The Changes in our ocean

The changes in our ocean are not changes, their problems that we need to change. 

Every day millions of people rely on fish for food and good nutrition. When people take too much fish out of the ocean it creates problems. Lot’s of species go extinct from overfishing. The population is too small so they cannot breed which sadly leads to extinction. Huge big fishing trailers Scrape at the ocean floor getting hundreds and hundreds of fish to sell at huge fishing markets. When this happens it wrecks the coral reefs and ocean floor. 

Even though plastic has done great things for us it has also done bad. We have made lots of inventions with plastic but it is very harmful to marine life. Up to 8 million bits of plastic go into the ocean every day.  88% of the sea surface is plastic which out of every 3 fish 1 of them is contained with plastic. Fish think plastic is food so they eat it. The plastic makes them feel full but they are not and then they starve to death. 

As the years pass our globe is getting hotter. This is because of us. The pollution from factories and cars goes up into the air and makes holes in our ozone layer. The ozone layer is like a thin blanket that protects us from the sun. When the pollution makes holes through the ozone layer it makes it hotter. The ice caps start to melt which makes the sea rise. Many marine life species can’t live because the temperature of the water is too hot. This is a global problem that we need to fix.

We have to remember that they were here first and were just mucking up their world. To help stop these problems we need to not overfish, don’t use plastic, and try not to make as much pollution. If we can do this It will change the ocean back to how it was, when it was healthy.

By Troy

How a political party wins an election in NZ

In an election, every voter gets two votes. Parties compete to win as many electoral votes and party votes as they can. To get any seats in parliament, a party needs to win at least 5% of the party vote or win an electorate seat.          

Your electorate vote goes to the person you most want to represent the area you live in. Each party chooses people to stand in the election. The person with the most votes is called an MP. Normally the person that the parties choose to stand on the behalf of their party.

There are currently 5 political parties in parliament. These are the Act Party, Green Party, Labour Party, National Party and the New Zealand First Party. 

Voting places close at 7.00 pm on election day. Each voting place counts the votes there. The process of counting the votes by hand begins with an early start from 9:00 am. From 7.00 pm, results go to a central office in Wellington, for the announcement as they arrive. A person needs to ensure no voter has voted more than once. Special overseas votes are also included. People count the votes which usually takes about two weeks. The results of the election become official when confirmed by the Chief Electoral Officer.

The two major parties that have dominated the government are labour and national. This is because they have a lot more people and better ideas that will benefit the country. However, not everyone agrees with the ideas. That's why parties are normally made up of people that have a similar idea of how to make our country a better place.

Like the last election, for example, New Zealand First joined up with Labour and the Greens. This is called a coalition. So they can join the number of seats they have in parliament. The leaders from the three coalition partners parties negotiate to determine who will become either Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister

By Troy

*Why flooding causes destruction*

A flood happens when water overflows or soaks normally dry land. Generally, floods take hours or even days to develop, giving people time to prepare or evacuate. But Sometimes, floods develop quickly and with no warning.

A Flood can develop in many ways. The most common is when rivers overflow the dams, heavy rain, a broken dam or a huge ice melt. Coastal flooding can also happen when it is high tide or a tsunami. Did you know that floods are the second-best widespread in the world besides the wildfires!!!!!

When floods happen the ocean moves inland. Floods have enormous power. Some structures cannot withstand the force of the water causing them to collapse. Most people are left without any drinking water or power. 

When the flood has gone the ground is covered in mud and silt. This is very beneficial for the farmers because It has lots of nutrients in it. But when the flood has receded it can cause just as much damage. Sharp debris, fuel and sewage are very harmful to the people. In America, floods cause 100 people to die and cause seven point five billion billion dollars worth of damage. 

Some Countries are building stronger stabilised buildings when flooding happens to prevent damage.

The damage caused by wildfires

A wildfire is deadly, destroying homes, wildlife and contaminates the air with the pollution that can harm people.  Wildfires are very dangerous.

The impact that fires have on communities is huge. After the fire, some people are left with nothing but only the clothes on their back. Their home was swallowed by the fire. Luckily they get their homes rebuilt. 

480 million wildlife were injured or killed in the Australian bush fires in 2019. Wildfire causes wildlife to move, avoiding flames and searching for new habitat. This can cause animals to wander into human-populated areas and come into contact with humans they would normally avoid. However, there are many positives because thankfully vets are helping the wildlife to heal.

In 2018 the wildfires season burned 8.7 million acres of land. Wildfires are the biggest and widest spread natural disasters in the world. Wildfires can spread in seconds. The conditions can make the fire spread faster. Wind, Droughts and extreme heat can make the fire bigger and more dangerous.

Wildfires are extremely dangerous and harmful. Firefighters have to put there life on the line to save people that are in the fire.

Careers

Matariki

My wild pig money box creation

This is my wild pig creation. firstly we got a can then I got paper and wrapped it around the can. I used popsicle sticks as eyes and then I used a big role for the nose. I then made a hole in the nose for the coins to be inserted in.