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The Feed: Sept 7 – 11

This week: independent kids, surviving Cyclone Pam, fast furniture and cycling injuries.

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This week on The Feed, independent kids, surviving Cyclone Pam, the convenience of fast furniture and cycling injuries.

Independent Kids
Six-year-old Japanese schoolgirl, Noe, catches two trains and bus to school unaccompanied by adults, while nine year old Sydney schoolgirl, Emily, is driven to the school gate. Does this small, daily ritual reveal broader truths about our society and culture? Is the illusion of safety, just an illusion? And does exposing children to managed risk create independent kids?

Surviving Pam
Rob and Alix Crapper have been living on remote Epi Island in Vanuatu for about 20 years. The Kuranda couple moved there with their three children, living at first with no running water or electricity, living off a large vegetable garden and a small herd of cows. They’ve been through a few cyclones, but when Cyclone Pam came, it was devastation. The couple boarded up their home – which they built themselves – and took a wheelbarrow full of supplies to a cave where they bunkered down as the storm passed. The Feed follows Rob and Alix as they introduce us to their lives, relive their trek to the cave and discuss the current recovery on one of the 83 islands in Vanuatu.

Fast Furniture
Furniture – we all use it but how much do we think about it, where it comes from and where it goes?
We now consume furniture faster than ever before. The rise of cheap DIY chains have meant furniture is more attainable and more expendable. Thanks to shows like Renovation Rescue and The Block anyone can give their homes a makeover. And while it may be easier and cheaper than ever to remake your lounge room or spruce up your bedroom, the cost of fast furniture is not as cheap as we think.

Cycling Injuries
The rate of serious cycling injuries has surged in the past decade prompting cycling advocates and town planners to call for separate bike lanes to counteract the problem. The Feed speaks to an avid cyclist who has recently suffered a serious on-road injury with a car and is currently in a rehabilitation facility. He says his injury could have been prevented if there was separate cycling infrastructure for bikes and cars. The WA government agrees and has been credited with having a world-class cycling network in Perth by implementing cycle paths in all new major infrastructure plans. Meanwhile, Sydney is being criticised as being “backwards” after the current NSW Government’s decision to rip up a popular city cycleway. Gabe Klein, the man who transformed Chicago into a world class cycling city, says that providing cycling infrastructure isn’t just about preventing injuries, but modernising cities and improving liveability, health, the economy and sustainability. He says cities like Sydney who refuse to evolve and adapt are ultimately falling behind.

Weeknights at 7:30pm, on SBS 2.

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