Pacific realm Job Advertisement Project

Working Conditions The conditions in which an individual or staff works, including but not limited to such things as amenities, physical environment, stress and noise levels, degree of safety or danger, and the like.

Environmental problems in Australia Climate change, and introduced plants and animals (invasiveness), are the agents of the radical changes that are tearing through Australia's environment. The result? Dramatic declines in the distribution and abundance of many species, with natural resources such as water now going scarce. Of continuing concern for Australia's is continued population growth along the coastline. The formation of massive metropolitan centers with increasing population density on Australia's coasts could displace much valuable biodiversity and ‘high-value’ agricultural land.

Reversing global warming Global warming, caused by the build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, has led to rising sea levels. Scientists have proven that over the past 150 years global temperatures have also slowly increased and many agree that this has been a human-induced change. Most scientists also agree that the overuse of fossil fuels is creating this build-up of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Urbanization (the growth of cities and urban areas), which is increasing in the Asia-Pacific region has an adverse affect on the climate because cities have high energy output, a large surface area to hold heat, and are generally very compact areas. In recent years, most countries in the region, including Australia, have not met their targets for greenhouse gas reductions. This seriously threatens the global environment. This is a particular concern for people who live on the Pacific Island nations and other coastal communities, as their homes will soon become directly threatened if current increases in sea levels continue. The highest point on all the nine islands which form the country of Tuvalu, for example, is currently less than five metres above sea level. If nothing is done to reduce the impacts of global warming, it is feared that islands such as these will disappear.

Ozone Layer (Hole?) For nearly a billion years, ozone molecules in the atmosphere have protected life on Earth from the effects of ultraviolet rays. As a result of the ozone layer, the amount of UV-B reaching Earth’s surface is greatly reduced. Human exposure to UV-B increases the risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and a suppressed immune system. UV-B exposure can also damage terrestrial plant life, single cell organisms, and aquatic ecosystems. In the past 60 years or so human activity has contributed to the deterioration of the ozone layer. Over the course of two to three months, approximately 50% of the total column amount of ozone in the atmosphere disappears. At some levels, the losses approach 90%. This has come to be called the Antarctic ozone hole.

Work in the Pacific Realm The Pacific region comprises seven developing nations (the Cook Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu) and two developed nations (Australia and New Zealand). The Pacific region's rich natural resources support its major economic enterprises in agriculture, fishing, timber and trade. Tourism, a growing sector, also depends on the ecological endowment of the region. In the agricultural field, cash crop production and subsistence cultivation coexist. Similarly, a dual system of commercial and subsistence fishery production exists. All countries have experienced a decrease in agricultural production in recent years. Nonetheless, agriculture, agriculture- related enterprises and tourism will continue to be the major development enterprises for many of these countries for the foreseeable future. Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu also have significant mineral resources. Fiji has cash crops in sugar which has permitted the country to expand into a more diversified economy.

Australia and New Zealand exports Australia Australia exported million tons of iron ore to China in 2009, an increase of 45.2 per cent over the same period. Primary exports - commodities: coal, iron ore, gold, meat, wool, alumina, wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Australia is the world’s number one producer of premium quality fine wool, and is the largest producer of all wools by value and volume. Wool was Australia’s second largest agricultural export in behind beef, valued at $3.07 billion and making up approximately 11 per cent of total farm exports. New Zealand New Zealand’s leading exports include: Tourism destinations Meat Dairy products Fruit and vegetables Fish Machinery Wood and wood products Tourism, which accounts for 8.9% of New Zealand’s total GDP through its contribution of $12.8 billion, plays a key role in New Zealand's economy. Moreover, tourism provides full-time equivalent jobs to roughly 200,000 people, or 9.9% of the country’s total workforce (as of February 2008).