Explainer: Net Neutrality

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Is 'Goofing Off' Good for Children?

  From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. Something happens to many children when they are out of school over the summer months. It is called the “summer slide.” This may sound like a ride at a water park. But it’s not. Summer slide is when children forget much of what they learned during the latest school year. To fight the effects of summer slide, teachers often give students homework over the summer. Many parents may send children to camp or find other activities to keep them learning. As the new school year begins, most children are soon very busy with new classes and school-related activities. However, experts say keeping children busy all the time is not good for them. What should parents do instead? Nothing.   Helping children succeed is one of the issues Lea Waters has been researching for over 20 years. Waters is a psychologist – an expert on human behavior. Waters says slowing down actually helps children become the best they can be. "It's a little bit like, if you have too many programs running on your computer, your computer starts to slow down. And when you shut down those programs, your computer speeds up again. It's very much like that for a child's brain." Machines need to be reset, while kids need to goof off. "What I mean by goofing off is really allowing kids to have some downtime, where they’re not focused on a specific task -- something that they choose to do like shooting baskets, or doing a creative project, cooking. It's a project they're interested in doing that they can do more automatically and get enjoyment from." She adds that goofing off does not mean the brain isn’t working. "It goes into this default network mode and uses that time to process all the information it had during the day, to integrate new information. It makes a kind of decision about what information do I keep and put into my memory, what information do I not need and I get rid of. It's also an essential network for helping us to develop emotional intelligence, to consolidate a memory, to develop a sense of identity..." In her book, The Strength Switch, Waters suggests that parents work on building up their child's strengths instead of trying to fix their weaknesses.   "In working with parents around the world on this strength-based parenting approach, one of the common questions that I get is, ‘Once I identify the strength of my children, what do I need to do to build up these strengths?' In that question is often a misconception that, as a parent, the way we build up our children's strength is to get them into extra tutoring, get them into kind of every class possible..." Parents often mean well by wanting to keep their child busy. But the result is often a tired child with an overcrowded schedule. This keeps a child’s brain active -- learning, gathering information and preparing for the next event. And this may have the opposite effect the parents are hoping for. "Yes, practice builds up strength, but so does downtime. One of the “counter-intuitives” that we're finding in the field of neuroscience is that if you're constantly on task, if you're constantly practicing, in the end it doesn't help to build up a skill or a strength as effectively as you might think." Waters based her ideas largely on her own research in psychology, parenting and education at the University of Milbourn in Australia. But her book also describes studies by several American researchers. "I love Mary Helen Immordino-Yang’s research. She's a professor of education, psychology and neuroscience at the University of Southern California. And she's done a lot of work on the idea that our brains have these two alternative systems." Those two systems, or modes, she noted are known as “on-task focus” and “free-form attention.” Mary Helen Immordino-Yang says the on-task focus is about observing and understanding one's environment. That happens, for example, when you play sports. But the other mode is activated when you are resting. Here is Immordino-Yang. "You need to be watching other people on your team, and running fast and coordinating your motions, and reacting to the things you're perceiving. And then, there is another network that's extremely important for being able to make meaning out of what you're doing. And that network seems to be deactivated when people are sort of playing sports and attending to the outside. And it's activated when you're resting and just daydreaming, when you’re thinking about your memories and imagining things that don't exist here and now. You need those two modes of attention in order to function as a person in the world." Lea Waters says she hopes parents will accept the fact that children don't have to be busy all the time. Children and adults need time to goof off now and then. And that’s the Health and Lifestyle report. I’m Anna Matteo.   What do you think about letting children goof off – a good idea or a bad idea? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments Section. Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOANews.com. Anna Matteo adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ QUIZ   ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   default – n. used to describe something that happens or is done when nothing else has been done or can be done mode – n. a particular way of doing something integrate – v. to make (something) a part of another larger thing consolidate – v. to join or combine together into one thing misconception – n. a wrong or mistaken idea tutor – n. a teacher who works with one student schedule – n. a plan of things that will be done and the times when they will be done counter-intuitive – adj. different from what you would expect : not agreeing with what seems right or natural approach – n. a way of dealing with something : a way of doing or thinking about something coordinate – v. to act or work together properly and well perceive – v. to notice or become aware of (something)

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How Leaders Use ‘Branding’ to Improve Image

  Throughout history, many leaders have used the media as an important tool to shape their image and connect with voters. Today, the use of marketing and branding is even more powerful because of the growing number of media sources and influence of social media. Former United States President Barack Obama is recognized for using marketing in new ways to get elected. He was largely unknown to many Americans before deciding to seek the presidency. Much of Obama’s success came from his use of social media to reach out to the public and engage with supporters. Online social networks were still new for most people leading up to the 2008 presidential campaign. One of his most memorable tools was the “Hope” image – created by artist Shepard Fairey – which Obama used to define his idea of leadership. This widely seen image became a big part of his campaign messaging. Advertising Age magazine even named Obama Marketer of the Year in October 2008, right before his election win over John McCain. It was the first time a politician had received the award. Marketing experts have also praised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his ability to create memorable moments through social media and surprise appearances. Many photographs and videos of these events have gone viral on the internet. Becoming prime minister at age 43, some media reported on Justin Trudeau’s good looks and warm, friendly personality. During the political campaign and while in office, Trudeau has shown up unannounced at cities and towns across the country to meet face-to-face with Canadians. He is often surrounded by excited crowds when he travels overseas.    One of Trudeau’s most powerful moments came in December 2015, when he went to an airport in Toronto to welcome the first Syrian refugees to Canada. He spoke with arriving families, offered them warm clothing and said he was pleased to “show the world how to open our hearts” to the refugees.     Salah Hassan is a professor of marketing at The George Washington University School of Business in Washington, D.C. He says leaders like Trudeau are good at finding new ways to connect with the public, as well as showing sensitivity.  "The sensitivity score with the prime minister of Canada is very high. People adore him for his sensitivity and sensibility. So these are very important aspects." Historically, Hassan noted, there have been other leaders who were very successful at shaping a strong, personal brand. "Two world leaders come to mind who become legends in their own way. And these are Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, and Anwar Sadat, the former president of Egypt." ​ ​He noted the two men were similar in a number of ways and both became Nobel Peace Prize winners. They were seen as freedom fighters, making great attempts to achieve peace. Each man kept talking about his ideas for peaceful, democratic change. However, Hassan says the branding of political leaders is much different than advertising for services or products. This is because with people, the branding also includes their feelings, personal values and actions taken over time. Trust, he adds, is very important. "Truth and trust are very, very important elements of building the brand. And bringing an authentic message of that brand that can be believable to your target audience." Hassan adds that politicians must keep in mind that if they don’t take control of their own brand, someone else will. Some world leaders use photographs, videos and public events as a way to create a softer public image. One example is Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen. The 65-year-old ruler has led the country for 32 years, and is preparing for a general election next July. Human rights groups have criticized his government for using its control over the judicial system to frighten his political opponents and activists. In a 2016 report, the U.S. State Department identified major human rights problems in Cambodia. ​ Recently, the Cambodian leader has been using social media to show more of his personal life, along with official activities. A favorite place to leave photos is Facebook, where people can see: Hun Sen shopping; Hun Sen working out; Hun Sen, with family. One photo shows him smiling while driving a passenger car, instead of riding in his bulletproof government vehicle. In another picture, he is seen surrounded by family members while recovering in a hospital bed. Other photos on his Facebook page show Hun Sen holding babies or meeting with young people.  ​Similar photos can be seen on the Facebook page of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His government has also been accused of human rights abuses and attempts to limit political freedoms. Another leader who has appeared with children at public events is North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. He has faced international condemnation for his government’s continued missile tests and nuclear activities. Hassan notes that leaders trying to improve a bad image face a big problem if they have not already created a lasting brand to carry them through. ​ ​"The stronger the brand, the more likely that brand will survive these setbacks. But the weaker, the more vulnerable, the less truthful, the less authentic candidates, when they are exposed, may not be able to recover." Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin released a series of photos showing a different side of him than the world usually sees. Included were pictures of Putin shirtless in a boat, catching fish, swimming underwater and sitting in a forest.   In the past, Putin has released similar photos showing him in unofficial settings. Those images, as well as the most recent ones, have always been a big hit on social media.   I’m Bryan Lynn.     Bryan Lynn reported this story for VOA Learning English. His report was based on stories from VOA Khmer, Reuters and the Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   branding – n. positioning people or products as a particular kind engage – v. to get and keep (someone's attention, interest, etc.) online – adj. related to a computer or telecommunications system gone viral – expression. to spread quickly, usually through person-to-person electronic communication adore – v. to love or admire very much sensibility – n. ability to feel and understand emotions legend – n. a famous person authentic – adj. real, true or accurate shopping – v. to go to a place where goods and services are sold vulnerable – adj. easily hurt or harmed  

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Myanmar Ready to Hear Pope’s Message of Healing

  People who follow events in Myanmar are worried about its stability in the weeks leading up to a visit from Pope Francis. The pope will arrive in late November. It will be the first-ever visit to Myanmar by any Roman Catholic leader. The country, also known as Burma, was once a British colony, but has been independent since 1948. The majority of its people are Buddhist. For almost 70 years, Myanmar has had problems with ethnic and civil unrest. Recently, security forces have been attacking fighters from the Rohingya ethnic minority in the western state of Rakhine. The Associated Press reported Friday that almost 400 people have died in the latest violence. The government considers the Rohingya, many of whom are Muslim, illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The Rohingya, however, say they have roots in Myanmar going back hundreds of years. Observers want to know if the pope’s trip can lead to peace. Mariano Soe Naing is a clergyman and a spokesman for the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Myanmar. He is helping organize the visit. He said the pope’s message will be about love and peace. “I think he will try to emphasize this aspect of love, which will bring us to peace and harmony in this country,” he added. Pope Francis has spoken about the Rohingya several times in recent months. More than 120,000 Rohingya are living in camps for displaced persons in the Rakhine state. Tens of thousands of Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from western Myanmar since 2012. That was when the latest religious violence started. The situation worsened last year when a group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army killed nine people in attacks along the border. The Myanmar military launched “clearance operations” that some rights groups have said could be compared to crimes against humanity. Myanmar leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, has condemned the attacks, but United Nations representatives are urging her to call for peace and a ceasefire. While some people hope the pope’s visit will start the peace process, others are concerned that he may be too focused on the troubles faced by the Rohingya. They think his message may not resonate with the majority of people in Myanmar. I’m Dan Friedell.   Joe Freeman wrote this story for VOANews.com. Dan Friedell adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Do you think the pope’s visit will ease the tension in Myanmar? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   stability – n. the quality or state of something that is not easily changed or likely to change harmony – n. a pleasing combination or arrangement of different things resonate – v. to have particular meaning or importance for someone : to affect or appeal to someone in a personal or emotional way focus – v. to direct one’s attention at someone or something

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Let's Teach English Unit 1: Learning Strategies

Welcome to Let's Teach English. This series offers free online training for English language educators worldwide. Voice of America and the University of Oregon are partners on this project. In this lesson, the teacher presents the learning strategy summarize. Summary In this lesson, the teacher presents a learning strategy. Before this class, the teacher introduced the unit and the students practiced saying the new words and wrote them on their family trees.   Teacher Preparation Video Transcript This episode shows a model of teaching learning strategies. Click on the image below to download a pdf of the transcript. Women Teaching Women English Text Click on the image below to download a pdf of the student text and teacher manual. At the end of the ten-unit course, the whole book will be available for download.​ Women Teaching Women English Listening These audio files go with Unit 1 of Women Teaching Women English. Click on the "Direct Link" button to the right of the player to download them. Conversation:   Reading: ​ What Do You Think? Let us know what you think about this course. Email us or write your comment in the comments section below. Poll

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US Ambassador: North Korea Is Begging for War

  The United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley says North Korea is “begging for war” as the U.N. Security Council meets on Monday to discuss North Korea’s latest nuclear test. “Enough is enough. War is never something the United States wants. We don’t want it now. But our country’s patience is not unlimited,” Haley said. South Korea's defense ministry said Monday it had found signs North Korea was preparing to test another ballistic missile. The ministry also announced plans to temporarily send four more launchers for the THAAD missile defense system. Hours before the security council meeting, South Korea’s military fired missiles into the Sea of Japan. It was an exercise meant to look like an attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site. North Korea nuclear test Over the weekend, North Korea said it tested a hydrogen bomb small enough to be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile. The North claimed the test was a “perfect success.” A U.S. intelligence official said the nuclear device detonated by North Korea on Sunday was 10 times more powerful than its fifth nuclear test a year ago. “We're highly confident this was a test of an advanced nuclear device and what we've seen so far is not inconsistent with North Korea's claims,” the intelligence official said. US warns of 'massive military response'  U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, repeated the warnings of President Donald Trump on Sunday. He said that North Korea can expect a “massive military response” if it threatens the United States, the U.S. territory of Guam or America's allies. White House officials said the president has a range of retaliatory measures available to the U.S., including nuclear weapons. Experts reacting to Secretary Mattis’s comments are hoping for diplomatic discussions instead of more tough military talk. Frank Aum is a visiting scholar at the U.S.-Korea Institute. He said the United States needs to “get away from a military-centric approach to the North Korea problem set and reinvigorate diplomacy.” The president, leaving a church service near the White House earlier Sunday, said only, “We'll see” when a reporter asked if he was planning to order an attack on North Korea. Trump might consider trade option On Twitter, Trump said he is considering stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea, raising questions about what this could mean for U.S.-China commercial ties and the two countries' $650 billion in annual trade. Any U.S. call for an economic boycott of countries doing business with North Korea would focus on China because Beijing is North Korea's major ally and its trading partner. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said he would prepare a new package of North Korea economic sanctions along these lines for consideration. “We will work with our allies. We will work with China,” Mnuchin told a television interviewer Sunday. “But people need to cut off North Korea economically. This is unacceptable behavior.” I’m Pete Musto.   Dorothy Gundy adapted this story for Learning English based on VOA and AP news reports. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   patience – n. the ability to wait for a long time without becoming annoyed or upset ballistic missile – n. a weapon that is shot through the sky over a great distance and then falls to the ground and explodes detonate(d) – v. to cause something, such as a bomb, to explode confident – adj. to strongly believe that something will happen or that something is true inconsistent – adj. not always acting or behaving in the same way retaliatory – adj. something bad that is done to someone who has hurt you or treated you badly scholar – n. a person who has studied a subject for a long time and knows a lot about it reinvigorate – v. to return life and energy to someone or something church – n. a building that is used for Christian religious services sanction(s) – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country or by not allowing economic aid for that country

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September 3, 2017

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Woodrow Wilson: Idealist

  VOA Learning English presents America’s Presidents. Today we are talking about Woodrow Wilson. He served two terms, from 1913 to 1921, and led the United States through the first World War. Wilson might have seemed an unlikely war president. He was a university professor before he entered politics. And, when the conflict began in Europe in 1914, Wilson strongly rejected the idea of the U.S. getting involved. He even campaigned for his second term on the slogan “He kept us out of the war.” But Wilson’s idealism eventually made him believe the U.S. must enter the conflict. He famously said, “The world must be safe for democracy.” He spent the last months of his presidency fighting to create a league of nations that would prevent future wars. Wilson did not succeed in that effort. But the effects of his presidency are still seen today in both the domestic and foreign affairs of the United States. Early life Woodrow Wilson was born in the state of Virginia in 1856 and grew up in the South. Wilson’s father was a Protestant Christian minister who supported the views of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Wilson’s mother had been born in England but raised in the United States. She was reportedly warm and loving, especially to her husband and four children. Wilson’s early life was marked by poor health and a passion for learning. His education included tutoring by Confederate soldiers, classes with his father, a year at Davidson College, a bachelor’s degree from the school now called Princeton, one year of law school, and a doctoral degree in history and political science from the University of Johns Hopkins. He remains, so far, the only president with a Ph.D. Wilson’s academic interests were in government, and how it could be most effective. Even as a young man, he supported the idea of a strong executive, either a prime minister or a president. He wrote a number of books, including a biography of George Washington, and a history of the United States. He also taught popular classes at several colleges, including Bryn Mawr in Pennsylvania, Wesleyan in Connecticut, and Princeton in New Jersey. In time, Wilson became the president of Princeton. He made major reforms to the school until some faculty and alumni resisted his efforts. Wilson had always been interested in political power. The Democratic Party in New Jersey became interested in Wilson when they were looking for a candidate with an honest public image. In truth, party officials believed he would be a weak leader whom they could influence. Wilson surprised them by winning the seat as New Jersey governor easily, and then rejecting their efforts to control him. He went on to pass major reform legislation in New Jersey that reduced corruption and protected the rights of workers. His actions drew the attention of Democratic Party leaders seeking a candidate for president in 1912. Presidency: first term Voters did not overwhelmingly choose Wilson in 1912. Although he did well in the Electoral College, he earned only a little more than 40 percent of the popular vote. Other votes were mostly divided between two former presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. Yet Wilson quickly asserted authority over Congress and pushed through a number of laws aimed at dramatic reform. Historian Kendrick Clements at the University of South Carolina says Wilson had a strongly progressive vision. He was interested in “expanding economic opportunity for people at the bottom of society and eliminating special privileges enjoyed by the richest and most powerful members of society.” One of Wilson’s most important acts was to create a new federal agency called the Federal Reserve Board. It still regulates American banks, credit, and money supply. He also created the Federal Trade Commission to ensure fair business practices, and the Department of Labor to protect workers’ rights. And he supported laws to reduce working hours for railroad employees, bar child labor, and offer government loans to farmers. But even during Wilson’s busy lawmaking, the threat of world war demanded his attention. Wilson had declared that the U.S. would remain neutral in the growing conflict between the Allied and Central Powers. One of his reasons was that people in the U.S. were immigrants from the countries that were at war. Wilson did not want the conflict to divide Americans. However, he permitted international trade, including with Britain and France. As a result, many believed the U.S. was favoring those countries. In 1915, a German submarine sank a British ship called the Lusitania and killed more than 100 Americans on board. Wilson protested several times to Germany about the sinking. He warned that the U.S. would not accept another such aggression. But two years later, Germany attacked U.S. commercial ships. It also invited Mexico to enter into an alliance against the United States. At the beginning of Wilson’s second term in office, he asked Congress to declare war on Germany. ​Presidency: second term The U.S. entered World War I on the side of the Allied Powers. The additional support came at an important time. American soldiers were able to help resist German troops in France. In time, Germany asked for an armistice – an agreement to stop fighting. Following the war, Wilson had a grand vision for how to gain lasting peace in Europe. In a speech known as “Fourteen Points,” he proposed that the countries that had won the war not punish Germany. Wilson also wanted European colonies to rule themselves, and other areas be given immediate independence. Most importantly, Wilson suggested a League of Nations that would guarantee the member countries’ independence and safety. But few world leaders agreed with his plan completely. Even in the U.S., many Republican lawmakers in Congress resisted Wilson’s idea for a League of Nations. Some strongly objected to any treaty that would limit the country’s independence. Others did not want the country to be involved in world issues at all.So Wilson began a trip across the U.S. to raise public support for the League of Nations. He traveled more than 15,000 kilometers in 22 days and gave 29 speeches. Wilson’s doctors warned him that the trip was hard on his health. But Wilson was firm about pressuring Senate Republicans to adopt the agreement. Finally, he collapsed from exhaustion. Shortly after, he suffered a major stroke. Although he recovered somewhat, he remained partly paralyzed. He rarely appeared in public again.Instead, Wilson communicated to Congress through his wife. When Republicans changed the treaty to deal with their concerns, Wilson told his supporters to reject it. In the end, the U.S. never did join the League of Nations. When a new president, Warren Harding, was sworn-in in 1921, Edith and Woodrow Wilson retired to a house in Washington, D.C. Three years later, the former president died quietly there, finally at peace. I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.   Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.  ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   assert — v. to demand that other people accept or respect (something) opportunity — n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done eliminate — v. to remove; to get rid of  privilege - n. a right or benefit that is given to some people and not to others regulate - v. to make rules or laws that control (something) commercial - adj. related to or used in the buying and selling of goods and services armistice - n. an agreement to stop fighting a war exhaustion - n. the state of being extremely tired paralyzed - adj. unable to move or feel all or part of the body  

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Why We Take ‘Selfies’

  Why do people take “selfies?” Researchers at Syracuse University in New York tried to answer that question. They came up with some surprising answers. People who post selfies and use editing software to make themselves look better show behavior connected to narcissism, the Syracuse researchers said. Narcissists are people who think very highly of themselves, especially how they look. Ji Won Kim, a doctoral student at the university’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, worked on the study. She said because social media can be superficial, it is a good place for people to “work towards satisfying their own vanity.” By superficial, she means social media is mostly used by people to share unimportant information about their lives -- not deeply personal issues. There are other reasons, besides narcissism, that people post selfies. People who post group selfies show a need for popularity and a need to belong to a group, the Syracuse University research found. Other findings from the study include: There are no major differences on how often men and women post selfies and how often they use editing software. But men who post selfies showed more of a need to be seen as popular than women who posted selfies. The Newhouse School’s Associate Professor Makana Chock worked on the study. She said selfies should not be seen as completely negative. She said some people feel “peer pressure” to post selfies. And some follow the popular belief that if there is no picture of an event or experience, it did not really happen. Chock said posting selfies on social media is not all that different from what people have done for many years. On trips and special events, our parents and grandparents used cameras instead of phones to take photos. Before social media, people would bring back photos to show friends and family. You had no choice but to look at them. If you are a nice person, you commented about how nice everyone in the photos looked, especially children and the person showing the photos. That was the old way of “clicking” like. On social media, it is a different experience. People can decide not to look at photos of their friends and family -- even if they click “like” or even “love” under the Facebook selfie. Using social media to post photos is pretty new. Facebook did not start until 2004. Instagram started in 2010. It was not until 2013 that the Oxford English language dictionary added the term “selfies.” It defined selfie as “a photograph that one has taken of oneself.” Here is how the Syracuse researchers did their study. They questioned 260 people, aged 18 to 65, and almost evenly divided between men and women. To determine narcissism, people were asked if they agreed with personality traits connected to narcissism. For example, people were asked if they agreed with statements such as, “I like to be the center of attention” and “I like having authority over people.” To determine if those in the study had a need to be seen as popular, people were asked if they agreed with these statements: “It’s important that people think I’m popular” and “I often do things just to be popular with people at school.” I'm Bruce Alpert.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Do you take “selfies.” What kind of photos do you show on social media? ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   selfie - n. a picture that you take of yourself especially by using the camera on your smartphone post - v. to add a message or phone to an online site editing software - n. computer equipment to help you change a person’s appearance in photos vanity - n. the quality of people who have too much pride in their own appearance, abilities, achievements peer pressure - n. a feeling that you must do the same things as other people of your age and social group in order to be liked or respected by them trait - n. a quality that makes one person or thing different from another authority - n. the power to give orders or make decisions  

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Could Carbon Farming Help Slow Rising Temperatures?

  Earth’s atmosphere is in trouble. Scientists have linked rising temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere to carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases. When people burn coal or other fossil fuels, it releases carbon dioxide and other gasses into the air, causing the planet to heat up. Most scientists warn that conditions will get worse unless something is done soon.  Among those trying to find a solution is a volunteer group of scientists and farmers in the United States. The group, called the Marin Carbon Project, says it has found a proven way to slow the rise in temperatures — and possibly reverse it. John Wick and his wife own the Nicasio Native Grass Ranch in Marin County, California. He helped to set up the Marin Carbon Project. Wick says the project could help save the world from climate change. He notes that when you stand in the sunshine on a nice day, it is hard to know the Earth is in trouble. "But when scientists measure it and see the effect of it, and watch the ocean die-off and everything happening, this is scary as hell. And, then, we have evidence that there might be something that could stop that. And, then, we had measurement of something that holds promise to actually reverse it." What is that something he is talking about? Carbon farming. It uses processed compost to cool the Earth. The compost comes from cut grass, dead plants or other organic material, which have been shown to improve the soil. Jeff Creque, an ecologist, developed a theory that processed compost can help control rising temperatures. He says what we need to do is increase the amount of carbon that agriculture captures. "Agriculture is the art of moving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to the vegetation to the soil and, then, back again. If we can increase the rate of carbon capture and decrease the rate of carbon loss, we can actually begin to bend that Keeling curve of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in the other direction, which is what we need to achieve."    Here is how Creque and Wick tested their idea. In December of 2008, they worked in a test area on Wick’s ranch that had lost carbon from the soil. They covered the land with one and a quarter centimeters of processed compost. This area was next to another test area without compost. Farm animals lived on both plots of land. The two men wanted to see if the compost-treated land would pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and take in carbon during photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is in the presence of light. Creque says putting down compost just once on the farmland provided far better results than what they had expected. He says if you use this method across four million hectares of crop land, large amounts of carbon dioxide would be taken from the atmosphere. The gas would end up back in the soil and be kept there. Creque explains that having the carbon dioxide in the ground would help the soil, working “to produce crops and to hold onto water.” “So, the water implications of this, particularly for a state like California - but really across the American West and much of the arid regions of the world - increasing soil organic matter  what little bit of rain we do get - allows us to hang on to that and make better use of it." Rancher John Wick is happy with the results of the Marin Carbon Project’s experiments. He believes carbon farming could make a big difference, if the method was used by many people around the world. "The implications of this globally are that we can actually cool planet earth, should increase production of food and fiber, fuel and flora in a way that actually enhances the resources. So the more you do, the more you can do. It's the most exciting thing ever." But other people are not so sure about that. Tom Hedt works for the U.S. government’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He agrees that compost helps capture carbon in the soil and takes some carbon dioxide out of the air. But it is just one of many land management practices that NRCS advises to help both the soil and the air. Others include crop cover, less tilling -- or turning over the soil in between crop planting -- and planting trees and smaller plants. Hedt says every plot of land is different. And he says more research needs to be done to know the effectiveness of carbon farming and whether the Marin Carbon Project's findings would be true in larger areas. "It's an emerging issue. There are some people that are very excited about it. Yeah, there's dangers of taking a few plots and just doing the math. Multiplication is pretty easy, but the site-by-site prescriptions are much more complicated than that." He says the findings show enough promise that last year, four-year long field trials were started on a number of range and grasslands throughout California. The 14 trials will run to test the use of compost for carbon farming on different kinds of lands. I’m Anne Ball. Jan Sluizer reported this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Quiz Now, test your understanding with this short quiz. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   reverse – v. to change (something) to an opposite state or condition scary as hell – phrase. very frightening (hell is the place where the devil lives, according to some religions ecologist – n. a scientist who deals with relationships between groups of living things and their environments Keeling Curve – n. a graph that shows the ongoing change in concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere since the 1950s. implication – n. what shows something or someone with close connections or involvement with something arid – adj. have very little rain or water, very dry flora – n. all the plants that live in a particular area, time, period, or environment enhance – v. to increase or improve

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American Women Debate Safety of Nuclear Power

  Kristin Zaitz believes that her nuclear power plant is safe. Zaitz is an engineering manager at Diablo Canyon Power Plant, California's only working nuclear power center. She believes it is so safe that she worked there during both of her pregnancies. She has also gone diving in waters off the California coast to inspect the plant. Zaitz wears jewelry with a small piece of uranium inside, something that often leads to questions about nuclear power. In a few years, Diablo Canyon will suspend operations, like many nuclear plants around the country. A combination of lower natural gas prices and efforts to cut energy waste has reduced the need for nuclear power in recent years. There have also been concerns about public safety. Worldwide, nuclear plants have been in operation for less than 60 years. Yet, there have been major environmental disasters connected to three nuclear plants: Fukushima Dai-ichi in Japan; Chernobyl in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union); and Three Mile Island in the United States. In addition to the possibility of power plant accidents, critics of nuclear note that its waste can remain dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. Nuclear is 'cleaner' than coal and gas But supporters of nuclear, like Kristin Zaitz, say it is clean, safe and good for the environment. And, they argue that, when a nuclear plant closes, not enough wind and solar power is available to replace it. They are unhappy that power companies often move to coal and natural gas, which produce environmentally harmful emissions. Together, Zaitz and her coworker Heather Matteson, a reactor operator, started a non-profit group called Mothers for Nuclear. The group hopes to prove to Americans that nuclear power is better for the environment than some alternative energy sources.   Matteson says, when she took the job at Diablo Canyon, she was afraid of nuclear. “And it took me six to seven years to really feel like, okay this is something good for the environment. I don't want other people to take six years making that decision, and we don't have that long.” Like Zaitz, Matteson also wears uranium jewelry in hopes of speaking with others about nuclear energy. “Nuclear is fun,” she said. She said her jewelry produces less radiation than a banana. Women seen as powerful voices Nuclear industry experts say that women in the industry can be powerful voices for nuclear. They say these women can help influence other women about the value of nuclear energy. At the recent U.S. Women in Nuclear conference in San Francisco, women working in the industry talked about how to demonstrate the value of nuclear power. Heather Matteson says she and others think women may be the right people to do this. “As mothers, I think we also have an important role to play in letting the public know that we support nuclear for the future and for our children." Their message is that nuclear energy is cleaner than coal or gas because it does not release heat-trapping gases into Earth’s atmosphere. And, that message is aimed at women. Industry experts say that women who support nuclear are seen as more believable than men. But critics of nuclear energy say it doesn't matter who is expressing support for it. Kendra Klein is a scientist with Friends of the Earth, an environmental group. “Using mothers' voices to argue for a technology that is fundamentally dangerous and that has been demonstrated by disasters like Fukushima to be not safe for the communities that surround nuclear power plants or even cities that are hundreds of miles away is disingenuous.” Still, some younger women are looking to careers in the nuclear industry. Lenka Kollar works for NuScale, an Oregon business that designs and markets small nuclear reactors. “I went into this wanting to do something good for the world, wanting to bring power to people. There are still over a billion people in the world that don't have access to electricity.” While the future of nuclear power in the United States may be unclear, the women here say they have a positive story to tell. I'm Alice Bryant.   Michelle Quinn wrote this story for VOA News. Alice Bryant adapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   power plant – n. a building or group of buildings in which electricity for a large area is produced uranium – n. a radioactive element that is used to make nuclear energy and nuclear weapons solar – adj. of or relating to the sun emission – n. the act of producing or sending out something (such as gas) alternative energy – n. any electrical power produced by energy sources other than coal and gas fundamentally – adv. at the simplest level reactor – n. a large device at nuclear power plants to produce nuclear-based energy

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