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We had a fun and informative talk with the students of Pimlico State High School in Queensland, Australia. I have always been interested in their country, so I was really looking forward to being able to talk and learn from them. They had so much to share about their country and it was fun to hear about everything they had to share.
The issue they talked about was the unconventional gas exploration in the state of Victoria, which was something that I was not aware about at all before hearing it from them. It was an issue identified to be a serious threat to their climate. Victoria, in particular, is producing a bigger amount of this than the rest of Australia. The production of unconventional gas can lead to so many problems both short and long term. It can affect the environment, as well as the lives of people. I can see how concerned the students of Pimlico State State High School were, and we, the students of St. Joseph's Academy, became just as concerned after hearing their presentation.
We talked about the dolomite dumping in Manila Bay, an activity that is part of the beautification of the bay. Aside from how untimely this project was executed and the insane amount of money used, this project is not sustainable and can be a big threat to marine life in the bay. The dust of the dolomite can also badly effect the health of a person when inhaled. From the various climate issues that our country faces, we chose this one in particular because it seemed not well thought of by the officials.
The good thing that happened to both parties was that the government has responded to the issues and took action. The Victorian Government introduced the legislation to permanently ban the unconventional gas exploration and development, while the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines has suspended two mining companies in Cebu where the dolomite dumped in Manila Bay came from, and both have acknowledged the need to make more people aware of the consequences of these issues to their country, as well as around the world.
On a different note, I really enjoyed the time we had with them. They are lovely and amazing people and we look forward to interacting with them again! Thanks so much, Pimlico State High School!
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2 Comment(s)
Hey Ana!!
Its so great to hear that you enjoyed the conference with us! It was so great to meet you and listen to all you ideas, I had so much fun. I learnt so much about the effects of dolomite sand, thankyou so much to sharing your thoughts and passion for putting an end to that project.
Hope to hear from you again!
Bella- Townsville, Australia
Hello Ana!
It's really cool to hear what you thought about our presentation and national case study issue. It is really crazy to think that you guys in the Philippines are still in lockdown, we got out of isolation in May and returned to school soon after. I am proud to say that I also signed the petition to remove the dolomite sand to restore Manila Bay back to its original state. We have mangroves everywhere in Australia, they act as a good barrier against cyclones (typhoons) and storm surge.
I hope to hear from you again!!
- Sofia :)
Isabella Hockaday
Nov 12, 2020