Debate!

Should states limit the use of plastic bags?

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Several cities around the country have either banned single-use plastic bags or imposed a fee for their use.

For most people, plastic bags are a staple of any shopping trip. They might seem like an innocent way to tote groceries, but disposing these bags can be harmful for the environment.

It is estimated that the world uses about 500 billion plastic bags each year and fewer than 3% are recycled. Plastic bags that end up in oceans and beaches are harmful to fish, birds, and other animals. As a result, cities and states have been trying, for years, to find a way to get people to cut back on using plastic bags.

This year, New York City was prepared to add a 5-cent tax on the use of paper or plastic bags in stores. But, on February 14, New York Governor Andrea Cuomo signed legislation that blocked the tax. It wasn’t much of a Valentine’s gift to Mother Earth. Cuomo said the tax idea was “deeply flawed” because it would have allowed storeowners to keep the money from the tax instead of putting it toward environmental efforts. Cuomo announced plans to create a task force to look into the plastic-bag problem. By the end of the year, the task force may suggest a statewide ban of plastic bags, a tax on them, or sometime entirely new.

“It is a statewide challenge,” Cuomo said. “As such, a statewide solution is the most appropriate way to address this issue.”

A Widespread Issue

Several cities around the country have either banned single-use plastic bags or imposed a fee for their use. In Washington, D.C., the charge is 5 cents per bag. Since the fee started there, the number of plastic bags on the streets and waterways dropped by 60%.

Seattle, Washington, has banned plastic carryout bags and charges a minimum of 5 cents for paper. Chicago, Illinois, will soon add a 7-cent tax on paper and plastic bags.

Hearing Both Sides

In New York, some politicians who opposed a tax say it puts too much stress on low-income citizens and working families. They argue that those people need the extra nickel to spend on food, not on bags.

At an Albany legislative meeting, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke in favor of the tax. He said people using food stamps to buy food would not have to pay the tax. In addition, the city planned to give out thousands of reusable bags for free.

State Senator Simcha Felder of Brooklyn opposed the tax. New Yorkers are already “over taxed, over fined, over ticketed,” he said. "New Yorkers are tired of being insulted," he added. "If government doesn't have a way to fix something, it's 'no problem: tax [it]!'"

New York City Councilman Brad Lander is one of the sponsors of the bag fee bill. He said council members spent two years researching a way to handle the 91,000 tons of solid waste caused by plastic bags in the city each year. "We fought plastic bags, and for now, plastic bags won," he said. "They are stubborn and toxic forms of solid waste. They never biodegrade, so they pollute our trees, oceans, and landfills forever."

What do you think? Should states limit the use of plastic bags?

Introducing Zealandia

Scientists think New Zealand might be part of a lost underwater continent

GEORGE CLERK—GETTY IMAGES

New Zealand is made up of many small islands, but geologists say they’re all connected by one underwater continent.

A group of geologists believes New Zealand and several surrounding islands, including New Caledonia, should be reclassified as part of an eighth continent called Zealandia. The archipelago, or group of islands, is currently grouped with Australia in the Australasia region. But scientists think there is enough geological evidence to give New Zealand its own continent designation.

The islands are connected by submerged continental crust. That crust, or outermost layer of earth, is separate and distinct from Australia and Antarctica. About 94% of that 1.9 million-square-mile land mass (approximately the area of India) is underwater. Still, the geologists argue that the area should count as its own continent. “Zealandia illustrates that the large and obvious in natural science can be overlooked,” researchers wrote in their study of the region, called "Zealandia: Earth’s Hidden Continent.” It was published in the Geological Society of America's journal, GSA Today.

ZDENKA SIMEOVA—GETTY IMAGES

New Zealand is home to dramatic landscapes like these craggy peaks on South Island.

Building a Case

The geologists hail from New Zealand, New Caledonia, and the cities of Melbourne and Sydney, in Australia. They spent more than two decades gathering enough data to make the case for Zealandia.

They argue that if Earth’s surface was mapped the way other planets have been—that is, without massive oceans to obscure landforms—Zealandia would long ago have been recognized as a continent. “If we could pull the plug on the oceans, it would be clear to everyone we have mountain chains and a big high-standing continent above the ocean crust,” Nick Mortimer told the news agency Reuters. He is a geologist for the New Zealand government and the study’s lead author.

The conclusion of the study makes a similar point. "Based on various lines of geological and geophysical evidence, particularly those accumulated in the last two decades,” it states, “ … Zealandia is not a collection of partly submerged continental fragments but is a coherent … continent."

Scientists are always trying to discover how our world works. Do you think it is possible that we could have a new continent based off of the information in the article?

Hand-Raising Kash

A tiger cub gets the royal treatment.

His name is Kashtan, which means chestnut in Russian. But they call him Kash for short. The Amur tiger cub and his three sisters were born in September at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin.

A month after the cubs’ birth, Kash developed an infection, as did one of his sisters, who died. Kash was sent to the zoo’s hospital for about two weeks. “That’s a little too long for him to be put back with his mother,” said Katie Kuhn, area supervisor of Big Cat Country at the zoo.

Initially, Kuhn and the other keepers were concerned that Kash’s mother, Amba, might not allow him to be removed each day for feedings that would keep him alive. Later, they feared that Amba would reject Kash since he had been sick.

To keep Kash alive, the keepers hand-fed him nutrients that his mother otherwise would have provided. Amur tigers are endangered, so helping to keep Kash alive is particularly important.

The keepers spent 16 hours a day with Kash, feeding him six bottles each day. He now eats horse meatballs and is able to spend time with his surviving sisters, Eloise and Bernadette. He is learning how to hunt and socialize. “He needs to learn when another tiger is telling him to back off,” Kuhn said.

I asked Kuhn if Kash has a favorite toy. He likes boat buoys, she said, “because they’re soft, and it’s like he’s killing a prey.”

GROWING UP

Many people might think that Kash and his sisters look like puppies. But Kuhn says, “They’re definitely not puppies. A bite from one of these guys, even at 4 months old, would probably send me to the hospital.”

Will there come a time when the zookeepers will have to stop hand-feeding Kash?

“Oh, for sure,” Kuhn said. “We’re playing it day by day. We usually stop going in with [normal tiger cubs] when they’re about 3 months old. Because we’ve been with Kash for so long, we still feel comfortable going into the enclosure.”

That may not last long. “With each passing day,” Kuhn said, “we’re definitely cutting back our presence with him.”

Would you ever want to raise a baby tiger? Why or why not?

Clever Cats

A new study finds that cats may be just as smart as dogs

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A new study has found that cats match dogs in some memory tests.

Cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, according to a new Japanese study published in the journal Behavioural Processes. The study findings suggest that cats are just as smart as dogs, researchers say.

The study was conducted using 49 domestic cats and different bowls of food. The findings shows that cats can recall memories of positive experiences, such as eating a delicious snack. The experiment was a test of episodic memory, or memory of past events and experiences that occur at a particular time and place. It was modeled off of a similar 2012 study conducted on dogs.

Kyoto University psychologist Saho Takagi told BBC News that both cats and dogs may have episodic memory similar to that of humans. “Episodic memory is viewed as being related to introspective function of the mind,” Takagi said. “Our study may imply a type of consciousness in cats.”

A Feline Study

In one phase of the experiment, cats were led to four open containers of food, and were permitted to eat from two of them. After fifteen minutes passed, the containers were replaced with empty ones, and the same cats returned to the room in search of food. Here, researchers found that they spent more time exploring those containers from which they had already eaten than others.

That cats were able to remember “what” and “where” information about the food bowls suggests they have episodic memory. Still, it’s unclear whether cats can experience past memories in the same depth that humans do.

“It’s hard to know if the cats actually subjectively remember the experience of going to that particular bowl, such as the colors and the sounds,” Nick Diamond told TFK. He is a researcher at the University of Toronto and Rotman Research Institute. “So when we study [episodic memory] in animals, scientists tend to boil it down to the what, the where, and the when without getting into the experience of what the animal is remembering, which is certainly tough to figure out.”

Still, the study’s results may have practical applications. “It opens the door to new studies examining how long cats’ memories can be,” Yale University Professor Laurie Santos told BBC News, “and whether they also remember richer episodes in their own life as humans do.”

Do you think cats are as smart as dogs? Why or why not?

Bye Bye Bao Bao

SARAH L. VOISIN—THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

Bye Bye Bao Bao

The National Zoo in Washington, D.C., is saying goodbye to 3-year-old panda Bao Bao. She is headed to China. The 16-hour direct flight to Chengdu will be loaded with the bear’s favorite foods, including 55 pounds of bamboo, five pounds of apples, and two pounds of sweet potatoes. “Most of the flight, we hope she’s going to eat,” said panda keeper Marty Dearie, who will be joining Bao Bao on the trip. Dearie says pandas spend 13 to 16 hours a day eating.

Bao Bao has been preparing for the trip since her birth in 2013. From a very young age, trainers have taught her behaviors that will allow Chinese keepers to care for her. Bao Bao will eventually join China’s panda breeding program. The departure is “bittersweet,” said Laurie Thompson, assistant curator of giant pandas at the National Zoo. But she believes Bao Bao is ready for the trip. “We’ve done our part, and we’re ready to send her to China so she can have her own babies someday.”

Do you think it is fair that the National Zoo has to give Bao Bao, the panda back to China? Why or why not?

Big Backpacks Equal Big Problems

Experts say heavy backpacks are a health risk for kids 

JAMIE GRILL—JGI/GETTY IMAGES

Kids line up to get on a school bus.

Like little turtles with limbs poking out from their shells, kids shuffle their way to school every day wearing giant backpacks. Even high school students have to bend forward to lug their heavy books and binders to and from school. It’s frustrating and looks a little silly, but is it dangerous?

Yes, say many experts. “Kids are saying ‘My back hurts, my neck and my shoulders hurt,’” says Dr. Karen Jacobs, a clinical professor at Boston University. “A heavy backpack can also contribute to headaches and problems concentrating at school.”

Jacobs is also a spokesperson for the American Occupational Therapy Association, which sponsors a national school backpack awareness day on September 16. She says crowded schools and less locker space may be making backpacks bigger. “Since at least 1998, we’ve noticed backpacks getting bigger and heavier, and not in proportion to the kids’ sizes,” Jacobs says.

Reporting Back Pain

A 2010 study from the University of California, San Diego, concluded, “backpack loads are responsible for a significant amount of back pain in children.” The same study says a full third of kids ages 11 to 14 report back pain. Other research from 2011 came to a similar conclusion.

Like the frame of a house, the spine is what keeps bodies sturdy and upright. Put too much weight on this frame while a young body is still developing, and it could change a child’s posture, compress the spine, and impair growth, says Rob Danoff, a doctor of osteopathic medicine with Philadelphia’s Aria Health System. “It also might contribute to back problems or injuries when the child’s older,” he says.

Backpack Tips

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Experts warn against wearing a heavy backpack, like the one shown here.

Danoff says proper fit and design are important to relieve pressure from the spine and shoulders. You want a backpack that’s made for your size. Padded shoulder straps and a cushioned back will also prevent aches and pains. Small roller bags are an option, but some schools do not allow them because they pose tripping hazards, or may litter classroom aisles or hallways in the event of a fire.

How heavy is too heavy? “As a general rule, research shows the backpack should be no more than 10 to 20 % of a child’s body weight to avoid pain or potential injury,” Jacobs says. “We like to recommend 10 %.” For an elementary school child who weighs just 50 or 60 pounds, a couple textbooks and lunch could push a pack beyond the safe threshold. For that reason, Jacobs says it’s important that kids are carrying only what they need. “We’ve noticed that students are taking lots and lots of water to school with them, which is a lot of extra weight,” Jacobs says. She recommends packing an empty water bottle and filling it at school. Another tip is to pack the heaviest items in the middle of the pack, closer to the back.

Do you have a very big backpack? Is it ever very heavy when you take it home from school? What do you have in it?

Work on Dakota Access Pipeline Moves Forward

Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline under a North Dakota reservoir has begun, with the full pipeline expected to be operational by May, the developer of the project announced on Thursday. But American Indian activists, who have been protesting the construction of the pipeline for nearly a year, have vowed to continue their efforts in court to stop the work and protect their water supply. On Wednesday, the U.S. Army granted Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) formal permission to lay pipe under Lake Oahe, which will enable the developer to complete the 1,200-mile, $3.8 billion project. The finished pipeline will run from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa, to an existing pipeline in Illinois. As TFK reported, protests against the project have centered on a section of the pipeline that will run near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation. Work was stalled for months due to opposition from the tribe and its supporters. In January, President Donald Trump instructed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which controls the land on which the pipeline is being built, to advance construction on the project.

Do you think the Dakota Pipeline is a good idea? Is the risks involved worth it?

California’s Dam Danger

A mass evacuation follows warnings that the country’s tallest dam could fail

Authorities in Northern California ordered nearly 200,000 people to evacuate towns near Lake Oroville on Sunday afternoon. The 770-foot-tall Oroville Dam—the tallest dam in the United States—was reported to be in danger of

overflowing, which could spell disaster for residents in the area. Officials warned that if the dam failed, it could send a 30-foot wall of water into the communities below the lake.

The evacuation order came after engineers spotted a hole in the Oroville Dam and told authorities that the dam could fail within the hour.

Lake Oroville, which lies about 150 miles northeast of San Francisco, is one of California's largest man-made lakes. It is a central piece of the state’s government-run water network, supplying water for agriculture in the Central Valley and residents and businesses in Southern California. In recent weeks, the lake has swelled after a series of storms that dumped rain and snow across the state. On Saturday, the lake’s water levels were so high that the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway was used for the first time since it was built nearly 50 years ago. A spillway is a passage for surplus water to run over or around a dam.

Sounding the Alarm

California Governor Jerry Brown issued an emergency order about the dam. "The state is directing all necessary personnel and resources to deal with this very serious situation,” he said in a statement on Sunday.

The sudden evacuation panicked residents who scrambled to gather their belongings and get to safety. Kaysi and Greg Levias, from Yuba City, packed their car with everything they could fit inside the trunk—mostly clothes and blankets, according to Kaysi.

"We've never been through this before,” she said. “We have two boys and our dog." Everything the family left behind in their apartment was piled as high as possible, in the hope that the items would not get flooded.

As the evacuation continued across the region, many residents grew angry as they sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours.

“You can’t even move,” Raj Gill said. Gill, who manages a Shell gas station, said his boss told him to close the station and flee himself. But he stayed open to feed a steady line of customers. "I'm trying to get out of here too. I'm worried about the flooding. I've seen the pictures—that's a lot of water."

A Red Cross spokesperson said more than 500 people showed up at an evacuation center in Chico, California. The shelter had run out of blankets and cots. A tractor-trailer with 1,000 more cots was stuck in the traffic of those fleeing the potential flooding, said Red Cross shelter manager Pam Deditch.

The threat appeared to ease somewhat on Monday, however. Engineers do not know what caused the cave-in in the Oroville Dam. But Chris Orrock, a spokesman for California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR), said it appears the dam’s main spillway has stopped crumbling even though it is being used for water releases.

Rescue Efforts

On Sunday, the California National Guard put out a notification to all of its 23,000 soldiers and airmen to be ready to deploy. It is the first time an alert for the entire California National Guard had been issued since 1992. At least 250 state police officers were posted near the dam and along evacuation routes to help people exiting the area. A California Highway Patrol spokesman said two planes would fly Monday to help with traffic control and possible search-and-rescue missions.

By Sunday night, officials announced that water levels in Oroville Lake had decreased and that water was no longer spilling over the damaged area of the dam. But they warned that the threat was not over.

"There is still a lot of unknowns," Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said. "We need to continue to lower the lake levels and we need to give the Department of Water Resources time to fully evaluate the situation so we can make the decision to whether or not it is safe to repopulate the area."

Why is there so much concern about the dam in California? What is something that can be done to help the area?

Happy Lunar New Year!

The Year of the Rooster begins with parades, fireworks, and family gatherings.

Happy Lunar New Year! On January 28, people around the world welcomed the Year of the Rooster with parades, dances, and fireworks displays. Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year in China, Taiwan, and many countries in Southeast Asia.

“Before [the new year] begins, we clean our houses to sweep away the dust of bad fortune and be ready to welcome good luck,” said Luna Yang of Guangzhou, China. “Then we decorate with lots of flowers. Guangzhou is famous for its amazing flower fairs.”

FAMILY GATHERINGS

Before the lunar new year begins, an estimated 1.5 billion people return to their hometowns to be with their families.

“Being together and having a feast with the entire family is the most important thing,” said Ning Ma, pointing to her husband, children, parents, and sister.

“On the eve of the new year, my family gathers together and has a countdown that ends at midnight,” said 10-year-old Angus Chen. “Then we have a huge dinner with traditional Chinese food.”

Favorite new year dishes include fish, dumplings, and rice. Angus also enjoys another tradition associated with the holiday. “I usually receive red envelopes from my relatives,” he said.

Red envelopes, known as hong bao in China, are filled with “lucky money” and good wishes. Some teens now have red envelope apps on their phones so that their relatives can transfer cash electronically.

Since red is thought to bring good luck, homes are typically covered with red decorations, and many people dress in red.

THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, begins on the second new moon after the start of the winter solstice. The holiday lasts for 15 days, the amount of time it takes to complete a lunar cycle. (The Western calendar, which starts on the first day of January, is a sun-based calendar.)

Twelve animals make up the Chinese Zodiac, a type of calendar. In order, they are: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. According to one folktale, the ox was supposed to be first, but the rat jumped on his back and leaped ahead of him.

Happy Chinese New Year!  How do people celebrate the Chinese New Year? Would you want to attend one of the parades?

A Super Bowl Classic

The New England Patriots defeat the Atlanta Falcons in the first ever Super Bowl to go to overtime.

The 51st Super Bowl had something the first 50 didn’t: a tie score after 60 minutes of play. The New England Patriots

needed overtime to defeat the Atlanta Falcons in a thrilling comeback victory, 34-28. It is New England’s fifth Super Bowl championship.

The game was played at NRG stadium in Houston, Texas. And for most of it, the Falcons were in control. Leading 28-3 at one point, Atlanta looked like it was on its way to the team’s first-ever Super Bowl victory. But led by quarterback Tom Brady, New England stormed back to tie the game with only a minute left. The game then went to overtime for the first time in Super Bowl history.

New England won the overtime coin toss and got the ball first in the extra period. They moved down the field quickly. From the two-yard line, Brady handed the ball to running back James White. White put his head down and pushed his way into the end zone for the winning touchdown. His teammates immediately started celebrating one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

A STUNNING COMEBACK

No team in history had ever won a Super Bowl after trailing by 10 points. New England came back from 25 points down, setting a Super Bowl record.

Brady, 39, was named the Super Bowl’s most valuable player, the fourth time he has won the award. That is a new National Football League record. He threw the ball 62 times, completing 43 passes for 466 yards; the number of passes thrown and the yardage gained are both Super Bowl records. But more important, he stayed calm even as Atlanta opened up a large lead. New England was losing 21-3 at halftime, but Brady did not panic.

“At halftime, I would say we weren’t down at all,” Brady said. “We were disappointed in the way we played, and we knew that we could go out and do a lot better in the second half.”

ONE FOR THE AGES

As good as Brady was, the most memorable play of the game belonged to his teammate, wide receiver Julian Edelman. Late in the fourth quarter, Brady threw a pass that was tipped up into the air by an Atlanta defender. As the ball fell to the ground, Edelman dove for it—and so did three Falcons. The ball seemed to bounce off a tangle of legs and hands, but Edelman cradled it at the last moment, when it was barely an inch off the ground.

As Edelman stood up with the ball, even his quarterback was impressed. “It was one of the greatest catches I’ve ever seen,” Brady said.

Four plays later, the Patriots would tie the game and force overtime.

For Atlanta’s players and fans, it was a heartbreaking end to the season. They had the league’s best offense during the regular season, led by quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan had won the league’s regular-season MVP award, and he played very well for most of the Super Bowl. But after a season to remember, his team came up just short in a game that few will forget.

Talking about his team’s incredible comeback, New England wide receiver Chris Hogan said, “This is a story they’re going to be talking about for history.”

Did you see the Superbowl? Which team were you rooting for?

Kids Who Fought for Change

Kids Who Fought for Change

Sixty years ago, a group of kids helped end segregation in Oklahoma City.

On a hot August day in 1958, 7-year-old Ayanna Najuma and her friends walked into Katz

Drug Store in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They sat down at the lunch counter and tried to order food, but the waitresses ignored them. The kids sat there for hours.

No one would wait on Ayanna and her friends for one reason: They were African-American. This was one of many restaurants in the South that refused to serve black people at the time.

Ayanna and the 12 other kids knew they wouldn’t be served. But they actually weren’t there to eat. They were there to stand up against injustice (unfair treatment). They were working to end segregation—the practice of keeping black people separate from white people. With some help from adults, the kids held a protest called a sit-in. “We said to each other, ‘We want a change. Why wait? Let’s do it now,’” Ayanna recalls.

TROUBLED TIMES

Growing up, Ayanna was used to the unjust treatment of black people. Racism has a long history in the U.S., beginning with slavery. Even after slavery was banned in the U.S. in 1865, other forms of racism continued. African-Americans were still treated cruelly. One example of this mistreatment was segregation. Such forms of mistreatment were common, and legal, in many states, especially in the South.

For kids like Ayanna, life with segregation was all they knew. But in 1958, while on a bus trip to New York City, Ayanna and her friends noticed that life was different for black people in the North. There were no signs that designated (set apart for a specific purpose) water fountains “For Whites Only.” Black people and white people ate at the same restaurants and lived in the same neighborhoods.

The kids wanted Oklahoma City to be more like New York City, so they decided to do something about it. Many Americans took similar actions against racism in the 1950s and 1960s. These protests were a big part of what became known as the civil rights movement.

KID POWER

On the first day of the sit-in, Ayanna and the other kids sat at the lunch counter until the restaurant closed for the night. No one ever took their order. So the kids went back the next day. That’s when the situation grew tense. Some white customers yelled at the kids, and others threw ketchup on them. Through it all, the kids remained peaceful and polite.

During the third day of their sit-in, the kids got good news. The owners of the store agreed to start serving black customers at the lunch counter. “It was a big deal,” Ayanna remembers. “It was a slam dunk to be able to sit there and have a hamburger and Coke.”

Ayanna and her friends weren’t done, though. For six years, they took part in sit-ins at other restaurants in Oklahoma. One by one, many of the restaurants became integrated (including people of all races). Their last sit-in took place in 1964. That same year, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. The law made segregation illegal throughout the U.S. Ayanna and the other kids were proud to do their part to bring about change in their hometown—and their nation.

“Even though I was little, my voice was just as important as everyone else’s voice,” Ayanna says.

Kids have been making history for some time. What was something that Ayanna Najuma did to help end segregation? Would you have done anything differently?

Saving Africa’s Elephants

This map shows how the range of African elephants shrank from 1979 to 2012.

Jim McMahon

A Kenya Wildlife Service ranger watches over the burning of ivory tusks at the Nairobi National Park in Kenya.

CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Almost 1,500 pounds of ivory items like these have been confiscated and destroyed in China since 2014.

WU HONG/EPA/Redux

China bans the trading of ivory to help protect elephants.

Last month, the worldwide effort to save elephants took a big step forward when China banned the buying and selling of ivory, which comes from elephant tusks. China, the world’s largest market for ivory, is the latest country to outlaw the ivory business. In July 2016, the United States toughened its laws on trading ivory.

The goal of these bans is to help save Africa’s elephants before they become extinct. Global demand for ivory leads to tens of thousands of elephants being killed each year for their tusks. This latest move by China is partly the result of an agreement it made with the U.S. in 2015. That year, President Barack Obama and China’s president pledged to work together to end the ivory trade in their countries.

Wildlife conservation groups have praised both countries’ actions. Carter Roberts, the president of the World Wildlife Fund, stated that China’s ivory ban “is a game changer for elephant conservation.”

The End of Elephants?

At one time, African elephants numbered in the millions. Today, experts estimate that fewer than 500,000 are left. Years of illegal hunting by poachers have put elephants at risk of vanishing. A survey released this past August called the Great Elephant Census shows just how dire (extremely serious) the situation is. The number of Africa’s savanna elephants dropped by one-third since 2007. “Sadly, wherever these animals exist in the wild, they are threatened,” says Andrea Heydlauff, who works for a conservation group called 500 Elephants.

To help save elephants, nations around the world signed an agreement in 1989. That made it illegal to buy or sell most ivory taken from elephants after that year. But these rules haven’t stopped poachers. Every day, about 100 elephants in Africa are killed for their tusks. Poachers shoot or poison elephants. They then saw off the tusks, leaving the dead bodies behind. Most of the tusks are smuggled (illegally transported) by ship from Africa to ports in Asia. About 70 percent of illegal ivory ends up in China. There, it has sold for as much as $1,500 per pound.

What’s so special about ivory? It’s a symbol of wealth in Asia, where it’s carved into jewelry, statues, and household items like combs and chopsticks. Some people use crushed ivory in medicines, mistakenly believing it has healing powers.

Ivory isn’t in high demand only in Asia. The U.S. is the second-largest market for ivory. The U.S. law passed in 2016 states that most ivory sold here must be at least 100 years old. That is meant to discourage poachers from continuing to kill elephants for their ivory.

Hope for the Future

Worldwide, authorities have had some success in cracking down on the illegal ivory trade. In 2015, they seized, or captured, 32 tons of illegal ivory. A number of countries have burned any illegal ivory they were storing. Last year, officials in the African nation of Kenya burned 105 tons of captured ivory, seized by the authorities over several years. According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, it came from more than 8,000 elephants. Destroying tusks may seem like a strange way to help save elephants, but it sends a powerful message to poachers, smugglers, and anyone who buys illegal ivory.

“Ivory is beautiful, but it comes from dead elephants,” explains James Deutsch, who was part of the team that conducted the Great Elephant Census. “Wouldn’t we rather have elephants in the world than ivory?”

Do you think China's ban on ivory will help save the elephants? Why or why not?

Making a Splash

In November, a humpback whale spent a week in the Hudson River. This photo shows it swimming in the waters near midtown Manhattan.

AP Photo/Craig Ruttle

A humpback calf swims with its mother. Humpback whales only give birth about every two or three years.

Mike Parry/ Minden Pictures

Efforts to save humpback whales pay off

BY AMY BARTH

Imagine looking out your window and seeing a whale swim by. That’s the sight that’s greeted some surprised New York City residents recently. In the past year, humpback whales have been spotted in the two rivers that surround the island of Manhattan, the Hudson River and the East River. Last December, one even swam past Gracie Mansion, where New York City’s mayor lives.

Why are these massive mammals—they can weigh up to 80,000 pounds—hanging around the big city? Experts say that river cleanup efforts have improved water quality and led to an increase in the number of fish there. Fish are on the humpback’s menu. The extra food in the rivers is likely what’s attracting the whales. The sightings are also an encouraging sign that conservation efforts are helping humpback whales rebound. In 1973, the species was listed as endangered (in danger of becoming extinct). Now scientists say humpbacks are making a comeback.

HUMPBACK COMEBACK

By the middle of the 20th century, commercial whaling (hunting whales for profit) had nearly wiped out many whale species, including humpback whales. In 1973, the U.S. created the Endangered Species Act, and included humpback whales and other whale species on its list of endangered species. People were no longer allowed to hunt them in U.S. waters. In 1982, the International Whaling Commission made commercial whaling illegal worldwide.

These efforts to save whales are paying off. In September, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) announced that the populations of nine groups of humpback whales in different areas of the world have increased and that they are no longer endangered. Four groups are still endangered and a fifth is threatened.

“The success story is the result of a lot of hard work and effort over the last 40 years,” says Angela Somma. She is the head of NOAA Fisheries’ endangered species division. “It shows that if species are protected and we address their threats, many of these species can recover.”

GROWING NUMBERS

Today there are about 100,000 humpback whales worldwide. They are doing particularly well in the Southern Hemisphere, the half of Earth that is south of the equator. And the humpback population in Hawaii has made an amazing recovery. In 1966, there were fewer than 1,500 humpbacks there. Today there are about 10,000. But humpbacks in other parts of the world are still struggling. For example, the Arabian Sea population has only about 80 humpbacks.

Scientists say the focus now needs to be on the humpback populations that are still struggling. “We still have work to do,” says Somma. “But with the right protection, the humpback whale populations should continue to grow.”

What are some of the things that people have done to save the humpback whales?

Happy Lunar New Year!

The Year of the Rooster begins with parades, fireworks, and family gatherings.

BY GIONA PRATELLI FOR THE SCHOLASTIC NEWS KIDS PRESS CORPS

Happy Lunar New Year! On January 28, people around the world welcomed the Year of the Rooster with parades, dances, and fireworks displays. Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year in China, Taiwan, and many countries in Southeast Asia.

“Before [the new year] begins, we clean our houses to sweep away the dust of bad fortune and be ready to welcome good luck,” said Luna Yang of Guangzhou, China. “Then we decorate with lots of flowers. Guangzhou is famous for its amazing flower fairs.”

FAMILY GATHERINGS

Before the lunar new year begins, an estimated 1.5 billion people return to their hometowns to be with their families.

“Being together and having a feast with the entire family is the most important thing,” said Ning Ma, pointing to her husband, children, parents, and sister.

“On the eve of the new year, my family gathers together and has a countdown that ends at midnight,” said 10-year-old Angus Chen. “Then we have a huge dinner with traditional Chinese food.”

Favorite new year dishes include fish, dumplings, and rice. Angus also enjoys another tradition associated with the holiday. “I usually receive red envelopes from my relatives,” he said.

Red envelopes, known as hong bao in China, are filled with “lucky money” and good wishes. Some teens now have red envelope apps on their phones so that their relatives can transfer cash electronically.

Since red is thought to bring good luck, homes are typically covered with red decorations, and many people dress in red.

THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year, begins on the second new moon after the start of the winter solstice. The holiday lasts for 15 days, the amount of time it takes to complete a lunar cycle. (The Western calendar, which starts on the first day of January, is a sun-based calendar.)

Twelve animals make up the Chinese Zodiac, a type of calendar. In order, they are: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. According to one folktale, the ox was supposed to be first, but the rat jumped on his back and leaped ahead of him.

What have you learned about Chinese New Year?