Exeter student - Exeposé - University of Exeter

14
Features
march 7 2011 Exeposé
Devastation strikes Christchurch, what next
Emily Lunn discusses the New Zealand Government’s shortcomings in dealing with the earthquake.
IT was only two months ago that I was
sitting in the sunshine outside a cafe
in Christchurch, talking to the waitress
about the regular aftershocks from the
September earthquake. She joked that
they had become a tourist attraction.
While some tourists cancelled their
trips to Christchurch, others were eager
to experience a (small) aftershock.
I must admit that despite the
“New Zealand is not
nicknamed ‘the shaky isles’
for nothing. The country
lies at the Southern end of
the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’,
and volcanic cones feature
in the scenery of the North
Island”
waitress’ jokes, I felt slightly uneasy.
The aftershocks, the scaffolding
around several unstable buildings,
and the damaged Cathedral window,
made me wonder if I would have an
unwanted holiday experience.
New Zealand is not nicknamed ‘the
Shakey Isles’ for nothing. The country
lies at the Southern end of the Pacific
‘Ring of Fire,’ and volcanic cones
feature in the scenery of the North
Island. The islands also lie above the
collision of two tectonic plates, the
Pacific and the Indo-Australian. As
the relaxed attitude of the waitress
suggested, small aftershocks are
common. There are more than 14,000
quakes a year, yet only about 20 have
a magnitude greater than 5.0 and most
are not even felt.
Before the September earthquake,
the council were considering a proposal
that would make all older buildings
fully earthquake proof in 30 years
time, and if they weren’t, the building
would face closure. This was priced at
NZ$500 million, and consequently was
unpopular. However, it seems small
compared to the huge costs the country
now faces in order to pay for both
quakes. The Government has to now
decide how to rebuild the city as safely
and affordably as possible. Even with
safety precautions, however, it seems
inevitable that the seismic activity that
provides a lot of New Zealand’s beauty
must also cause destruction.
It is clear that a sense of
vulnerability has returned to the
residents of Christchurch. How best
to protect New Zealanders from future
earthquakes is a complicated decision
that the authorities will now have to
face.
Christchurch has featured regularly
in the news since the earthquake on
September 4, which had a magnitude
of 7.0, and an epicentre 55km northwest
of Christchurch. Although
it caused widespread damage to
buildings and roads, there were no
fatalities and the city was in the
process of stabilising and demolishing
damaged buildings. Further damage
was caused by an aftershock of 4.9
Do something funny for money
Sophie Duncan discusses the celebrity-charity relationship that exists within the saga of Comic Relief.
which rattled the city on Boxing Day,
smashing window displays and calling
a halt to the post- Christmas sales. This
was much closer to the city than the
September earthquake, within 5km of
Christchurch and causing $3 billion
worth of damage.
The earthquake, however,
that struck on February 22 was
comparatively shallow. It was only 5km
deep, and 10km from Christchurch.
It had a magnitude of 6.3, with the
current death toll reaching 148, with
around 50 people still missing. The
City Mayor, Bob Parker, claims
that the spirits of the rescue workers
are “remarkably good,” despite the
aftershocks and deteriorating weather
that threatens their efforts.
Rescue workers from eight
different nations continue to work,
although the likelihood of anyone
being found alive seems increasingly
remote. The city is now beginning to
bury its dead. The first service was
held on Monday 28 for five-month-old
Baxtor Gowland, the youngest victim
so far.
However, amongst the devastation,
there are stories of resilience. I was
particularly touched by the story of
a young woman who was rescued
from her collapsed office block in
time to hobble up the aisle three
days later. New Zealanders appear
to be resilient people with a history
of rebuilding. When a powerful
earthquake obliterated the city of
Napier in 1931, the entire city was
rebuilt. It now attracts many tourists
as an embodiment of the Art Deco
movement. It has been estimated that
a third of the buildings at the centre
of Christchurch need demolishing.
As New Zealanders begin to mourn
their dead, there is no doubt that the
recovery of this city will be a long
and difficult process. Although the
Cathedral Spire lies crumbled in the
square, I have faith that Christchurch,
like Napier, will rise again.
THE celebrity-charity relationship is
admired by some, detested by others.
The Haitian earthquake is a key example
of this; the immediate aftermath saw
A-listers ‘doing their bit’ for those hit
hardest. This, many would argue, was
nothing but a publicity stunt, where
attention-seeking celebrities adopted an
appearance of concern, while thinking
nothing of the long term effects. These
often are: indefinite homelessness; a
shortage of resources and families torn
apart and left in disrepair. While the
surge of air-brushed compassion died
down in a matter of months, what about
the consequences that, over a year
after the earthquake struck, continue to
define life for Haitian citizens
March 18 is Red Nose Day.
Every other year, if we choose, we
tune in to an array of comic sketches
and performances. Those who have
ever done so will be familiar with
the temptation, when the comedy is
interrupted by sincerity in the form of
a short film about the people in need of
Comic Relief’s help, to nip to the loo
or put the kettle on. With this comes
the oh-so-simple text to the ‘number on
the screen’ in order to be able to say,
without guilt, “I’ve donated.” This is
due less to our lack of benevolence as
individuals than the fact that we have
become desensitised to images of
poverty and struggle. Televised appeals
of the ‘This is [insert name here]’ nature
blend into one, and instinct tells us that
it is enough to donate. It’s alright,
the money goes towards a good cause
even if we do pay minimal attention to
the story placed in front of us - is our
general mind set.
Comic Relief was launched from
a refugee camp in Sudan on Christmas
Day, 1985, live on BBC One. At
the time, there was a devastating
famine in Ethiopia. The idea was to
bring together much-loved British
comedians to raise money through
making the public laugh. Since then,
12 Red Nose Days have raised more
than £400 million, which has been
used to tackle the broader needs of the
poor and disadvantaged at home and
abroad through immediate aid, as well
as sustained education about HIV and
AIDS. Sport Relief was launched in
December 2001. Yet has the emphasis
of Red Nose Day shifted from charity
to celebrity
“The Comic Relief website
states, ‘Our mission is to drive
positive change through the
power of entertainment’ ”
The Comic Relief website states,
“Our mission is to drive positive change
through the power of entertainment.”
Past Red Nose Days have indeed
produced some comic gems, not least
Peter Kay’s reproduction of ‘Is this
the way to Amarillo’ In 2009, the bar
was raised by the successful climbing
of Mount Kilimanjaro by celebrities
including Gary Barlow, Fearne Cotton
and Chris Moyles. This year, Lorraine
Kelly and Dermot O’Leary were part
of a group to complete a desert trek of
100km in Kenya. The public were able
to follow the physical and emotional
strain the celebrities were put underentertainment
not unlike that of an ‘I’m
a Celebrity’-esque reality show.
However, credit where credit is
due as, when spoken to live on Radio
One as they came to the end of their
journey, talk focused on the half a
million pounds the celebrity trekkers
had raised. Comic Relief, therefore,
positions charitable motives at the
forefront of what is an entertainmentorientated
event, and admirably so.
While some celebrities’ dedication
is short-lived and limited to voiceovers
or one-off singles, there are those
whose commitment is unrelenting,
discrete and worthy. Elton John’s
tireless work through the Elton John
AIDS Foundation is a prime example
of devotion to a cause away from the
public eye.
Meanwhile, although Comic Relief
may have employed methods akin to
those of the most popular reality TV
shows, certain elements render these
two forms of the entertainment world
apart. Insect for breakfast becomes
far more appealing when assigned an
attractive wage. No such payment
exists for the celebrities who commit to
Comic Relief’s challenges.
Moreover, to climb Kilimanjaro
or to walk 100km across the desert
requires perseverance, self-motivation
and strength of mind. While modern
culture has led to charity, like so
many other things, revolving around
celebrities, you cannot argue with its
effectiveness, nor can you question- as
far as Comic Relief is concerned - the
fact that stars are stimulated by a desire
to make a difference to other people’s
lives as opposed to their own.