Phil McManus

This timely book examines how media reporting of extreme weather events informs and influences the public perception of climate change. Phil McManus argues that media reporting has changed over time, varies between places, is influenced by political stance and must improve if we are to avoid the worst aspects of anthropogenic climate change. Case studies of media coverage of extreme heat, wildfires and floods from around the world demonstrate that while attribution science is identifying the influence of climate change in disasters, this is not always conveyed via media. Incorporating scientific knowledge and philosophical approaches to living with climate, the book identifies how everyday reporting of weather should include references to the influence of climate change where appropriate. This book is a valuable resource for scholars and students of geography, sociology, environmental management and media and communication. It will also benefit practitioners reporting on weather, climate scientists and urban planning specialists who are seeking more information on the role of public perception in the climate crisis.

This book investigates all facets of Chinese tourism in a single destination, and its fascinating rise and evolution. It provides an overview of the first two decades of twenty-first century Chinese tourism in Australia, covering the early days, when Chinese tourism was mainly guided package tours with tourists visiting standard iconic sites, and its evolution into more individualistic tourism, with younger tourists seeking out sites of particular interest. Many of these ‘new sites’ are places where self-photography has particular merit, chosen in part because they are colourful, and images are distributed in real time to communicate with others and enhance social status. This quest for distinctiveness and colour has contributed to creating a distinctly Chinese tourist geography of Australia, analysed here in relation to conventional tourism geographies. The book takes a deliberately chronological approach to focus on the speed of change, discussing the more exciting and active ’new tourism’ in ways that integrate qualitative and quantitative research, and provide a basis for international comparison and discussion of key emerging themes in tourism studies.

How, if possible, to re-populate declining rural and regional areas? Examining this crucial and complex issue in relation to Australia, this book explores how a particular organization, 'Country Week', has emerged and developed as one means of stimulating the repopulation of declining or stagnating areas. While this is a problem shared by many other developed countries in Europe and North America, Australia's 'Country Week' programme puts forward an innovative range of place-marketing strategies that challenge rural decline and urban migration and can offer new approaches which could be adopted more widely.

Horseracing, thoroughbred breeding and gambling on racing are global industries worth several hundred billion dollars. They are also industries facing serious challenges, from the rise of alternative forms of leisure gambling to concerns about the ethical treatment of animals in all equestrian sports. This book offers a broad-ranging examination of the contemporary horseracing industry, from geographical, economic, social, ethical and environmental perspectives. The book draws on in-depth, mixed-method research into the racing and breeding industries in the US, Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and includes comparative material on other key racing centres, such as Ireland, Singapore and Hong Kong. It explores the economic structure of the global racing business, including comparisons with other major international sport businesses and other equestrian sports. It examines the social and cultural roots of the sport through its association with, and impact on, rural places, communities and environments from Kentucky to Newmarket – highlighting racing’s particular blend of tradition and scientific and technological innovation. The book also explores the ethical issues at the heart of horseracing, from reproduction to the use of the whip, and the inescapable tension between the horse as an instrumentally valuable commodity and the horse as an intrinsically valuable animal with needs and interests. The Global Horseracing Industry concludes by considering alternative futures for this major international sports business. The book is illuminating reading for anybody with an interest in sport, business, cultural geography, animal studies, or environmental studies.

Horseracing, thoroughbred breeding and gambling on racing are global industries worth several hundred billion dollars. They are also industries facing serious challenges, from the rise of alternative forms of leisure gambling to concerns about the ethical treatment of animals in all equestrian sports. This book offers a broad-ranging examination of the contemporary horseracing industry, from geographical, economic, social, ethical and environmental perspectives. The book draws on in-depth, mixed-method research into the racing and breeding industries in the US, Australia, the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and includes comparative material on other key racing centres, such as Ireland, Singapore and Hong Kong. It explores the economic structure of the global racing business, including comparisons with other major international sport businesses and other equestrian sports. It examines the social and cultural roots of the sport through its association with, and impact on, rural places, communities and environments from Kentucky to Newmarket – highlighting racing’s particular blend of tradition and scientific and technological innovation. The book also explores the ethical issues at the heart of horseracing, from reproduction to the use of the whip, and the inescapable tension between the horse as an instrumentally valuable commodity and the horse as an intrinsically valuable animal with needs and interests. The Global Horseracing Industry concludes by considering alternative futures for this major international sports business. The book is illuminating reading for anybody with an interest in sport, business, cultural geography, animal studies, or environmental studies.

How, if possible, to re-populate declining rural and regional areas? Examining this crucial and complex issue in relation to Australia, this book explores how a particular organization, 'Country Week', has emerged and developed as one means of stimulating the repopulation of declining or stagnating areas. While this is a problem shared by many other developed countries in Europe and North America, Australia's 'Country Week' programme puts forward an innovative range of place-marketing strategies that challenge rural decline and urban migration and can offer new approaches which could be adopted more widely.

Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities: Australia's Urban Challenge is about Australian cities and their prospects for sustainability. In nature, a vortex is an irresistible force, a whirlpool (usually of water or air) that violently captures and then destroys virtually everything in its path. The book's title makes a clear analogy between Austraila's major cities as they operate now, and the implications this has for their future - as well as the future of the country. The book looks specifically at the environmental prospects of Australian largest cities - all the mainland capitals, including Canberra and Newcastle - and discusses their histories and the planning ideas that have shaped their development. Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities contains chapters on population and demography, air quality, water quality, water availability, transport and biodiversity. These chapters include many new ideas that will help to make our cities more sustainable. That said, this book is not just about cities. It argues that having sustainable cities will be vital in reducing negative impacts of urban expansion on our rural and wild environments, too. Vortex Cities to Sustainable Cities will stimulate debate among many Australians about the kind of future we want for our country. It will engage planners and politicians, academics and activists, teachers and students, and many interested and informed ordinary Australians.