Posted: November 11, 2022

Teeny. Tiny. Turtles. How cute!

But you can’t come see them. They’re in quarantine.

The eastern musk turtles swim in two plastic bins. They are inside a brightly lit room at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island. The room is very, very clean. Only a few people are allowed inside.

Eastern musk turtles spend much of their lives in swamps and ponds. When threatened, they release a terrible smell. Police officers rescued this batch of turtle hatchlings from wildlife poachers. Each of the 16 turtles measures about the size of a quarter. If the babies are healthy, workers will return them to the wild.

Why protect the turtles so carefully? Eastern musk turtles are not rare . . . yet. But conservationist Lou Perrotti says they’re still in trouble.

“We are seeing an uptick in turtle poaching,” Mr. Perrotti says. People ship thousands of turtles out of the United States every year. That’s too many, he warns. Turtles aren’t running out yet. But they could be soon.

People around the world want turtles as pets. Wildlife trade experts believe the turtle stealing causes rare freshwater turtle and tortoise populations to shrink. Some folks want more laws to protect turtles.

There are 360 living turtle and tortoise species. Scientists say over half of those species are at risk of extinction.

Poachers sell freshwater turtles to black markets in Hong Kong and other Asian cities. There, people buy them as pets . . . or as food. Some make the turtles into traditional medicine. Certain funny-looking turtles or turtles with colorful shells sell for thousands of dollars.

Conservation means protecting God’s creation. It means working to keep species around for your kids to enjoy . . . and even their kids’ kids! This is a big job. Can we have turtles as pets and in the wild?

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. — Genesis 2:15

Posted: November 10, 2022

Are you ready for the World Cup? The world’s biggest soccer competition begins on November 20. The Cup takes place every four years in a different part of the world. This time, Qatar (KUH-tur) is the host. Look for Qatar on a map. (Hint: You’ll find it in the Middle East.)

More than a million soccer fans will come to Qatar to watch the Cup. Which may make you wonder . . . where will all those people sleep?

Qatar is busy making room. Builders just unveiled a 6,000-cabin village near airports. Fans can rent a cabin for around $200 per night.

Journalists toured the cabins on Wednesday. The new village has a metro station and a bus stop. Workers are even creating a temporary restaurant and convenience store. The area can hold as many as 12,000 people.

Imagine your stay in this pop-up soccer town. You walk on fake green grass. Between games, you plop on big bean-bag style chairs under a gray sky. Competing nations’ flags flap in the strong desert wind. A large screen flashes, broadcasting the matches from a distance. Of course, most fans want to watch the games in person. They will take a 40-minute car ride to the Cup.

More than half the cabins are already booked. Each one has thin walls and can hold one or two people. Each has twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet, and a shower. Who would you take as a cabin buddy to the Qatar World Cup?

You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. — Leviticus 19:34

Posted: November 9, 2022

In South Korea, a peace offering turned into a political argument. That gift is a pair of fluffy white dogs.

Nations often give each other gifts as signs of peace or diplomacy. North Korea and South Korea have a long history of disagreement. Lately, North Korea has frightened its southern neighbor. It tested dangerous weapons nearby.

But in 2018, North Korea gave South Korea two Pungsan hunting dogs. That breed is from North Korea.

South Korea considers the pups state property. Until this spring, the dogs lived at the Presidential Archives. But a new law allows the dogs to stay elsewhere. When former president Moon Jae-in left office in May, he took them home, along with one of their puppies.

On Monday, the former president made an announcement. He could no longer care for the dogs. He says the current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, refuses to pay for their food and veterinary costs. The hounds still belong to the state. Mr. Moon says the state should pay for their care. He returned them to the government on Tuesday.

President Yoon put the blame back on the former president. He says he never prevented Mr. Moon from keeping the canines. He claims the doggy care discussion is still ongoing.

Sinful humans often fight with each other. It is easy for us to turn a gift of peace into a source of conflict. But Jesus helps us to live in peace! (Hebrews 12:14)

Many South Koreans just want to see the dogs healthy and happy. They don’t want their leaders to treat the living creatures like nothing but property.

Meanwhile, South Korea has bigger issues to face. Its relationship with North Korea is rocky.

Do not contend with a man for no reason, when he has done you no harm. — Proverbs 3:30

Posted: November 8, 2022

Do you know where olives come from?

Many come from Spain. They grow on trees with gnarly branches and thin, pointy leaves.

And this year, they bake in the Sun.

Spain had an extremely hot, dry summer. Water reserves dried up. Forests caught fire. Now farmers worry for their tiny green fruits. Experts guess Spain will harvest half as many olives as last year.

Farmer Juan Antonio Delgado walks past his rows of olive trees in Quesada, Spain. “I am 57 years old, and I have never seen a year like this one,” he says.

What went wrong? Spain was hot in May. Many olive tree blossoms died. The ones that lived produced fruits that were small and thin. The trees didn’t get enough water.

People have kept track of the rain in Spain since 1964. Since then, there were only two years drier than this year.

Spain has around 350,000 olive farmers. They usually harvest their crops in early October. That’s just before olives ripen all the way—and when they make good oil. But Mr. Delgado’s olives were too puny to pick. He left most on the trees, hoping for rain.

So far, it hasn’t come.

What does that mean for you? Watch olive oil prices this winter. They may go up, up, up. One brand of olive oil from Italy is called Filippo Berio. That company used to pay $495 for a ton of olives to press into golden oil. Now it pays $4,938!

Olive branches are a symbol of peace. Do you remember hearing about an olive leaf in the story of Noah? The dove brought Noah a leaf in her beak. (Genesis 8:11) This showed that plants were growing on the Earth again. People would have another chance to live at peace with God.

Of course, that didn’t mean all Earth’s trouble would end. People face difficulty until the Prince of Peace, Jesus, returns. Until then, we can ask God to bless farmers with rain.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the Earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. — James 5:7

Posted: November 7, 2022

This spot in the Utah desert isn’t dusted in sand. Sparkling white salt covers the ground! Daring racers set records there. Tourists take photos. But the Bonneville Salt Flats are shrinking.

Salty water lies beneath the salt flats. At least, it should. But the aquifer (the space that holds the briny water) is losing that water fast. Groundwater replaces it. But it has much less salt.

Why is this happening? One big reason is potash mining. That type of salt contains potassium. The mineral keeps animals, plants, and humans healthy. Potash is mostly used for fertilizer. A mining company called Intrepid Potash sucks the salty water from the aquifer.

Scientists studied the salt flats for 30 years. But a new study seeks to find why the salt is thinning and how to stop it.

Racers are frustrated. The salty crust is great for racing. It keeps tires cool at high speeds. Speedsters struggle to find a track long enough to reach record speeds. There used to be 13 miles of track. Now there are only eight miles.

Some racers think they know the solution. The government should pay Intrepid Potash to pour briny water back on the flats.

Scientists aren’t sure if that will fix the flats. Jeremiah Bernau is a geologist. He says the mining company has already been pouring salt. Scientists can’t yet tell if that’s the answer.

People argue about how to fix the problem. But everyone agrees that the unique landscape needs to be protected. If you kneel down, the crust of crystals looks like popcorn. From far away, the surface looks like the Moon. Hundreds of visitors come every day.

You are the salt of the Earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. — Matthew 5:13

Posted: November 4, 2022

How many cats slink along the cobblestone streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico? You’ll lose count. There are hundreds! A feline stops for a pat on the head. Delighted tourists and residents snap pictures. Here, kitty kitty. Want some food?

The cats even have their own statue in Old San Juan. (That’s the oldest part of the city.) But officials say the cat population has gotten too big. They need a “free-ranging cat management plan.”

The idea makes many people angry. Some worry the animals will be killed.

“This is like Disney World for cats,” says Alfonso Ocasio. He goes to Old San Juan to feed the cats several times per week. “I don’t know how these people dare face the world with their proposal.”

The kitties are known as “cobblestone” or “colonial” cats. But not everyone loves them.

National Park officials says cat waste smells and the cats likely kill local wildlife. They give two options:
1. Remove the critters.
Or:
2. Make sure they don’t multiply.

If people decide to keep the cats around, they will have to follow a few rules. They must supply feeding stations. They must spay or neuter the cats.

When God designed the world, He made each kind of animal and plant to live in a certain place. In their proper homes, animals and plants have the food they need. They are also food to other creatures. That keeps their populations under control. But the cats of San Juan have no natural predators. And yes, these quirky, wonderful creatures do count as an invasive species.

But to many locals, cats are just part of the old city. And some ask: What if we get rid of the cats? What will eat the rats?

And God said, “Let the Earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds —livestock and creeping things and beasts of the Earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. — Genesis 1:24

Posted: November 3, 2022

Rumble. Rumble.

When will the kaboom come?

The ground shakes and swells at Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano in the world. The mountain could erupt.

But when?

Scientists don’t expect the eruption right away. Still, officials on the Big Island of Hawaii send warnings: Be prepared.

Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that make up the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s not the tallest volcano. Mauna Kea is. But it is the largest. Mauna Loa takes up about half the island! The famous volcano hasn’t erupted for 38 years. But it has blown its top 33 times since 1843.

Cattle ranchers, coffee farmers, and beach resort workers live nearby. They know that if Mauna Loa does blow, lava could flow down its steep sides fast. Its enormous size may mean it holds more magma (underground lava). It could erupt from the top or from a lower opening called a vent. Once it starts, lava could reach farms in homes within days . . . or within hours.

Hawaii’s volcanoes are called shield volcanoes. Over the years, lava flows hardened into broad mountains. These volcanoes may remind you of the shape of a warrior’s shield.

For now, scientists watch. They take measurements. They guess how much magma has gathered underground. They check: Is the ground tilting? Swelling? Deflating? Any of these quick changes can mean kaboom is on the way.

Well, “kaboom” isn’t exactly right. Shield volcanos are dangerous. But they’re not as explosive as composite volcanoes. Learn about the three volcano types in Jet Balloon.

And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place. — Micah 1:4

Posted: November 2, 2022

China and Taiwan don’t often get along. But this week, the two countries made a rare connection. Why? To save a sick panda.

Tuan Tuan the giant panda lives in Taiwan’s Taipei Zoo. China loaned him and his mate, Yuan Yuan, to Taiwan in 2008. Back then, the two nations had a better relationship. China often sends pandas to other countries as a sign of friendship. But China still owns the pandas—and any future cubs.

Taiwan sits on its own island in East Asia. China occupied Taiwan after World War II. But after a civil war, the two nations split apart in 1949. Since then, Taiwan has functioned as an independent country. But China’s leaders still see Taiwan as a Chinese territory. They say it belongs to them.

That’s why there is tension between the two countries. In 2016, Taiwan elected President Tsai Ing-wen. She supports Taiwan’s independence. In 2020, Taiwan elected her again. China didn’t like that one bit. Chinese leaders cut off contact with the island nation.

But Tuan Tuan still lives in the Taipei Zoo. Now he is sick. He has a brain tumor. A recent scan showed the disease progressing rapidly.

The veterinarians at the zoo needed help. They needed panda experts. And where do you find panda experts?

China.

Wu Honglin and Wei Ming arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday. They have years of experience with panda health. They work at the panda research base in China’s Sichuan province. Many of the world’s remaining giant pandas live in Sichuan.

The experts from China and Taiwan pool their knowledge to help Tuan Tuan. Together, they can give him the best treatment possible.

In the Old Testament, God commanded his people to help others—even their enemies. If an enemy’s donkey got stuck, you helped rescue it. Even though China and Taiwan stand at odds, they work together to help a creature in need.

If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. — Exodus 23:5

Posted: November 1, 2022

Good news from Zimbabwe: Farmers will harvest tons of wheat—380,000 tons! The African country has almost never produced that much.

Zimbabwe often depends on other nations for food. But this year, Zimbabwe leaders worked hard to make sure farmers grew enough food. Why? A lot of Africa’s wheat comes from Ukraine. War in Ukraine makes wheat expensive and hard to get.

More than 14 million people live in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans need about 360,000 tons of wheat to feed themselves. Can you figure out how much extra they’ll have this year? They’ll save that extra in case they become needy in the future. (Does this remind you of the Bible story of Joseph’s work in Egypt?)

Wheat is an important staple food. People rely on it for bread. Other nations in Africa have too little wheat this year.

Zimbabwe has big plans for next year too. Farmers aim for around 420,000 tons. They will save extra and sell some to other nations.

The wheat harvest runs from October to December. But farmers can’t “count their chickens before they hatch.” (Or weigh their wheat before harvest.) Bush fires could burn crops. Rain is on the way too. Farmers need to get their wheat out of the fields before it gets soaked.

Whether they know it or not, farmers always depend on the God who controls the weather. Ask God to bless Zimbabwe’s farmers. Their important work keeps many people from going hungry.

Posted: October 31, 2022

A Swiss railway company set a new record. The Rhaetian Railway ran the world’s longest passenger train on Saturday. Just how long is that? The train was just over a mile long!

Workers put 25 sections of train cars together. One hundred coaches made up the whole train. That adds up to 4,550 seats.

The train wound along a track through the Alps. That famous mountain range runs through much of Europe. It reaches into Switzerland, France, Italy, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, and Slovenia. But the train stuck to a 15-and-a-half-mile section in Switzerland. It chugged through 22 tunnels and across 48 bridges.

The entire journey took over an hour. About 3,000 people came to watch.

Meanwhile, seven train drivers and 21 helpers drove the train. They used a field telephone to talk with each other. The telephone’s wires stretched over a mile long. Workers at one end could talk to workers at the other end of the train. 

Swiss people are famous for building things like watches and railways well. The Rhaetian Railway company’s leaders wanted to celebrate that heritage.

What’s next? Workers will disconnect the long line of cars and engines. The cars will be used for regular travel again. You can still take a rail trip through the Alps. But you will ride on a shorter train.

The Swiss are good builders. But did you know that God is the best builder ever? He built the whole world! And He is building His people into His own holy temple.

In [Christ Jesus] you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. — Ephesians 2:19-22

Posted: October 28, 2022

Tudor Popescu swings his ax. It sinks into a log. 

Crack!

He feeds the split wood into a stove in his home. He lives in Chisinau, Moldova.

The nights turn chillier.

The stack of firewood grows and grows.

The problem: He doesn’t have enough, and winter is coming.

Mr. Popescu used to rely on natural gas to keep warm in the mornings. He used firewood only in the evenings. That won’t work this year.

Normally, most of Europe’s gas comes from Russia. But since Russia started its war in Ukraine, the country sells less gas to other nations in the world. Russia also says it has problems with its gas lines. What gas does get through costs three times more than it did last year.

“I won’t use gas anymore,” Mr. Popescu says. Now he uses only wood.

He’s not alone. People around Europe scramble to find wood for heating. Many order wood without knowing something important. Wood has to age and dry out before it can be burned in woodstoves. This could take two years! Some folks go into forests they don’t own and gather fallen logs for themselves. That’s breaking the law—whether the scavengers know it or not.

Forest owners have to think ahead. Their wood has become valuable. They don’t want anyone to steal it. One forestry department in Germany experiments. Workers hide GPS trackers in logs. If a thief takes them, it won’t be for long.

Some Europeans worry they’ll run out of fuel to keep warm. Wouldn’t it be hard to feel that way? God made us to live in a world without war—a world where every single person is cared for, warm, and well fed.

In a perfect world, forests would flourish too. Some foresters watch uneasily. If a forest is going to last, it needs to be harvested little by little. People shouldn’t cut down too many trees at once!

You can pray for the people of Europe. Pray that they will stay warm enough this winter, and that all their needs will be met by the God who is able to provide.

According to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new Earth in which righteousness dwells. — 2 Peter 3:13

Posted: October 27, 2022

CHOMP! Europeans, Africans, and Asians watched as the Moon took a bite out of the Sun this Tuesday. At least, that’s what it looked like.

Really, they saw a partial solar eclipse. A solar eclipse happens when the Moon’s path crosses between the Earth and the Sun. It blocks out the Sun’s light. In a partial eclipse, the three don’t form a perfect line. A crescent of the Sun still peeks out.

Imagine the Sun as a circle cut into five parts. During the peak of this eclipse, the Moon’s shadow covered four of those five parts. The eclipse took about four hours.

Have you ever seen an eclipse? When one comes to your continent, watch carefully. “Don’t look straight into the Sun!” is very good advice. Staring at the Sun can cause eye damage and blindness. Your eye’s retina has no pain receptors. It can become scorched without you feeling it happen!

It’s okay to look at a total solar eclipse with the naked eye though—as long as you do so only during the time the Sun is covered completely by the Moon. To look at a partial eclipse, you’ll need something called a pinhole camera. You can make a pinhole camera at home with a long box, tin foil, tape, and a pin or needle.

The next solar eclipse will come to Australia and Asia this April. You’ll have to wait a little longer if you live in North America. The next partial eclipse visible in the United States will happen on October 14, 2023.

From the rising of the Sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! — Psalm 113:3

Posted: October 26, 2022

In some U.S. cities and states, drivers have a problem. Leaders want them to buy electric vehicles (EVs) instead of gas-powered cars. But many city dwellers don’t own homes. They rent. That means they don’t have private garages. They need other places to charge their EVs.

One of those places is New York state. It has a big goal. By 2035, officials want all cars sold there to be electric or hybrid (a combination of gas and electric).

EVs can help cut back on pollution. They help people use less fuel like gasoline. But the United States has only about one public charging port for every 12 EVs. Finding a place to charge can be a challenge, especially for renters.

Stephanie Terrell learned this the hard way. She bought a used EV. But the nearby charging stations are almost always busy. One day, she nearly ran out of power on the freeway.

“It was really scary, and I was really worried I wasn’t going to make it,” she says.

Experts say the United States needs millions more charging stations. There should be 9.6 million more by 2030. Big cities feel the pressure already.

Traffic backs up as cars wait in line at charging stations. Some renters put private charging ports on public property. One city dweller strings an extension cord from her front door to the driveway. It takes two days to charge her car.

Most charging stations take less time than that. The fastest chargers can power a car in 45 minutes. Those are called DC Fast chargers. But many chargers take several hours.

Los Angeles, California, put 500 chargers on streetlights and power poles. That city plans to add 200 more per year. Portland, Oregon, might make new apartment complexes add charging ports in parking spaces. For EV drivers, these changes can’t come soon enough.

It’s easy for cities and states to say, “Stop buying gas-powered cars!” But change comes at a cost. Governments—and drivers—will need to count that cost carefully.

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? — Luke 14:28

Posted: October 25, 2022

Baa, baa, baa . . . times a thousand!

About 1,200 sheep and 200 goats bleat. Their bells jingle. The sounds took over downtown Madrid, Spain, on Sunday. This fuzzy parade shows Spanish folks what their ancestors did for centuries. Herders moved animals to new grazing grounds in the fall.

Shepherds herded the woolly beasts through the paved streets of the Spanish capital. The flocks traveled from the cool highlands to lowland winter pastures.

Madrid is a huge city. But it always pauses for the sheep. A 78,000-mile grid of farming paths runs right through it. City officials agreed to let the farmers pass through way back in 1418! That means sheep and goats have pranced through the city for over 600 years. The festival’s organizers pay 50 maravedis (old Spanish money) for the huge crossing.

Most livestock farmers don’t use the paths anymore. New farming methods make it unnecessary. Plus, they can move the sheep more easily and cheaply in trucks. But 52 herding families still make the crossing. They keep the tradition alive. They show pride in their work and love for their flocks.

These herders think the old-fashioned way is best. Why? It reminds Spaniards of their history. It also helps stop wildfires. Areas sheep walk on (gobbling plants as they go!) are less likely to catch fire.

The passing sheep delighted city folk. Kids tried to touch the sheep’s soft wool. Wouldn’t you?

Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture. — Psalm 100:3

Posted: October 24, 2022

The United Kingdom has a new leader. Rishi Sunak will be Britain’s next prime minister. He will be the third person in that position just this year!

Britain’s prime minister leads the government. Doing that job is a bit like being the president of the United States. Liz Truss was the last prime minister. Ms. Truss took office on September 6. But last week, she made a big announcement. After 45 days, she was quitting the job.

Why? Last month, Ms. Truss introduced a new plan. There would be lots of tax cuts. That means people would have to pay less money to the government in taxes. But she didn’t have a good way to pay for those cuts. That made people nervous. Even many in her own party didn’t think she could do a good job as leader.

Ms. Truss was part of the Conservative Party. That party got to pick the new leader. Now it has chosen Mr. Sunak. He had run against Ms. Truss and lost in the last election. This is a second chance. At 42 years old, he is the youngest prime minister in more than 200 years. And he is the first with Asian heritage.

Mr. Sunak used to be in charge of Britain’s economy. He was the Treasury chief. He watched over money and how the country and people used it. Before that, he was a banker. Maybe that experience will help him lead well.

Before she died, Queen Elizabeth II officially appointed Ms. Truss as prime minister. Now King Charles III will do the same for Mr. Sunak.

[God] changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. — Daniel 2:21

Posted: October 21, 2022

The state of Massachusetts just picked its favorite dinosaur. About 35,000 people voted. More than half picked Podokesaurus holyokensis.

What a mouthful.

The name means “swift-footed lizard of Holyoke.” Swift-footed is another way to say fast.

The dino was discovered in western Massachusetts. That happened way back in 1910. Mignon Talbot was a professor at Mount Holyoke College. She made the find. She became the first woman to locate, name, and describe a dinosaur.

Representative Jack Lewis had the idea to choose a state dino. He designed the project for his Cub Scout den. He hopes the project will inspire other girls to work in fossil science. Just like Ms. Talbot!

Governor Charlie Baker signed the decision into law. Dinosaurs interested him as a kid. Why? They’re majestic. They’re ferocious. And they’re almost like aliens!

This dino species grew three to six feet long. Adults weighed about 90 pounds. Scientists guess the creatures ran between nine and 12 miles per hour. Those are fast feet! Most men can run about eight miles per hour comfortably.

About a dozen other states also have official state dinosaurs.

Which dino is your favorite?

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God. — Hebrews 11:3