GOOGLE EYES THE FUTURE

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Achieve3000, August 27, 2012). In a world filled with laptops and smartphones, the
Internet seems rarely out of arm's reach. Soon, there will be a new way to stay withineyes' reach. Google Inc. is currently
developing a pair of Internet-connected eyeglasses. The device will allow users to go online without having to lift a
finger.

In April 2012, Google announced that it is hard at work creating "Project Glass." Project Glass is a wearable
computer. The company says that the glasses will offer users a hands-free and stylish way to go online—just about
anywhere, anytime. The new device looks like regular eyeglasses. However, there is a small computer screen visible on
a rim above the right eye. While wearing the device,everything from directions to a restaurant to a YouTube video can
appear before the wearer's eyes. Wearers can read text messages while shopping. They can even video chat while
walking around.

Isabelle Olsson is one of the engineers working on Project Glass. Olsson said the glasses are meant to work with people's
senses without blocking them. A news reporter tested the glasses.He watched a video of fireworks on the tiny screen. At
the same time, he talked with people around him.

Project Glass is still being developed. However, the futuristic experiment is moving closer to a public release. In June
2012, an experimental pair of the glasses went on sale. But they were offered only to U.S. computer program
developers. This was during a conference in San Francisco. Developers paid $1,500 to pre-order a pair of the glasses.

Google is counting on the developers. The company hopes they will suggest improvements.Google also wants them to
create programs that will make the glasses even more useful.

"This is new technology, and we really want you to shape it," Sergey Brin told conference attendees. Brin is one of the
people who started Google.

Google offered conference attendees a peek at how the glasses might change the way people use technology. The
company hired skydivers to jump out of a blimp above San Francisco.The skydivers wore the new glasses. Google
wanted to show how the product could create new ways for people to share moments of their lives. The skydivers
parachuted onto the roof of the building where the conference was being held. The crowd inside watched the drop
through the skydivers' eyes in real time.

"We are...pushing the limits," Brin told reporters after the demonstration. "That is our job: to push the edges of
technology into the future."

Not everyone, however, likes the idea of Google's project. Some people see the glasses as just the
latest digital distraction. They argue that the device could make it difficult for people to fully appreciate what is
happening around them. But Google says the glasses will actually make life better. It will be easier to get online. It will
also be easier for people to strike a balance between the virtual and physical worlds.

Brin said that Google still needs to fix a few problems with the glasses. The company also needs to make the battery last
longer. This is so people can wear the glasses all day. If all goes well, the new device is expected to go on sale in 2014.

THE HIGH COST OF FLYING

ATLANTA, Georgia (Achieve3000, August 4, 2006).For the last few years, competition among airlines kept ticket
prices low. However, this has begun to change. Airlines have been steadily raising fares, and many travelers are
willing to pay the price.

Harrell Associates is a company that tracks ticket prices. According to Harrell, fares have risen quite a bit from last
year. Airlines say that the higher prices help make up for soaring fuel costs.

This trend is fairly new. The price of fuel has been rising for years. However, major airlines had beenreluctant to
increase ticket prices. Why? Smaller airlines were offering cheaper fares. Now, though, even the smaller airlines
have raised their prices.

While some larger airlines recently announced fare sales for the fall, the lower fares will not last long. In addition,
they are for a limited number of flights and passengers.

Many travelers are complaining about having to shell out more money. Rob Foster is a nurse.He says that airlines
should make traveling easier on people's wallets. "It's really bad because if you're going on vacation . . . you're
going to pay no matter what," Foster said. "[Airlines have] you just where they want you."

Mike Wagar works in the computer field. Wagar said that he cannot afford to take vacations.When he travels, it is
for business only. "I think that when prices go up, it makes it harder on everyone," he said.

Brian Kelly is a truck driver. Kelly does not blame the airlines. He thinks that the problem is with the oil companies
that charge high fuel prices.

With the higher fares, airlines are beginning to thrive again. High fuel prices have not prevented these companies
from making profits. Most airlines have not made a profit for a long while.

Airlines say that they raised ticket prices because of fuel costs. However, experts say that ticket prices will not drop
even if fuel prices drop. Why not? Sales are brisk, so airlines see no reason to lower fares—and keep them low.

"I think [airlines have] seen that they can fill their planes without having to give away their seats," said one airline
expert. "They're slow learners, but they've gotten there."

THE POWER OF HEAT

KLAMATH FALLS, Oregon (Achieve3000, April 21, 2010). When snow falls on Klamath Falls, Oregon, it piles up
everywhere—except the sidewalks. Snow-free sidewalks are the first sign that this town is like few others.

Klamath Falls has had toasty warm sidewalks since the early 1990s. That's because they are heated with
geothermal energy. This form of energy also heats buildings and greenhouses. It even keeps the lights on at a
college. But how does geothermal energy work? And if it works so well for Klamath Falls, can it be used other
places, too?

What Is Geothermal Energy? 

Geothermal energy takes advantage of the fact that under the earth's surface, things are really cooking. Generally,
the earth's surface is the coolest part of the planet. The earth's coreis the hottest. Magma, or melted rock, moves
through the inside of the earth. This melted rock heats up solid rock. It also heats the water that flows through and
around the rock. To harness geothermal energy, engineers drill wells into these areas. Then they pump the water
out. This hot water can be used to heat buildings or to produce electricity.

Until now, geothermal energy has been used only in certain areas. Why? Special conditions are needed. There
has to be hot rock fairly close to the surface. There has to be water present. And the rock has to have cracks in it
to hold the water

In the city of Klamath Falls, the hot rock and water are close to the earth's surface. It's easy for officials to drill wells
and pump out the hot water.

But what about other places where hot rock and water are not near the surface? Engineers think they can use
geothermal energy there, too. However, it's more difficult. To do this, engineers need to use a
new technology called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). EGS is a different method for obtaining geothermal
energy. How does it work? One form of EGS involves drilling a well thousands of feet (meters) down to reach hot,
dry rock. Then engineers pump water at a very high pressure down the well. This water creates cracks, or
reservoirs, in the rock. Because the rock is hot, the water heats up. Engineers drill another well to bring up the hot
water. This water can be used to heat buildings. Steam from the water can be used to generate electricity.

Other more common energy sources, such as oil and gas, pollute the environment.Geothermal energy does not. In
addition, it does not rely on the sun or the wind as power sources. All it needs is the planet's heat.

Yet geothermal energy accounts for only 0.5 percent of the energy produced in the U.S. The new EGS technology
could be used just about anywhere. But there are a couple problems.First of all, it's expensive, since wells must be
drilled very deep. In addition, cracking the rock can sometimes cause earthquakes.

What Will Happen Next? 

With growing interest in green energy sources, the U.S. government wants to develop geothermal energy. It has
spent hundreds of millions of dollars on geothermal energy projects.

"The goal…is to try to [prove] that a source of energy could be produced at an [affordable] price," said Jacques
Beaudry-Losique of the U.S. Department of Energy.

One project aims to demonstrate that EGS can produce electricity with a reasonable cost and without producing
earthquakes. The government has given $25 million to this project. Others giving millions to the project include the
Internet company Google.

According to one report, EGS could generate a large fraction of the nation's energy needs for centuries to come.

"If we are going to try to achieve a…change in this country, geothermal should be part of [it]," said Jefferson
Tester, a professor at Cornell University. "It's not treated that way. It's typicallyforgotten."

But people in towns like Klamath Falls are very aware of geothermal energy. The town has cut energy costs and
even attracted new businesses. In this way, the community is growing and setting an example of environmentalism
for the rest of the country. But back in the 1990s, when Klamath Falls began using geothermal energy, it was just a
matter of being practical.

"We didn't know it was green. It just made sense," said city leader Jeff Ball.
JAPAN’S SEAWALLS
Iwanuma, Japan (Achieve3000, April 3, 2015). In 2011, a towering tsunami destroyed much of Japan's northeastern
coast. Four years later, efforts are underway to protect the area against future disasters.Nearly 250 miles (400 kilometers) of
cement seawalls are being built. In some places, the seawalls will be nearly five stories tall. That's about 60 feet (18
meters). Are these seawalls a good idea?

Those in favor of the seawalls say that they are needed for protection. They can block—or at least slow—tsunami waves from
coming ashore. This will prevent destruction of homes, businesses, and roadways. In addition, those in favor of the
construction project say that it will create jobs.

Others argue that the project isn't worth the effort. Opponents of the 820-billion-yen ($6.8-billion) construction plan argue that
the huge concrete walls will damage sea life and could hurt fishing. They will also ruin the view. Yet they will do little to
protect people.

Seawalls are not a new idea in Japan. Tsuneaki Iguchi was the mayor of Iwanuma in 2011.That's when an earthquake set off
the huge tsunami that destroyed much of the area. A 24-foot (7.3-meter) high seawall had been built years earlier. It was made
to help slow erosion of beaches. That seawall slowed the tsunami in 2011. But the water still swept up to 3 miles (5
kilometers) inland. The town repaired the broken seawall.  But officials didn't plan to make it any taller.

"We don't need the seawall to be higher. What we do need is for everyone to evacuate," Iguchi said. "The safest thing is for
people to live on higher ground and for people's homes and their workplaces to be in separate locations. If we do that, we don't
need to have a 'Great Wall.'"

Iguchi has other ideas to solve the problem. He was one of the first officials to back a plan to plant mixed forests along the
coasts. This would create living "green walls." They would last long after the concrete of the man-made structures had
crumbled.

Supporters say that a forest wall would not stop flooding. But it would slow tsunamis and weaken the force of their
waves. Then, the forests would help prevent buildings and other trash from being pulled out to sea. The trees would also allow
rainwater to flow into the sea.This is important for marine ecology.

Officials in other areas see the benefits of constructing higher seawalls. But they are doing so along with other
actions. Rikuzentakata is a small city near Osabe. Its downtown area was wiped out by the 2011 tsunami. The town is building
a higher seawall. It is also moving many tons of earth to raise the land above sea level.

Rikuzentakata leader Takeshi Konno said that people also need to change the way they think.He explained that no construction
project will get rid of the need for coastal residents to protect themselves.

"What I want to [point out] is that no matter what people try to create, it won't beat nature…," Konno said.

Others agree. They say that safeguards like seawalls can lead communities to be too relaxed about potential danger. The
structures can create a false sense of security. They might prevent people from taking safety measures, like evacuating
quickly. Then, people are more likely to be harmed.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's wife, Akie, voiced some other concerns. She pointed out that the walls may block the
view and prevent people from keeping an eye out for future tsunamis. She also said that the walls would be costly to maintain.

Not everyone likes the idea, but the construction of the chain of seawalls along Japan's coastline had begun as of March
2015. Can the huge walls protect the nation? Officials hope they will do their part.

BIG MAN BIG HEARTS

KIEV, Ukraine (Achieve3000, April 24, 2008). It's not easy being the world's tallest human. Leonid
Stadnik's staggering height forces him to stoop as he walks around his house. It also made it impossible for him to
keep a job that he loved. Still, Stadnik says his condition has taught him that there are many kindhearted
strangers.

In 2006, Stadnik was officially measured at 8 feet 5 inches tall. This made him the world's tallest person.He is
much taller than the 7-foot-9-inch Chinese man who held the title before him. Stadnik's increased growth began at
age 14, after a brain operation. The operation caused Stadnik's body to make too much of a growth
hormone. Doctors say he has been growing ever since. Last year, Guinness World Records recognized the
Ukrainian's height in its yearly book of record holders.

Although large and powerful looking, Stadnik is very gentle and charming. He greets visitors with a broad grin and
a playful laugh. At 37 years old, Stadnik is childlike. He even keeps stuffed toys on his pillow.

Being so tall isn't easy for Stadnik. He lives in a small village in a one-story brick house with his mother and
sister. All of its doorways are too low for Stadnik to pass through without stooping.He weighs 440 pounds, causing
him to have nearly endless knee pain. Stadnik loves animals, but he had to quit his job as an animal doctor at a
cattle farm. Why? He suffered frostbite while walking to work. Stadnik would wear only socks while walking. He
could not afford to buy custom-made shoes for his 17-inch feet.

Life has gotten better lately, however. Four years ago, Ukrainian record keepers recognized Stadnik as the world's
tallest human. Last year, Guinness did the same. This has brought attention to Stadnik's difficulties. A few years
ago, a distant relative from Germany invited Stadnik to visit. While there, Stadnik got to sample frog legs in an
elegant restaurant and see a roller coaster for the first time.

Even strangers are opening their hearts to Stadnik. People from all over Ukraine and the world have sent him
gifts. Many of these are made especially for a very tall person like Stadnik.

''Thanks to good people, I have shoes and clothes,'' said Stadnik. He also got running water in his home for the
first time. A kind stranger had it put in.

Shortly after his trip to Germany, Stadnik came home one day and saw a new computer sitting on his desk, a gift
from a nearby Internet provider. Company workers ''sneaked into the house like little spies'' to put in the
equipment, Stadnik joked. Since then, he has made many online friends, including several in the United States,
Australia, and Russia. He is even starting to learn English.

It's getting easier for Stadnik to get around, too. This year, some people in his home village of Podolyantsi gave
Stadnik a giant bike. Now, he can ride to the grocery store in a nearby village. They also presented Stadnik with a
fitness machine.

Not long ago, Stadnik traveled to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. There, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko
presented him with a brand-new van. Stadnik squeezed into the passenger's seat, his knees nearly touching his
face. Yushchenko got into the driver's seat and took thebeaming Stadnik for a drive. Officials from Podolyantsi
have promised to supply gas.

Since he quit his job, Stadnik has been managing the family garden. He has also been caring for his three cows,
his horse, along with many pigs and chickens. He dreams of getting married one day.
''I think the future holds that for me,'' Stadnik said. For now, though, he is thrilled at the kindness that people have
shown to him. ''I have always dreamt that my life and the life of my loved ones . . . would become more
comfortable. My dream is coming true.''

A LAST LOOK AT AMELIA EARHART

BURBANK, California (Achieve3000, July 9, 2015). It was a clear spring day in 1937. Amelia Earhart was
preparing to make history by being the first woman to fly around the world.She brought her personal photographer,
Al Bresnik, to the Burbank Airport in Southern California. There, Bresnik made a record of the journey's beginning
by taking dozens of still photos. Some of them were later seen by millions. Bresnik's brother, John, was also
there. He made a 3.5-minute home movie that almost nobody saw—until now.

John's film was released in June 2015. It's called "Amelia Earhart's Last Photo Shoot." The movie shows Earhart
before she leaves for her final flight. Sadly, that voyage ended when Earhart's plane vanished somewhere over the
Pacific Ocean.

Paragon, the publisher of the film, said it would give the original, fragile film strip to a museum.John Bresnik's son
gave it to Paragon.

Earhart was the first woman to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932. As a result, she was one of the most
famous people of her time. Paragon publisher Doug Westfall said that plenty of people may have taken Earhart's
photo during the stops on her last journey. But this appears to be the final film, which was taken in California
before her final flight.
The film sat on a shelf in Bresnik's office for more than 50 years until his death in 1992, said Bresnik's son. After
that, it sat in the younger man's home in Escondido, California, for about 20 more years.

"I didn't even know what was on the film until my dad died and I took it home and watched it," John Bresnik said. "It
just always sat in a plain box on a shelf in his office."

In the film, Earhart is looking more playful than she usually did in public. The film shows Earhart dressed in a
pantsuit rather than her standard flight jacket. She is showing people around the plane. She climbs on top of the
aircraft to pose for still photos. She sometimesgrins broadly. (This was something she rarely did in her photos.)

All agree that it's Earhart in the film. Still, like all things related to Earhart, there is some debateabout it.

Richard Gillespie heads the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR).Gillespie believes that the
film was taken in March 1937. Some say the film was taken in May 1937.

To back up his idea, Gillespie points out that Earhart made her first attempt to circle Earth in March. She departed
from California and went to Hawaii. There, she crashed her twin-engine Electra L-10E on takeoff. She had to have
it shipped home for repairs.

"You can tell from the way the airplane's [constructed]. The airplane…in the film is very clearly the pre-repaired
airplane," said Gillespie.

Gillespie has been studying Earhart for nearly 30 years. He founded TIGHAR in 1985. The group has been
involved in searches of the Pacific for Earhart's aircraft. It continues to search the seas for more information about
how the journey ended. Other projects include the preservation of a World War II plane that crashed outside of
Wales and the search for the plane that two French World War I heroes boarded in an attempted first flight across
the Atlantic in 1927.

Gillespie, a former pilot himself, says that he doubts there was a photo shoot with Earhart in May, when she made
her second departure. She left quietly at that time.

Whatever the date of the film, Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, left the Burbank Airport on May 21, 1937. It
would be their second try at circling Earth. This time, they headed east.

Earhart and Noonan were about two-thirds of the way through their journey when they left New Guinea on July
2. They were headed toward Howland Island. It's midway between Australia and Hawaii. In one of her last radio
messages, Earhart said she thought they were near the island. But they couldn't see it. She also said the plane
was low on fuel.

"Then she left us forever," Westfall said.

THAT’S ONE HOT PEPPER!

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (Achieve3000, August 3, 2012). Chile peppers come in manyvarieties. Food companies use
them to make food spicy. Some chiles are super-hot. The Bhut Jolokia is one of these. It was named by Guinness World
Records in 2007 as the hottest pepper. But now, there's the mouth-on-fire Trinidad Moruga Scorpion.It's the hottest pepper of
all, according to a study done at New Mexico State University.

"You take a bite [of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion]. It doesn't seem so bad. And then it builds and it builds and it builds. So it
is quite nasty," said Paul Bosland.Bosland is an expert on peppers. He heads the New Mexico State University's Chile
Pepper Institute.

The Chile Pepper Institute planted about 125 plants of different chile pepper varieties. These included the Trinidad Moruga
Scorpion and the Bhut Jolokia. Why did researchers want to work with so many plants? Chile peppers of the same variety can
differ in spiciness. It all depends on their environmental conditions. Less water, for example, will grow spicier fruit.

The chile breeds at the institute are among the hottest in the world. And the golf ball-sized Trinidad Moruga Scorpion scored
the highest for spiciness among them. Its average heat topped more than 1.2 million Scoville heat units (SHU) on the Scoville
heat scale. Some of the single peppers hit over 2 million SHU.

The Scoville heat scale was put into place by the researchers. They were encouraged by hot sauce makers, seed producers, and
others in the spicy foods industry. All of them wanted to know the average heat levels for super-hot peppers.

During the testing, the fruits were selected randomly from several plants within each variety.They were harvested
and dried. Then, they were ground to powder. Finally, parts of the peppers were separated out and examined. These are the
parts that make them spicy hot.They are called capsaicinoids.

Researcher Danise Coon helped with harvesting. She said that she and two students picked the peppers. They went through
about four pairs of latex gloves.

"The capsaicin kept [going through] the latex and soaking into the skin on our hands. That has never happened to me before,"
Coon said.

The Trinidad Moruga Scorpion beat out the competition for spiciness. The pepper's new reputation is already making waves in
the industry. It's also becoming known to those who love hot, spicy foods.

"As with all the previous record holders, there will be a run on seeds and plants," said Jim Duffy. Duffy is a grower in San
Diego. He supplied the university with seeds for four of the super-hot varieties.

Even a small bite of the world's hottest pepper causes a reaction. Faces turn red, eyes water, noses run, and sweat starts
rolling. There's a fiery feeling. It spreads across the tongue and down the throat.

Pepper experts said there are few people who would want to feel the pain of the pepper. Not even Duffy or the Chile Pepper
Institute researchers would dare to pop a whole Trinidad Moruga Scorpion into their mouths.
 
The peppers are more often used to make a tasty hot sauce. It doesn't even take a whole pepper to do that. Bosland said a
family could buy two of the super-hot peppers to flavor their meals for an entire week. The beauty of the peppers is they're not
only the hottest in the world, but they are also some of the most flavorful peppers, Duffy said.

"You can make a barbeque sauce or a hot sauce at a mild to medium level using small amounts of these peppers. ...It will be so
[good] that you won't want to put your spoon down," Duffy said. "You'll want to eat and eat and eat."

NEW JET REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

OHA, Qatar (Achieve3000, June 15, 2015). The Airbus A350 is the world's newest jetliner. The A350 took to the skies in
January 2015 with its first paying passengers aboard. The aircraft, manufactured by the Airbus Group of France, flew from
Doha, Qatar, to Frankfurt, Germany. The A350 promises greater ease of travel between smaller cities and majoraviation
hubs. It promises more nonstop flights at a lower cost to airlines. Airbus hopes that the A350 will send the company's profits
soaring sky high.

The A350 is actually the third major aircraft released in recent years. Each one was meant to give its company an edge in the
competitive aircraft market.

In October 2007, Airbus released the A380. It became the world's largest passenger jet. (It still is.) The A380 can carry up to
525 passengers. U.S. aircraft manufacturer Boeing, Airbus' mainrival, issued its 787 Dreamliner in October 2011. The
Dreamliner offered lower operating costs. This led to new nonstop routes between smaller cities.

Now, Airbus hopes that airlines will choose the A350. The company says its plane is more cost-efficient and better for the
environment. Airbus also says the A350 is more comfortable for passengers.

The A350 burns a lot less fuel than other jets of similar size. This is thanks to its uniquelightweight design. More than 70
percent of the plane is made up of lightweight materials such as titanium. This design, Airbus believes, will yield "double-digit
savings" for airlines.

Airbus says the A350 is also better for the environment. Its engines boast the lowest carbonemissions of any engines of their
size.

Airbus hopes that passengers too will notice a big difference—in terms of comfort. The twin-aisle A350 can carry up to 369
passengers. It features wider windows than most jets. There's more overhead storage space, too. Seats in business class stretch
back into fully flat beds.They offer 17-inch (43-centimeter) TV screens.

Airbus says the A350 will also allow for new nonstop options. These include flights between Shanghai and Boston and
between Paris and Santiago.

Airbus hopes that the A350 will help the company overtake the sales of its longtime rival. So far, Boeing has 1,071 orders for
its Dreamliner. But the A350 is catching up quickly. To date, it has received 778 orders from 41 airlines. These include British
Airways, China Airlines, Germany's Lufthansa, and U.S. airline giant United Airlines.

Edward Hunt works for the business information company IHS. Hunt believes that Airbus is on the right track.

"Airbus has definitely caught up," Hunt said. "If I were Boeing, I would be a little bit worried."

ROBOT WITH A HEART

URAYASU, Japan (Achieve3000, July 10, 2015).SoftBank is a company in Japan. It made a new robot. The robot,
which is named Pepper, went on sale in Japan on June 20, 2015. Only 1,000 were for sale. They sold in about one
minute.
What made the robot so popular? Pepper is a smart robot that has a "heart." It was designed to recognize human
emotions such as anger, surprise, and joy. It was also programmed to react as if it has emotions of its own.

Pepper has a round, bald head and a face with two big round eyes. Its arms and hands can move. It stands 48
inches (121.9 centimeters) tall and weighs 62 pounds (28 kilograms). It gets around on wheels. It also has a
computer screen on its chest to show pictures.

Some people got to see the robot two days before it went on sale. Pepper glided onto the stage and talked with
guests. The robot did a dance and sang a birthday song. It also showed how it could record family life in photos
and serve as a companion. It appeared to be happy when it was praised.

According to SoftBank leader Masayoshi Son, each Pepper robot will develop differently, depending on how
people work with it. Pepper can remember faces and is programmed to seem happy when given attention. It will
seem sad when it's ignored. It will also cheer up people who are sad and try to ease suffering, he said.

Son said that the idea for Pepper came from his childhood memories of Astro Boy, a Japanese cartoon character
that did not have a heart. Astro Boy could not understand why people cried.Son made a point of programming
Pepper to look like it weeps. It does this with lights in its eyes.

Although Son said some may not agree with the idea of making robots that appear to be like humans, he said such
technology could be helpful.

"Our vision is to offer a robot with love," Son explained.

For now, the robot is only for sale in Japan. SoftBank plans to sell 1,000 units every month.Pepper sells for $1,600
(198,000 yen). People also have to pay monthly costs to keep the robot working. Son said the first overseas sales
might be in 2016.

SoftBank will also rent Pepper to stores and companies for $12 (1,500 yen) an hour. They can put the robot at their
front desks.

STOPPING THE DESSERT

LANZHOU, China (Achieve3000, June 28, 2007).China's Gansu Province is not what it once was. What used to
be knee-high grasses and a lake is quickly becoming a desert that is threatening China's future.After years of
trying to turn Gansu into a wheat-growing province, the Chinese government has given up. Officials now are just
trying to stop the desertification of the land by turning it back into grasslands. They want to stop land, which could
be used for farming, from turning into dry, unusable land.
China's troubles started with a scheme that was meant to create wealth. In the 1950s, Chinese leader Mao Zedong
announced his "Great Leap Forward." One purpose of the plan was to produce more food crops. The government
built the Hongyashan Reservoir in the grasslands of Gansu Province. The nearly one million acres there would be
watered by water channels. At first, the plan worked. The reservoir took water from the Shiyang River. Gansu
became a wheat-growing area. Over the past twenty years, however, the government built new reservoirs. The
new reservoirs drew the river's water supply away from the Hongyashan Reservoir. Farmers responded by digging
thousands of wells, taking water out of the ground instead of the river.This over-farming caused the water table to
drop hundreds of feet. The soil became ruined by salt.

The change in the soil has caused the area to change. Wind has worn away the soil and blown in sand from the
nearby deserts. As a result, desert is overtaking the farmland in Gansu Province.

Chen Ying is an experienced farmer in Gansu Province. He has been trying to halt the desert's
advances. How? He stopped growing wheat and switched to cotton and fennel. They require less water. He
planted dozens of trees outside his home. This was to help shade the land and block winds that wear away the
soil.

Chen's efforts have not been enough to address the government's concerns, however.Authorities have ordered
farmers in Gansu Province to vacate their properties. They must leave over the next three and a half years. The
government will replace 20 villages with newly planted grass in a final effort to stop the advance of the deserts.

"I don't want to move," said Chen, echoing the feelings of most farmers. "But if we keep using the groundwater, it
will [drop]. We have to think about the next generation."

Authorities are offering each family $784 to relocate. However, some villagers don't trust the government to pay
them fairly. They say their ancestors are buried on the land. They say that their crops continue to earn money.

"The government is taking this action against desertification. [However,] we are the ones being forced to pay . . . ,"
said Li Jianzhu, a father of three.

Yet, many experts say that the government is doing the right thing.

"If the government does nothing, it is scared that the entire area will become a desert," said Sun Qing-Wei, a
desertification expert.

In many regions, overgrazing and the cutting down of forests are also leading to desertification. The expansion of
cities and droughts are doing the same. Over the past 10 years, Chinese deserts grew at a rate of 950 square
miles a year. China's deserts now cover one-third of the country. The shifting sands have clouded the skies of
South Korea and have been linked to breathing problems in California.

Continued desertification would bring enormous problems for China. The nation would not be able to produce as
much grain or raise as much livestock. Eventually, it would need to buy these products from other nations.

Farmer Wei Quangcai and his wife have already suffered because of desertification. Their village was once home
to 200 people. Now, all the other farmers have fled. Only the sound of strong wind remains.

"We're the last people," Wei said. "It is lonely."

ACHIEVE 3000

GRADE 5
COMPETITION
ARTICLES