we’ll continue to take every step possible to prepare our shores and protect our citizens.  And we will stand with the people of Chile as they recover from this tragedy.”

Because of the population and the severity of the Earthquake, Chile suffered more. But that doesn’t mean that the lives that have been lost aren’t little. Whenever an earthquake occurs in the classroom, get under a table, protect your head and follow said instructions.

Bibliography

Chile Report References:

National Centers for Environmental Information. (n.d.). 1960 Chilean earthquake and tsunami. Retrieved from https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/hazard/22may1960.html#:~:text=On%20May%2022%2C%201960%20a,%2C%20Japan%2C%20and%20the%20Philippines.

Britannica. (n.d.). Chile earthquake of 1960. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/event/Chile-earthquake-of-1960

National Geographic Education. (n.d.). Valdivia earthquake strikes Chile. Retrieved from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/valdivia-earthquake-strikes-chile/

National Geographic. (2019, April 18). Chile earthquake of 1960. [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyPH0JRahNU

U.S. Geological Survey. (n.d.). 1960 Valdivia earthquake. Retrieved from https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official19600522191120_30/impact

Sweeney, J. (2017). The 1960 Valdivia earthquakes: An analysis of the impact on Chile and its political landscape. ShareOK. Retrieved from https://shareok.org/handle/11244/335600#:~:text=The%201960%20Valdivia%20earthquakes%20set,Allende%20in%20a%20democratic%20election.

National Centers for Environmental Information. (2020, May 22). Day of the 1960 Chilean earthquake and tsunami. Retrieved from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-1960-chilean-earthquake-and-tsunami#:~:text=The%20Chilean%20government%20estimated%20that,than%20%24550%20million%20U.S.%20dollars.

Wikipedia. (2023, October 1). 1960 Valdivia earthquake. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1960_Valdivia_earthquake#:~:text=Different%20sources%20have%20estimated%20the,2023%2C%20adjusted%20for%20inflation).

Akinwande, A., & Eberhard, M. (2017). Impact of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake on the physical environment. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 474, 164-173. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420917300468#:~:text=Indeed%2C%20the%201960%20Valdivia%20earthquake,to%20its%20further%20salinization%20%5B16

National Centers for Environmental Information. (2020, May 22). The sinking of the ground due to the 1960 Chilean earthquake. Retrieved from https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-1960-chilean-earthquake-and-tsunami#:~:text=Sinking%20of%20the%20ground%20due,of%20the%20affected%20areas%20obsolete.

 

Contrast References:

The White House. (2010). Remarks by the President on the earthquake in Chile. Retrieved from https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/realitycheck/the-press-office/remarks-president-earthquake-chile

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. (1960). Annual report: Chile disaster relief. Retrieved from https://achh.army.mil/history/book-annualrpt1960-chiledisasterrelief

Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. (n.d.). Historic earthquakes: Christchurch’s central business district. Retrieved from https://teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/page-13#:~:text=Christchurch’s%20central%20business%20district%20remained,some%20areas%20affected%20by%20liquefaction.

New Zealand Herald. (2021). Christchurch 2011 earthquake: What Sir John Key saw behind his darkest hour. Retrieved from https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/christchurch-2011-earthquake-what-sir-john-key-saw-behind-his-darkest-hour-speech-pm-speaks-to-newstalk-zbs-chris-lynch/A2Z2OG7MMAIVA2SLPP4WF4TE7I/

 

31.10.24

Haro// Longitude & Latitude

31.10.24

Ruku// The Human Impact on Rainforests

Introduction, The Rainforest.

The rainforest is a lush environment filled with many unique and beautiful plants and animals. Usually, the rainforest lies on the equator or near the equator due to its warm climate, causing plants to thrive. This ties into the order of life in the rainforest. The plants gain nutrients from the sun, herbivorous animals gain nutrients from the plants and carnivorous animals gain their nutrients from animals. This creates a food chain to keep the ecosystem thriving. 

It’s important that we keep the ecosystem afloat to not endanger the biomass in the ecosystem, e.g the plants and animals. 

Human Interaction with the Rainforest.

For thousands of years, humans have been using farming and or gathering as a form of forging for food so they too can thrive. From 500 thousand years ago, when the first spear was made, humans have always been on their feet in order to survive. Whether it’d be through, spearing fish from bodies of water, forging for plants or vegetables and even hunting animals in a group. During this time, they’d only hunt for themselves and their families. As of today, large corporations gather these things to make a profit and feed others or supplement other products. This is how humans survive now and have been for decades.

The Positive and Negatives to the Ecosystem & Humans

Effects on Humans

Tying into what I’ve stated, to humans the positive is having food on their plates and having their resources to continue their comfortable daily lives. The negative impact to humans however is the amount of waste that comes into these products. 

For example, large corporations have to market their chocolate that comes from coca plants. In order to market them, they have to make them look appealing. We use plastic to slap their brand over the chocolate as well as provide details. 

The plastic waste that could come from this corporation’s products can feed into pollution due to the plastic not being handled. Even so, corporations push out more products because of supply and demand.

Effects on the Environment

Pollution is one of the most long-standing roadblocks when it comes to ecosystems. With the greediness of corporations and the unknowing audiences, it can make it difficult to shed light on devastating issues such as deforestation. Deforestation is popular in power plants to rip down trees and burn them to create energy. Mass paper industries also are detrimental to the rainforests. Just paper and miscellaneous paper waste alone is roughly 1.4 billion trees to 8 billion.

Rising threats of the rainforest due to human interaction include:

• Trees being used for flooring and furniture etc.
• Power plants using trees to create electricity via combustion
• The supply and demand for paper
• Agriculture uses more specifically the soy business
• Cattle industry and farmers using the slash-and-burn method
• The government building more houses, roads etc.
• Mining industries
• The use of hydroelectric energy that floods large parts of the rainforest

Solutions

The most popular solution that helps us humans and the environment to survive is Land Rotation. Land Rotation is a style of farming that farmers use to plant different crops on the same plot of land to improve soil fertility. This also levels out the nutrients in soil, fights pests and other things that appear in the soil.

Land rotation is better for the environment because it betters the water efficiency by ramping up the amount of organic matter in soil. This improves soil structure and water-holding capacity. It’s also great when battling droughts due to the moisture reaching deep soil layers for plants to use during a drought.

This also helps the natural features of the land regrow after farmers use a section of the land; preserving their biodiversity. Preserving biodiversity is especially critical due to the amount of negatives humanity has brought. It’s important we learn from our mistakes to hopefully save what is endangered or on the brink of endangerment.

References:

EOS. (n.d.). Crop rotation: Benefits and practices. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://eos.com/blog/crop-rotation

Rodale Institute. (n.d.). Crop rotations. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://rodaleinstitute.org/why-organic/organic-farming-practices/crop-rotations

National Geographic. (2023, January 15). Amazing crop rotation techniques [Video]. YouTube. What Are Ecosystems? Crash Course Geography #15

8 Billion Trees. (n.d.). How many trees are cut down each year for paper? Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://8billiontrees.com/trees/how-many-trees-are-cut-down-each-year-for-paper/

National Geographic. (n.d.). Rainforest threats. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/rainforest-threats

8.11.24

Ruku// Human Impact & Solutions

Nitrate Pollution; Impacts & Solutions

Report by: Miles R. Flight

What is Nitrate Pollution? 

Nitrate pollution/contamination is nitrate being introduced into surface water and groundwater. This travels through the soil and leaks into water supplies e.g. desalination to create safe drinking water. You cannot see, taste or smell nitrate in the water. Nitrogen is regulated in most parts of major cities and towns. In rural areas, however, it is the opposite. The reason is that nitrate helps in the agriculture sense, because it has Nitrogen in it, creating extra nutrients that are good for plant growth. Nitrate is a chemical compound made up of Nitrogen and Oxygen (NO3). Nitrogen (N) is the most vital part of a plant’s growth. Nitrogen already occurs naturally in soil, but with the help of humans, they can add more. This is called the Nitrogen Fixation Process.

Expanding on the pollution aspect, it is the excess of nitrate being in contact with normal water. As I’ve previously mentioned, it is regulated in major towns and cities because of their way of management. Since rural areas are more spread out and less of the population is made up of rural migrants, they have less management. Rural areas usually use bores. Bores are groundwater that is obtained via a drill that pumps the water up and through pipes to its goal. This has little to no filtration, therefore people who drink out of bores can drink water with high amounts of nitrate.

Usually, areas with large populations of dairy cows can be a major spot for high nitrate concentration. 63% of New Zealand’s synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is used by the dairy industry alone. This is because it helps larger amounts of grass to grow to feed cows, and cow excretion can leach into groundwater. Places that have a large dairy concentration are Canterbury, Waikato and Southland.

80% of Kiwis drink tap water that is 1.0mg/L or even less nitrate. The higher the nitrate concentrations in water you consume, the bigger the impact on your health. 

How it affects the environment and Us; Positives & Negatives

HUMAN IMPACTS

Other than creating more money from agriculture, there are mostly negative impacts on humans. Research shows that a myriad of diseases can spawn through nitrate pollution alone. Examples of some diseases are:

• • Various types of Cancer
    • Esophageal Cancer

• Gastric Cancer (most common)

• • Bowel & Bladder Cancer
  • Testicular Cancer
  • Colorectal 
  • Kidney Cancer
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Breast & Ovarian Cancer
• Methemoglobinemia (Blue Baby Syndrome)
• Complications in development (foetal growth restriction)
• Reduced birth weight & Miscarriages
• Birth defects
• Death in babies and comas
• Sepsis
• Metabolic Problems
  • Anaemia
  • Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase deficiency

How nitrate can affect us in the more infamous sense is that blood starts to struggle to carry oxygen through our body. Nitrate can convert to nitrogen oxide, which helps relax and widen your blood vessels, lowering your blood pressure. There are positives of nitrate oxide, but only if they’re natural.  Adults are also prone to increased heart rate, nausea, headaches and abdominal pain/cramps. New Zealand has one of the highest rates of bowel cancer in the world primarily due to nitrate pollution. 

In babies and small children, it can be detrimental to their health. Babies under 6 months who are still being bottle-fed can develop a higher risk of methemoglobinemia, also called Blue Baby Syndrome. The reason why babies turn blue is because there isn’t enough oxygen in their blood. Unfortunately, this can result in serious injury to death. You see, nitrate in water absorbs into the blood which also absorbs the oxygen.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Things such as excess weed growth and algal blooms can occur because of the excess nutrients that nitrate gives. An algal bloom is where algae grows in large quantities. This can affect the fish as well in terms of blocking out sunlight and clogging fish gills. Another way that nitrate pollution can affect aquatic life is the rise in toxicity in bodies of water that affects fish and invertebrates. The food chain is like a set of dominos, if one falls because of things such as pollution, then the whole thing falls. 

Nitrate pollution can also change a plant’s characteristics. It can cause seasonal fluctuations, changes in climate and changes in the environment in terms of soil properties. Of course, nitrate travels through water and the soil, reaching bodies of water for fish and humans. The cycle continues. But is there a way to stop or regulate this? 

A Solution to Nitrate Pollution

One of the main ideas that New Zealand has is called regenerative agriculture. Regenerative Agriculture also goes by “agroecology” or “ecological farming”. Regenerative agriculture is a MO to land management and also a philosophy. It’s a holistic approach to farming that helps people, farming and ranching processes too. 

It mainly restores soil and the health of the ecosystem to the point where it leaves the land and bodies of water in a better climate to stay in shape for however many years. Many indigenous communities have farmed this way to keep the land for the next generations to come. The ecosystem is a web of things so it’s important we keep it all equal to ensure the strength of these webs. 

Industrial agriculture systems is a popular way that western food is produced. Nitrate pollutants come under this because it chemically fertilises the crops. Less uses of Industrial Agriculture can increase the longevity of land without us consuming Nitrate. Changing our ways of agriculture can also limit the human-related emissions we create. Human-related emissions include:

• Water Pollution
  • Nitrate Pollution
• Air pollution
• Antibiotic Resistance
• Pesticide Toxicity

Surprisingly, Industrial Agriculture in the meat and dairy subgenre creates roughly 60% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

“Manaaki whenua, manaaki tangata, haere whakamua.”

“Care for the land, care for the people, go forward.”

Citations/References:

Greenpeace. (n.d.). Know your nitrate. Greenpeace. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://maps.greenpeace.org/maps/aotearoa/know-your-nitrate/

Greenpeace. (n.d.). Nitrate contamination in drinking water: What you need to know and some frequently asked questions. Greenpeace. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/freshwater/nitrate-contamination-in-drinking-water-what-you-need-to-know-and-some-frequently-asked-questions/

Water Education Foundation. (n.d.). Nitrate contamination. Water Education Foundation. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/nitrate-contamination#:~:text=Nitrate%20Contamination%20Overview,plants%2C%20dairies%20and%20natural%20conditions.

PubMed Central. (2020). Nitrate and nitrite exposure and their impact on human health. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8623930/

Watercare. (n.d.). Bores: Alternative water solutions. Watercare. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.watercare.co.nz/home/about-us/what-we-do/alternative-water-solutions/bores

Minnesota Department of Health. (n.d.). Nitrate in drinking water. Minnesota Department of Health. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/nitrate.html#:~:text=The%20following%20conditions%20may%20also,deficiency%2C%20and%20other%20metabolic%20problems.

National Cancer Institute. (2022, September 13). Nitrate and nitrite exposure and cancer risk. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://progressreport.cancer.gov/prevention/chemical_exposures/nitrate#:~:text=Studies%20have%20shown%20increased%20risks,results%20in%20increased%20NOC%20formation.

Healthline. (2021, February 9). Are nitrates and nitrites harmful? Healthline. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful#bottom-line

Minnesota Department of Health. (n.d.). Nitrate in drinking water. Minnesota Department of Health. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/environment/water/contaminants/nitrate.html#:~:text=Only%20recently%20has%20scientific%20evidence,%2C%20headaches%2C%20and%20abdominal%20cramps.

WebMD. (n.d.). Nitric oxide and its role in health. WebMD. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/healthy-foods-nitric-oxide

Environmeny Canterbury. (2019, October 2). Nitrate in waterways: What’s the story? Environment Canterbury. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.ecan.govt.nz/get-involved/news-and-events/2019/nitrate-in-waterways-whats-the-story/#:~:text=When%20the%20soil%20contains%20more,toxicity%20for%20fish%20and%20invertebrates.

Harten, P., & Bie, L. (2017). Sustainable water management: Addressing the global challenges of nitrate contamination. In T. Zhang (Ed.), Water Sustainability and Climate Change (pp. 123-141). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-34451-5_6

The Humane League. (n.d.). Industrial agriculture and its impact. The Humane League. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://thehumaneleague.org/article/industrial-agriculture#:~:text=Industrial%20agriculture%20is%20a%20leading,antibiotic%20resistance%20and%20pesticide%20toxicity.

Greenpeace. (n.d.). What is regenerative agriculture? Greenpeace. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.greenpeace.org/aotearoa/story/what-is-regenerative-agriculture/

Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). (n.d.). Industrial agriculture 101. NRDC. Retrieved November 8, 2024, from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/industrial-agriculture-101

 

24.07.24

Ruku/Legend – Political & Social Impacts of Berlin 1936 Olympic Games.

The Berlin 1936 games were one of the most significant games to take place in Olympic history. The reason why this was such an important event is because it was held in Berlin, Germany. Nazi Germany. 

Nazi Germany merely used the 1936 games to promote how much ‘better’/’peaceful’ Germany was. They presented themselves as a much stronger and more united nation. As they were doing that, however, they were hiding actual morals against Jews, Roma (Romani/gypsies) and other Minorities. 

However, Germany’s at the time Anti-Semetic views were caught on. This then led the U.S., Great Britain, France and more to attempt to boycott the Olympics. However, in the U.S. some African-American athletes saw it as unfair and hypocritical.  How could the U.S. boycott for altruistic reasons while there was still racial injustice in the U.S.? In the end, however, the boycott failed and the games went on.

After the 200-metre dash, Hitler congratulated all athletes, except for the U.S. contender Jesse Owens, a four-gold medalist. Instead, Hitler had given the cold shoulder to Owen. To make things worse, the US president at the time, Franklin D. Roosevelt, failed to speak and interact with Black Athletes after the Olympics which proved the hypocrisy. African Americans were not a part of the traditional process of being invited to the White House to receive praise.

 

As Owens noted, “Hitler didn’t snub me. It was (Roosevelt) who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”

 

Obama Rights Historic Racial Wrong For Olympic Heroes

OWENS DOMINATES THE GAME

 

Not only Owen’s but many more Jewish and African Americans played. Not only for their country but also to challenge the Nazi regime’s racist ideology. After the games were concluded, the true colours of Germany began to shine more. The mistreatment of minorities worsened and their expansionist policies escalated, therefore leading to World War II & the Holocaust. 

In conclusion, the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics had layers and layers of Nazi Propaganda and Racist Ideology. But it also served as a stage to challenge the immoral values of Nazi Germany, which had lasting consequences in the years that followed.

REF: Abraham Lincon Library & Museum, Holocaust Encyclopedia

30.07.24

Ruku/Legend – Significance of an Olympic Symbol – The Flag.

30.07.24

Ruku/Legend – Analysing the Inclusion & Exclusion of Sports- Skateboarding & Boxing.

31.07.24

Ruku/Legend – Evaluating the impact of an athlete’s achievements- James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens.

Introduction/About

Jesse Owens was an African American four gold medalist in the 1939 Olympic Games. The controversy of this particular game was because it was hosted in Berlin, Nazi Germany. He was born in Oakville, Alabama in 1913 and passed away in 1980. He was also the Grandson of a slave and came from a poor family.

Achievements

Owens won four medals for a 100-meter run in which he put an Olympic world record at 10.3 seconds. Secondly, was for the 200-meter run in which he placed a world record for 20.7 seconds. There was the long jump and he jumped 8.06 meters. Lastly, the 4 × 100-meter relay, which was timed at  39.8 seconds. 

Owens also being an African American during this time and place, was also empowering. When Adolf Hitler publicly shut down Owens after congratulating other athletes, Gemany’s racist ideology showed through. He had ‘snubbed’ Owens, because of the colour of his skin.

 

“To a sprinter, the hundred-yard dash is over in three seconds, not nine or ten. The first ‘second’ is when you come out of the blocks. The next is when you look up and take your first few strides to attain gain position. By that time the race is actually about half over. The final ‘second’ – the longest slice of time in the world for an athlete – is that last half of the race, when you really bear down and see what you’re made of. It seems to take an eternity, yet is all over before you can think what’s happening.” – JESSE OWENS DESCRIBES THE STAGES OF THE 100-YARD DASH.

Impacts on Sport & Society

Because of Owen’s amazing performance during the game, he was crowned as the Fastest man in the World but in 2007 he was replaced by Usain Bolt. In only 45 minutes during his time in the Olympics, he set

world and Olympic records and even broke some. Although Hitler wasn’t fond of him because of his colour, he still won the hearts of many Germans. Back home in Alabama however, many smiled and congratulated him. There were murals dedicated to him, he even had his own Memorial in his hometown of Oakville, Alabama. He was even named the ‘American Hero’. Not only that but there was a movie dedicated to him called ‘Race’ (2016) directed by Stephen Hopkins. Many African Americans felt a sense of pride seeing how far Owens went. All the hardships he went through were truly an inspiring story.

REFERENCE(S): Digital History, Library of Congress [MURAL], Library of Congress [Memorial], Rediscovering Black History,  Olympics, jesseowens.com, Britannica

 

 

 

2.08.24

Ruku/Legend – The Impact on the Munich Olympics.

The Munich Olympics Essay

Essay Written by: Miles F

Introduction

The Munich Olympics was held in 1972, from the 5th of September to the 6th of September.  This event was meant to signal all countries to unite and compete against each other, but instead, it turned into a target for Black September.

The Massacre

The Olympics unfortunately started with a devastating terrorist attack (the perpetrators being Black September) that led to the kidnapping and deaths of Eleven Israeli athletes and coaches. Because of the unfortunate events, this Olympics was titled the ‘First live broadcast of terror’. Black September targeted the Olympics because it was a lot of factors in major sporting events that made them an appealing target for terrorism. The amount of terrorists who use that safe leg-up usually has similar morals and values. Another reason why they target major sporting events, especially a global stage gives a definite maxim publicity. The reason why I’m stating this is because they used the publicity Olympics as an upper hand to share a message and to shake fear and damage into others. 

Unfortunately, things escalated to the airport in Fürstenfeldbruck and it took the lives of an officer at the scene.

Black September منظمة أيلول الأسود

Black September is a Palestinian militant organisation that has been infamous for assassinations and terrorist plots. Unfortunately, their most publicized event was the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Their most active regions would be in Europe and the Middle East area. Fortunately,  the dates of operations only lasted from September 1970 until an estimate of 1988. During the massacre, they wore masks and carried assault rifles.

Plots & Threats before the Olympics

Black September has already made many, many threats to terrorize Europe. For example, less than a month before they attacked a consent hall outside of Moscow, taking the lives of 145 people and they planned to spread their violence out more.  Europol noted 14 Islamic plots in 2020, eleven in 2021 and six in 2022. In late April, a 16-year-old male announced on social media that he wanted to die a martyr at the Olympics.

The Impact of the Boycott

Before the games unfolded, IOC president at the time Avery Brundafe insisted that the games go on, saying ‘The Games must be held.’ This had a massive impact on the Olympic movement itself. The foundation of the Olympics was meant to be about peace, unity and international cooperation. But also Boycotting the Olympics would have an impact since it’s driving away from ‘unity’. 

For all athletes competing, the Olympics represents the core of their present or future sporting careers. A boycott would’ve taken the chance away from those athletes who might only get to participate that year. People who dedicated their lives to training would’ve been drained emotionally and physically. A noble thing that happened during this time of the boycott was that the U.S. men’s Basketball team refused to accept their silver medals. 

The Munich Massacre managed to even make movies such as: ‘One Day in September’ (1999) Directed by Kevin Macdonald and Munich’ (2005) Director Steven Spielberg.‘

Conclusion

This certain Olympic game was truly a devastating one. It not only impacted international sports and relations but also the principles behind why the Olympics were invented in the first place.. ‘Peace, Unity and International Cooperation’, where was that all that time?

REFERENCE(S): History . Com, ICCT, NY Times, Britannica, Britannica [Black September]