Watery wisdomWatery wisdom

Austrian breaks thespeed of soundAUSTRIAN thrill-seeker “Fearless”Felix Baumgartner has become thefirst skydiver to go faster than thespeed of sound, reaching a top speedof 1342kmh.The 43-year-old broke the record forthe highest freefall by jumping out ofa balloon 39km above Earth.After floating skyward for more than

two hours, it took less than 10 minutesfor him to fall back down to earth,negotiating the last few thousandfeet by parachute.Once down, he fell to his knees and

raised his fists in triumph.“Let me tell you, when I

was standing there on topof the world, you becomeso humble. You don’t thinkabout breaking recordsanymore, you don’t thinkabout gaining scientificdata – the only thing thatyou want is to come backalive,” he said afterwards at a mediaconference.

Water WeekNATIONAL Water Week is an annualawareness week that aims to improveour understanding of water issues inAustralia.Australia’s national water

awareness week this year runs fromOctober 21-27. The theme for thisyear’s National Water Week is“Valuing our Water”.Its aim is to foster community

support and engagement. throughevents, water-related activities andeducational resources.For more information go toawa.asn.au.

WHAT’S NEWS

NEXTWEEK’STOPIC:

A Social Network

NEXTWEEK’STOPIC:

A Social Network

GO online by visiting yournewspaper’s website. You’ll find theaddress on the front page. Look forthe NiE logo at the top of the pageand click! This will link you to APN’sNiE webpage.

Water wise waysTHERE are many ways in which weuse water but how many ways do youknow how to save water? Find outmore in this week’s task time onlineabout water, its properties, uses andthe importance of conserving it, bycompleting the activities.

TASKTIMEONLINE

TASKTIMEONLINE

Which Korean pop star hastaken Australia by stormwith his hit song GangnamStyle?

1

QUIZ TIMEEach week we willtest your knowledgeon what’s beenhappening in thenews. For theanswers visit NiE

online.

QUIZ TIMEEach week we willtest your knowledgeon what’s beenhappening in thenews. For theanswers visit NiE

online.

Who won the third andfinal Bledisloe Cup Test onSaturday at the SuncorpStadium in Brisbane?

3

Which television networks /media groups are strugglingwith financial difficulty?

2

WATER is vital to life. All living thingswould die if it weren’t for water. Thereare many ways we use water.We use it for drinking, washing,

cleaning, cooking, growing food andrecreational activities.It is used by industries to generate

electricity, manufacture things, andtransport people and goods. Water isour most precious resource and it is soimportant that we conserve it.

Being water wiseAustralia is the driest inhabited conti-nent, with a limited supply of freshwater. Our freshwater resources, suchas the water in streams, rivers, lakes,and ground water provide us and alllife, with most of the water we need tolive. If there is to be enough water tomeet the needs of future generations,water must be used wisely.Predicted lower rainfalls and an

increasing population means we can nolonger rely solely on traditional watersupplies to meet the community’s de-mands for water.We need to increase water-use effi-

ciency and investigate opportunities touse alternative water sources. Aware-ness about the amount of water used ineveryday tasks is the first step in deve-loping a responsible approach to wateruse. We all need to take responsibilityfor the sustainable management of ourwater resources, by using less water athome, in the workplace, at school andoutdoors because excessive water

consumption can have a hugeimpact on the environment,society and the economy.Think about all the water that

is used by different sectors of thecommunity.

These all add up to quite a big demandon our water supply. Making simplechanges to our habits can save lots ofwater without affecting our lifestyle

BEWATER SAFEDid you know that there were 315 drowningdeaths in Australian waterways betweenJuly 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011.The number of people drowning inAustralia has increased for the third year ina row, reminding us that we all have a partto play in preventing drowning. (Royal LifeSaving Society Australia).During the long hot summer days, it’s greatto stay cool in and around water but it’simportant to be safe and follow a fewsimple rules so you can enjoy the water.Here are a few tips to help you, your familyand friends be safe at the beach, at theriver, by the pool and while boating andfishing.Remember, wherever there is water, youneed to be aware of the dangers.◗ Never swim alone.◗ Young children should always besupervised by an adult in and around water◗Watch the weather. If a storm is brewingget out of the water. Remember “If you cansee it, flee it. If you can hear it, clear it.”◗ Be aware of the depth of the water beforejumping or diving in.◗ Never swim under the influence ofalcohol or drugs.◗ Never swim in the dark.◗ Be trained in what to do in the event of anaccident. Call Triple 000.◗ Always swim between the flags wherelifesavers are on patrol to help you.◗ Look at the safety signs erected at thebeach as they identify potential dangersand the current conditions.◗ Swim within your capabilities, not outsideyour depth.

Treat water with respect to maximise it as aresource, but be aware of dangers it can pose

WEB WORLD To learn more about ways to save water in fun,interactive games go to savewater.com.au/mission-h2o-game andthewaterfamily.co.uk

PHOTO:AAP

User: greg.dawkins Time: 10-22-2012 09:58 Product: SSH PubDate: 22-10-2012 Zone: All Edition: Main Page: SHARED_14 Color: CMYK