In the final edition of The Crunch newsletter, editor Josh presents a range of data-driven stories, including humpback whale migrations, Australia's declining house prices, the mystery of missing cash, and crowd-sourced mapping for earthquake response.
One Nation's Rising Support
One Nation, Australia's right-wing populist party, has seen a surge in support since the federal election, polling first or second in some recent surveys. This rise threatens to disrupt Australian politics, but the preferential voting system makes seat projections uncertain. Pollsters describe the current situation as 'unknown territory' regarding how the party's support will translate into seats.
House Prices in Focus
Australian house prices have fallen in recent months, a trend placed in context of the gains over the past decade. A chart in the newsletter illustrates this decline against the backdrop of a long-term housing boom. The UK edition also featured a visual story on Britain's 'green revolution' and its obstacles.
Four Charts from the Fortnight
1. Humpback Whale Migration
Every March and April, thousands of humpback whales migrate from Antarctic feeding grounds to warmer Australian waters. The Sydney Morning Herald covered this migration with maps, charts, and video, reminiscent of a previous bird migration story by UK colleagues.
2. One Nation's Fundraising
One Nation claimed millions raised in an online fundraiser to 'fire the liar'. The Australian Financial Review logged about 10,000 donations from the website's ticker, showing that every Australian electorate recorded at least one donation, including metropolitan seats where One Nation previously struggled.
3. Missing Cash
According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, only 9% to 14% of Australian banknotes printed annually are used for legitimate transactions. The ABC's Julian Fell and Ben Spraggon investigated where the rest might be, with an animated briefcase illustration.
4. Crowd-Sourced Earthquake Mapping
In response to the 2023 earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, volunteers worldwide mapped over 2 million buildings and thousands of kilometres of roads on OpenStreetMap. Akash Wadhwani reported that rescue teams used this free, editable map to determine critical information like road access and population distribution.
Bookmarks
Other notable stories include Die Zeit's searchable database of Nazi party members, building a world map in 500 bytes, the disappearance of pop stars, a visual story on the fertiliser crisis, and how Spain dismantled France's defence.
Off the Charts
Hong Kong, one of the world's fastest-ageing societies, was the subject of a South China Morning Post illustrated story examining its societal implications.
