Tertiary Catalogue

Nuclear energy generates massive amounts of electricity but also produces highly dangerous radioactive waste. This clip explains waste production in reactors, its treatment and containment and how technology continues to improve safety around nuclear fission. It also explores reprocessing of waste and summarises the costs and benefits of nuclear power generation. Show Less

Nuclear reactors contain radioactive fuel that undergoes fission, producing immense heat that drives turbines. Globally, about 10 per cent of electricity is generated this way. This clip details what happens inside a reactor, nuclear fuel and its processing, how reactions are contained and how the heat generates power. It provides a clear explanation of nuclear power generation for middle to senior secondary students of science/physics. Show Less

Understanding how nuclear fission produces such vast quantities of energy starts with unimaginably tiny sub-atomic particles. This clip details how fission occurs in radioactive nuclei to release energy. It also explores why the amount of energy generated when nuclei split is so great, using Einstein’s equation: E = mc2. Aimed at middle to senior secondary students of science/physics, this resource will assist in gaining a clear understanding of nuclear fission. Show Less

The energy produced by nuclear fusion powers stars like our own Sun. This clip examines nuclear fusion, including what occurs at the sub-atomic level and why the energy released by fusion is vastly greater than in nuclear fission. Einstein’s equation, E = mc2 is used to calculate specific energy quantities. Senior secondary students of chemistry and physics will find this a valuable resource. Show Less

Everyone likes to visit the beach. But for living things a beach represents one of the toughest environments on earth. Beaches are in constant flux, hammered by waves and wind and extremes of temperature, sometimes submerged and sometimes dry. Beach erosion threatens human activities too. This program looks at many aspects of beaches, from the life in the littoral zone to the basic geology of beaches. Show Less

We all know that throwing rubbish on the ground is littering, so why is letting a balloon float away seen as something different? "Rubber Jellyfish" explores the effects of helium balloons on the environment, wildlife, and human beings. Carly Wilson sets out on a personal journey to meet key players on all sides in the fight to ban balloons, and exposes the confronting truth behind our favourite party product. As she travels around Australia seeking to understand the science and various points of view, Carly discovers a range of issues, from the heartbreaking impact on sea turtles to the potentially deadly effect of helium on children. Her journey takes her from littered beaches to the capital, as she speaks to activists, businesses, and politicians to find out why the balloon problem is being ignored and if something can be done. Show Less

Estuaries… many of us live on or near an estuary and maybe use it for boating or fishing or swimming, or even just for the view. Estuaries are often at the heart of coastal cities. But what’s their story? What’s happening under the water and why are our estuaries increasingly threatened? This programme defines what an estuary is, explains where they are found, and describes the ways that they are formed. It also includes a case study of a typical estuary and how tidal flow, salt water wedging, seasonal change, human use and pollution are effecting it. Show Less

Australia is home to one of the world’s largest, most complex and amazing ecosystems – the Great Barrier Reef. This video explores the reef’s biotic and abiotic features, including coral formation and how changes in abiotic factors affect it; the food chain, nutrient cycle and carbon cycle; and the impact of human activity. It is an excellent resource for middle/senior students of Geography, Biology and Environmental Science. Show Less

The future of the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most significant marine environments, is under threat due to modern industry and agriculture. Featuring interviews with reef experts, including the director of the GBR Marine Park Authority, accredited reef divers and a Reef Guardians cane farmer, this programme presents an outstanding case study of environmental management for middle/senior secondary students. Show Less

A story of struggle and tragedy, 'Blood on the Coal' features harrowing underground disasters, heroic rescues and traces a history of strikes, industrial turmoil and the current push by global mining giants to destroy regional communities and replace local mineworkers with a subservient itinerant workforce. The film underscores the ongoing values of mateship, community spirit and unity in the face of powerful opposing forces. 'Blood on the Coal' puts injustice on the record, bears witness to the human cost of mining and reveals how ordinary workers and their families pay the ultimate price for corporate greed and government neglect. Show Less

A group of passionate and adventurous young people leave their known worlds behind to spend 100 days in the jungles of Borneo. Their mission: saving rainforests and endangered orangutans. But time is running out and the odds are against them. Jojo, an orphaned baby orangutan, is entrusted in their care and they must find a way to return her to her forest home. Their challenges include building an orangutan rehabilitation centre, introducing a satellite monitoring system called Earthwatchers, replanting a forest and building a global support network. This is a story about what it takes to be an eco-warrior, an individual willing to step up and take action to avert a global catastrophe. For them, every individual matters, every action counts. Show Less

In the solar system only earth has life, and clearly that has been made possible because we have oceans of liquid water. But why only on earth? And what are the factors that have made earth’s oceans hospitable to life? If you set up an aquarium you will have to confront some of these issues, because an aquarium has to replicate these factors or everything in it will die. Water temperature, water retention, circulation, oxygenation, temperature stability and maintaining a food chain are the main ones. We set them up artificially in an aquarium, but an aquarium is in fact a microcosm of nature. So how does nature achieve these things? This film looks at a very big picture - the big parameters of life in the sea. We explain why earth is so incredibly lucky that all the factors have come together to support life here. We also mention how they have faltered in the past and so caused extinction events and how, indeed, we should take nothing for granted for the future. Show Less

Use this fantastic video resource to encourage students to judge whether or not climate change will impact upon people differently around the world. The impacts of climate change can be quite hard to see in the UK, but as engaging footage from the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, Africa, the Alps, Bangladesh, India and China shows, it’s all too much of a reality for the poorest and most vulnerable. This resource also provides clear explanations of the processes that can cause climate change and gets students engaged in the debate about the extent to which these are caused naturally or are the result of human activity. Show Less

Filmed in the honeypot site of Chamonix in the Alps, this programme looks at the social, economic and environmental opportunities and challenges facing the region. The resource explores the variety of activities in the area, including tourism, HEP and farming. It examines their impact, the conflicts that arise between them and how they can be sustainably managed within the context of a fragile environment. Examples of eco-tourism are provided and the risk from avalanches is assessed. Show Less

National Parks conserve the natural beauty of a region: unique landscapes, flora and fauna for present and future generations. But what qualifies as a National Park? In this documentary style programme we look at Yellowstone, The Lake District and Kakadu National Parks and the challenges they face. It provides a brief history of the National Park movement, the growth of tourism and its impact, the conflicts between recreation and conservation, mining and conservation, environmental and economic needs as well as various interest groups including local and indigenous communities living in National Parks. Ideal for middle and senior secondary to TAFE in geography, environmental and cultural studies, this visually stunning programme highlights the many and varied challenges facing National Parks. Show Less

National Parks conserve the natural beauty of a region: unique landscapes, flora and fauna for present and future generations. But what qualifies as a National Park? In this documentary style programme we look at Yellowstone, The Lake District and Kakadu National Parks and the challenges they face. It provides a brief history of the National Park movement, the growth of tourism and its impact, the conflicts between recreation and conservation, mining and conservation, environmental and economic needs as well as various interest groups including local and indigenous communities living in National Parks. Ideal for middle and senior secondary to TAFE in geography, environmental and cultural studies, this visually stunning programme highlights the many and varied challenges facing National Parks. Show Less

National Parks conserve the natural beauty of a region: unique landscapes, flora and fauna for present and future generations. But what qualifies as a National Park? In this documentary style programme we look at Yellowstone, The Lake District and Kakadu National Parks and the challenges they face. It provides a brief history of the National Park movement, the growth of tourism and its impact, the conflicts between recreation and conservation, mining and conservation, environmental and economic needs as well as various interest groups including local and indigenous communities living in National Parks. Ideal for middle and senior secondary to TAFE in geography, environmental and cultural studies, this visually stunning programme highlights the many and varied challenges facing National Parks. Show Less

The continuously moving nitrogen cycle is essential to life on earth. Found in the cells of all living things, it is also the most common gas in our atmosphere. This motion-graphics based clip looks at how nitrogen is removed from the atmosphere, changed into a form that plants can absorb, is passed up the food chain, and returned to the atmosphere. Show Less

The carbon cycle has played a critical role in the history of our planet. Found everywhere on earth, in the oceans and the atmosphere, carbon is also crucial to the life of animals, plants and bacteria. This motion-graphics based clip outlines the carbon cycle. It explains how carbon is removed from the atmosphere, transferred from one organism to another, and returned to the atmosphere. Show Less

The town of Bega, on the south coast of NSW are working to transform their town into a sustainable community. Through the work of "Clean Energy for Eternity", the program follows Dr Matthew Nott as he charts their journey into solar PV, windpower and the local council's exploration of tidal energy. This program provides a useful case study on environmental sustainability for senior geography students. Show Less

Chemical analysis is integral to modern society. The testing of consumer goods, industrial products and food relies upon a number of different techniques. This program will investigate the analytical techniques of chromatography, mass spectrometry and spectroscopy. This program will address the theory behind how a range of analytical techniques work and how the data produced by these techniques is interpreted. Specific examples will be used to demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative applications of chromatography, mass spectrometry, flame testing, atomic absorption spectrometry, infrared spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Show Less

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for all plant and animal life inhabiting the earth, including marine and fresh water environments. The key steps of the phosphorus cycle: weathering and erosion of phosphorus rich rock; how phosphates move into and up the food chain; and through sedimentation, turn back into solid form, are explained in this motion-graphics based clip. Show Less

When scientists search for life on other planets, the first thing they look for is the presence of water. On Earth, water exists naturally in solid, liquid and gas states, and is essential to all forms of life. This motion-graphics based clip takes the viewer through the keys stages of the water cycle including: evaporation and transpiration; condensation, precipitation, and surface run-off. Show Less

Water is one of our planet's most important substances. It sustains all living organisms and enables many crucial biological, chemical and physical processes to occur. This motion-graphics based clip explains the processes involved in the water cycle including: evaporation, transpiration and sublimation; condensation and precipitation; infiltration and percolation; surface run-off; and plant uptake. Show Less

Floods can cause enormous devastation that has lasting social, psychological, economic and environmental impacts on a community. Flooding can also be a seasonal weather event that helps sustain life across many ecosystems. In this interview led program we look at: the causes and consequences of flooding; the 2005 flood event in Carlisle, UK; the 2011 flood event in Queensland, Australia; the impact of climate change; and flood management and mitigation alternatives. We talk with engineers, including an environmental engineer, hydrologists, a senior advisor for emergency risk management, and the Chief Executive of the Carlisle City Council. Ideal for middle and senior secondary to TAFE in geography, engineering and environmental studies, it is a fascinating exploration of the wide ranging impact a natural hazard can have. Show Less