In Haiti there is a soccer team unlike any you have ever seen. It is made up of players who have lost legs and arms, mostly during the earthquake in 2010. Just as the players are different, so is their field, called a “pitch.” People live near it. There are pools of water on it. And cows walk by. […]
Children in Western Sumatra love books. An American charity is building libraries around Indonesia including this one in Padang. Fiolisa Anggraini is a student there. “What I like most from this new library is the books, good books … they really can improve my knowledge.” The charity, The World is Just a Book Away, has built many libraries in […]
In 2005, Ryan Follese and Nash Overstreet formed the pop rock band Hot Chelle Rae. In 2011, the band had a hit song called “Tonight Tonight.” It sold over 2 million copies. NASH OVERSTREET: “You know, we released ‘Tonight Tonight’ on Valentine’s Day of 2011 and that year just flew for us. You know, we […]
Uganda’s latest outbreak of Ebola virus is the fourth in recent years. About 200 people died in the biggest outbreak, in 2000. 37 people died in the last outbreak in 2007. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever — it can lead to bleeding inside and outside the body. Symptoms of the disease include high fever, vomiting […]
CW: “So we’re at the grill at the Knights of Columbus swim club and we’re talking to Chris, right?” CHRIS: “Right.” CW: “And, Chris, what have you done with your summer?” CHRIS: “I’ve worked here. I’ve played lacrosse. I’ve played basketball, hung out with friends. Traveled a little bit.” CW: “Where did you travel to? CHRIS: […]
Many people have lettuce in a salad at the beginning of a meal. The ancient Egyptians and Romans had it at the end. Either way, gardening experts say lettuce is one of the easiest vegetables to grow in a garden. There are hundreds of kinds of head and leaf lettuces besides the most popular choices, like […]
Foreign investment in African land is growing. Countries like China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea are leasing or buying millions of hectares to grow food for their people. Research shows that many large land deals lack protections for small farmers. Contracts may guarantee leases for up to ninety-nine years, leaving local people without land for generations. Better […]
A discovery in a laboratory could help lead to new generation of drought-resistant crops. Drought conditions cause plants to produce a stress hormone called abscisic acid. This chemical activates a set of protein molecules called receptors. These receptors then activate a series of changes to help the plant survive. The natural reaction of the receptors is to […]
Pigweed is a weed that spreads fast and grows up to two meters tall. It can overpower cotton and other crops. It comes from the amaranth family and is also known as Palmer amaranth or Palmer’s pigweed. A cultivated version of amaranth is grown for food and medicine in Africa and Asia. In the United […]
Aquaponics is the idea of producing vegetables and fish in the same closed system. It combines aquaculture, or fish farming, with hydroponics, a way to grow plants without soil. Supporters see aquaponics as a way to increase world food supplies and reduce climate change, groundwater pollution and overfishing. Sylvia Bernstein says the idea is as old as nature. […]