Research on the Great Barrier Reef
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The Great Barrier Reef is one of the greatest natural wonders of the world. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of Australia, it is one of the largest coral reefs in the world. The great mass in home to many different species of plant and animal life. An ongoing problem has been the negative affects that humans have had on the reef and the life that calls the Great Barrier Reef home. Bleaching, pollutants, oil, and damage from tourism are a few of the issues surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. The well being of the reef and the marine creatures that live in and around it has been the focus of conservation efforts both in Australia and worldwide. If you want to know more about what is going on with the reef, here are some links that you may be interested in: |
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Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority The GBRMPA is the organization in Australia that presides over the overall Great Barrier Reef area. The site provides a bunch of information about marine life, the park area, and tourism, in addition to the critical issues in the air about the Great Barrier Reef. |
This site was created by a research organization named the Cooperative Research Center (CRC), which is directly sponsored by the Australian government. They provide the information they have gathered in their drive to conserve and restore the world's coral reefs. Besides facts about the Great Barrier Reef and what is going on there, one great thing about this site is the page that lists over 30 CRC press releases from the past three years.
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AIMS Research - Reef Monitoring A more technical site, this Web page offers general information on the Great Barrier Reef from a group that has conducted many research activities in the area. There are reports on things ranging from animals that live on the reef to the protection issues regarding the area to yearly status reports. |
Reef Base provides information on coral reefs with a pretty good link to some information the Great Barrier Reef. When a visitor goes to the Australia section, they are given the option of looking at information on a bunch of things, like threats, management, photos, and the status of the reef.
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Sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation, this site is dedicated to the protection and preservation of the Great Barrier Reef. There are three headings that separate this page into sections on what the problems are, what is happening to fix those problems, and what YOU can do to help.
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More available resourceson the Great Barrier Reef
Mini Essay on an Internet Issue
Conflict over Constitutionality and Censorship
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In May of 2002, the United States Supreme Court could not come to a concrete decision regarding censoring online pornography from children. While the court supported the use of "community standards" to decide what material is and is not appropriate for children, it found problems with the constitutional reasoning used as the basis of the law geared at the censoring of potentially offensive online material, the 1998 Child Online Protection Act. Although the law was passed in 1998, it has not truly been enforced or been an issue for the Supreme Court because a lower jurisdiction has barred its enforcement while the act continues to be debated in the US court system. During this case, six of the nine judges found fault in the 1998 law passed by then-President Bill Clinton because"communities with a narrow view of what words and images are suitable for children might be able to censor Internet content, putting it out of reach for the entire country." (1) Since the 1998 law has been put on hold, but not banned, the ruling was seen positively by "both free speech advocates and opponents of online pornography." (2) The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who was challenging the law on behalf of numerous artists, health care providers and writers, was pleased with what the Supreme Court has decided for now. Ann Beeson, litigation director for the ACLU's Technology and Liberty Program, said, "The court clearly had enough doubts about this broad censorship to not leave the ban in place." (3) On the other hand, Jan LaRue, chief counsel for Concerned Women of America, said the pornography found on the Internet must be regulated just like any other pornographic material. "We are delighted that the Supreme Court has held COPA - the Child Online Protection Act - is not unconstitutional on its face." (4)
Notes: (1) Denniston, Lyle. (2002, May 12) Court Puts 2D Pornography Law On Hold; Majority Doubt Localities and Internet Veto. The Boston Globe[Online]. p A2 (835 words). Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, September 3]. (2) Mason, Julie. (2002, May 14) High Court partly upholds Internet pornography Law. The Houston Chronicle[Online]. p3 (780 words). Available: LexisNexis Academic [2002, September 3]. (3) Ibid. Et al. (4) Ibid. Et al.
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For more information regarding online issues, particularly the Child Online Protection Act, you can consult the following Web sites:
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105th Congress Report - Child Online Protection Act What the COPA says according the actual law. |
Center for Democracy and Technology A site dedicated to online issues, including free speech and Internet censorship issues
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HPPUB - High Productivity Publishing (Minnesota) A chronological history of the COPA and its influence on the censorship of Internet pornography. |
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This web site was created for my J50 class and Dr. Deb Aikat
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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