VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE 66
AIR DATE 04 19 2019
TRANSCRIPT
OPEN ((VO/NAT))
((Banner))
Fighting for Rights
((SOT))
((David P. Corrigan, County Attorney in Transgender Bathroom Case))
We are here this evening to receive public comment on a possible proposed alternative restroom resolution.
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Fighting Climate Change
((SOT))
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Labs))
So far, what we’re expecting to happen with climate change is something called the ‘rich get richer mechanism.’
((Animation Transition))
((Banner))
Popcorn!
((SOT))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
This lid will open and you will see them start to fall out of the popper.
((NATS))
((Open Animation))
BLOCK A
((PKG)) LGBTQ RIGHTS / TRANSGENDER DEBATE
((Banner: Debating Transgender Rights))
((Reporter/Camera: Deepak Dobhal))
((Map: Gloucester, Virginia))
((NATS))
((Pop-Up Banner: The rights of transgender people are being hotly debated in communities across the United States))
((NATS))
….and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation, Under God. Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.
((David P. Corrigan, County Attorney in Transgender Bathroom Case))
We are here this evening to receive public comment on a possible proposed alternative restroom resolution. With respect to individuals with gender identity, if their gender identity is not consistent with their physiological sex of birth, the proposed resolution would allow those students to use a restroom consistent with their new gender identity as long as they meet three criteria.
((William Lee, Chairman, Gloucester County School Board))
What’s the next step if the resolution is not adopted?
((David P. Corrigan, County Attorney in Transgender Bathroom Case))
If the resolution is not adopted, the lawsuit will go forward and the school board will likely lose the opportunity to craft its own policy.
((Pop-Up Banner: As in Gloucester, lawsuits are forcing jurisdictions across the U.S. to change policies))
((Jennifer Wiffen, Local Resident))
Gloucester county is a very conservative county, very right-wing because it’s a very traditional, like Mayberry, simple, Christianity being pushed as a values, very private community, and they pride themselves in being fishermen and then just being prideful in things they do. The school-board approaching this subject is huge for Gloucester.
((NATS))
We ask that all communication be presented in a decent and respectful manner which will allow communities’ input to be properly heard.
((Vincent Staples, Transgender Student, Gloucester High School))
The transgender bathroom policy that the school currently has, it affects me directly because it is so, it is such an uncomfortable feeling, no matter which bathroom I'm using, to be surrounded by people who I don't really feel like I belong with them. So, I am in favor of the current proposition that is being discussed tonight, so that I can feel like I belong to my school. Thank you.
((NATS))
I have been talking to my nine-year-old son about how he feels about sharing a bathroom with a transgender child and he's not okay with it. He has no grievance against them as being students but he's not okay as a boy with a girl entering the bathroom.
((Jessica Jackman, Resident of neighboring County))
To those who say they pity the students and the children who have to deal with opposite sex in the bathroom, this in no way affects them or you, just like being gay in the army did not negatively affect male soldiers. This is a harmful stereotype that we need to adamantly stand against. I think it would be a nice change to be ahead of the times and accept this change bathroom proposal and show that we are not all those type of people stuck in the past.
((NATS))
We are talking about issues that we have created. God didn't create those. I mean, I just plead with you to surrender yourself to a better decision and just social and cultural issues and letting culture define our morals instead of Godly principles defining our morals. Thank you.
((Deidre Grimm, Local Resident))
I am a Christian and I believe in God and I believe God gave me this kid to open my heart and my mind. While your children were going to prom and doing their sports that they enjoy, my child was fighting for his life and for his right to use the bathroom. I beg you to do the right thing here.
((Jackie Smith, Local Resident))
We are all entitled to our rights. There's no doubt about that. We are in America. Now, if we have a third identity now, then so be it. Let's have a bathroom for each. It's mutual and equally respectful.
((Jennifer Wiffen, Local Resident))
I mean, to have separate bathrooms like a broom closet with nurse station, that just makes me, reminds me, and I'm sorry to make the comparison, but it really just brings, that it’s like Jim Crow, separate but equal. We proved that was a false farce for the black and white community. That’s, yes, separate but equal. No. It just puts a big target on that. It says you’re different, so I'm going to treat you different. And going through school here, every kid will say, well, my parent believes this and my parent does that or my belief system in a Bible or this holy book tells me I should translate, have to believe this. It's the adults that are stepping in with ignorance and not looking at the face of someone and doing, just trying, stepping forward, talking to me or talking to other people. I mean, we are only as strong as our weakest member and I'm not gonna be weak. I'm tired of being weak. I was weak living here as a child, but I found my voice.
((NATS))
Ma’am, time’s up.
((Jennifer Wiffen, Local Resident))
And, that’s all I say. I love you all. Please do what’s best.
((NATS))
((Jennifer Wiffen, Local Resident))
This is a huge, amazing that it’s even getting spoken in loud voices, both affirmative and negative, to voice it outside their churches and outside their private houses on either side. It's a good rational start. It’s a start. It will change.
((NATS))
((Pop-Up Banner: Polls show that in recent years, Americans have become more accepting of Transgender rights))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up….
((Banner))
Searching for Water
((SOT))
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Labs))
So, then we create these big maps as scientists of where these gravity anomalies are, and the biggest and heaviest thing that actually moves around the planet pretty quickly tends to be water.
BREAK ONE
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK B
((Banner: A Question of Water))
((PKG)) MIDWEST FARM FLOODING
((Banner: Too Much))
((Reporter/Camera: Elizabeth Lee))
((Adapted by: Ailin Li))
((Map: Hooper, Nebraska))
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
I guess I’m still absorbing all the loss that we have.
I’ve been farming for 43 years and I farm corn, soy beans, hay and cattle. The winter was real harsh. So, we had a lot of snow. The ground was all froze and then, when we had some rain two weeks ago, it melted all the snow at once, and that’s what caused all the floods. Everything ran off into the rivers. It was a mess. Never had anything like this before, not this kind of a flood.
((NATS))
((Brian Smith, National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist))
This is out of the ordinary. This is not a normal occurrence that takes place. Here was the worst case that you could ever think of to happen that caused numerous problems. We can’t really tell if it’s part of the long-term climate change, but that’s something that with climate change, you’re going to experience more extreme events taking place.
((NATS))
((Brian Smith, National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist))
We’re worried about any more heavy rain that would cause any of the rivers to flood. Also, we’ve had some levees that have been breached, broken, and levee systems in some areas are weakened because of all the water.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
Water was right up to here. Started about five o’clock in the afternoon, started creeping into the house, came up all night. That’s where it caved out. By Friday morning, we were surrounded. Couldn’t even get to my calves. It was five foot deep out there. I couldn’t feed them.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer)) Bawling all night, just about made us heartbroken, but they survived. I thought they’d be gone.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
Two calves are completely gone. They floated away and two cows died.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
My cattle herd, hopefully they’ll survive. The rest of them will survive. They had a lot of stress on them for being in cold water for three days, three-and-a-half days, and now having little calves. Isn’t very many dry places for them to stand on. I’m making ends meet, so, so far they’re doing fine.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
I’m not sure what this spring’s going to bring us. It’ll be a late planting season because of all the debris out in the fields to clean up. You can see on that field there, see all that white? That’s all sand deposit from the river. Our fences are all gone in our pastures, so it’s going to be a long time before we can get cattle out to pastures, but hopefully with some help and mother nature, we can hopefully get back to normalcy a little bit. It’s going to be probably two or three years though before everything will come back the way it was at least.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
Just really be nice if we all had a patch of grass to hold some water back.
((Pop-Up Banner: Land with grass crops erodes less quickly than land with row crops))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
Too much land has been highly erodible that’s in row crops right now, I think. The price of corn is really good. Was that six years ago? Around $7 or $8 a bushel. I think a lot of grass acres got tilled up and put in corn acres just because of that reason. The export market was excellent. We had a good ethanol program going. Everybody was buying corn from us for a while. We knew it wasn’t going to last very long, and it didn’t. So now, it’s all row crops instead of grass.
((NATS))
((Steve Nelson, President, Nebraska Farm Bureau))
We’re the number two ethanol producing state. So, we’re significant producer of commodities, not just that are used in Nebraska, but that are used around the nation and around the world, and so we’ve seen some pretty major effects to all of those categories.
((NATS))
((Steve Nelson, President, Nebraska Farm Bureau))
We have tight margins in practically everything we grow and raise and so, the trade issues effect that as well. The storm just adds to the difficulty that’s there. Over 75% of the state has issues related to these storms.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
This used to be my great grandfather’s place. He had lost it a long time ago and then it’s been resold and sold two other times and I finally bought it back in 1982. We’re gradually buying the land all around it, making some of our last payments on the land. So, it’s not easy though. Everything we make goes back into the land.
((NATS))
((Tom Geisler, Fifth Generation Nebraska Farmer))
I have two good boys, have a real good wife so, she has to work full time just to make ends meet. My youngest son wants to come back and farm. He’s gonna farm some this year with me. We’ve always been resilient, so hopefully, we can come back and farm some more. I’m the fifth generation of farmers, so hopefully, we can continue that trend. I don’t want to give up. Sometimes you feel like it, but I don’t want to. Sometimes it takes a toll on you, both mentally and physically.
((NATS))
((PKG)) DROUGHT AND WATER TECHNOLOGY
((Banner: Not Enough))
((Reporter: Crystal Dilworth))
((VOA Persian))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Pasadena, California))
((NATS))
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
To put it simply, drought is when weather on the supply side, and society on the demand side, don’t see eye to eye. So, it’s when you don’t have enough water to fulfill a specific need. You know, about 96, 97% of the water on the planet is in the oceans, and that’s salty water. Only about, maybe, three percent of the water on the planet is fresh water, and most of that is locked up in the ice sheets.
((Courtesy: GRACE))
So, you got about 0.4% of all the water on the planet that’s actually fresh liquid water on land for us to access to drink.
((NATS))
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
We are earth scientists who study water. We study the movement of the water around the planet, which includes everything from precipitation to snow to soil moisture and groundwater, and we understand how those things change in time, and then how it affects society.
((NATS))
((Banner: Data about global water is provided by the US-German GRACE Satellite Mission))
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
These are two satellites that orbit the earth in tandem. They’re in an orbit of about 450 kilometers and they have a spacing of about 250 kilometers between them. These two satellites were put in orbit together to watch each other. So, they measure changes in each other’s orbits as they progress around the planet, and those changes in the distance between the satellites tell us something about the gravity signal underneath those satellites.
((Pop-UP Banner: Bodies of water will produce gravitational drag on a satellite))
Grace is really one of the only missions that doesn’t ‘shoot something’ down to the earth or take pictures of the earth. It just sits there in orbit. There’s GPS trackers on the top of the satellite, just like the ones in our phones, and they tell us where the satellites are as they make these range measurements.
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
So, then we create these big maps as scientists of where these gravity anomalies are, and the biggest and heaviest thing that actually moves around the planet pretty quickly tends to be water. And so, we know most of these signals are due to water movement.
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
What we’re expecting to happen with climate change is something called the ‘rich get richer mechanism,’ which is that places that are already wet are probably going to get more water in the future, and places that are already pretty dry are probably going to get drier in the future with changing climate. So, for dry places with large populations, that’s something we really have to think about and so far, what we’ve been seeing on the planet is consistent with that prediction, that these dry places will get drier.
((J.T. Reager, Hydrologist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory))
As population grows and people want to move to sunny and lovely places, like California, for instance, you’re near the ocean, then we have to consider, is there enough water in these places to support a growing population? One of the exciting things about water is that we have several technological solutions, which probably are viable into the future. So, one of them is water retreatment. So, the recycling of water through intensive chemical or other treatment activities that can create fresh water essentially from toilet water. So, toilet-to-tap is one of those exciting technologies that tends to, kind of, creep people out a little bit, but it’s actually really safe.
((NATS))
((PKG)) TOILET TO TAP WATER
((Banner: Making it Clean))
((Reporter: Crystal Dilworth))
((VOA Persian))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Orange County, California))
((NATS))
((Pop-Up Banner: Orange County, California is already turning wastewater into fresh water))
((Shane DeWane, Orange County Water District))
To me, you’re sitting inside a gigantic scientific instrument. We are using science and technology to treat wastewater and create drinking water on a scale that is almost unimaginable. What we have to do is remove everything from hormones to heroin, viruses and bacteria, before it’s ready to be served back to the public as drinking water.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Orange County Water District))
((Shane DeWane, Orange County Water District))
Sometimes I like to say that the science, technology and the engineering were the easy part. It took many years, in fact about 16 years of deliberation and thousands and thousands of meetings with the public, to gain public acceptance for drinking water that was once wastewater.
((NATS))
((Courtesy: Orange County Water District))
((Shane DeWane, Orange County Water District))
Water weighs a lot, eight pounds per gallon (1kg/liter). When you move a gallon of water, you have to move eight pounds of mass, and so, if you imagine today, through this project, we’re moving a 100 million gallons (379 million liters) of water into drinking water. That’s 800 million pounds (379k tons) that has to be moved around on a daily basis. Because we’re reusing the water that already been processed, we’re taking the variability out of the weather cycle.
((NATS))
((Pop-Up Banner: Fresh water for Orange County comes from an aquifer, a natural underground lake))
((Pop-Up Banner: The aquifer is reduced by drought, but treated wastewater from the plant replenishes the reservoir))
((Courtesy: Orange County Water District))
((Mike Markus, General Manager, Orange County Water District))
This facility is the largest potable reuse project in the world. So, we take the secondary effluent and then we run it through an advanced purification process, utilizing microfiltration, reverse osmosis, and then UV (ultraviolet) light with hydrogen peroxide. So, by the time it gets through that 3-step process, we’ve basically taken wastewater and turned it into distilled water. For us, it’s extremely important. If we were to rely on rainfall, we wouldn’t be able to fill our basin up. I mean, last year we got four-and-a-half inches (11cm.) of rainfall the entire year. We’re using a form of conservation through recycled water and we’re doing it in a big way.
((NATS))
TEASE ((VO/NAT))
Coming up….
((Banner))
Iranian-American Comedy
((SOT))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
The Zoroastrian religion has a saying, and that’s the original religion of Iran, and the saying is, ‘Good words, good thoughts and good deeds.’
BREAK TWO
BUMP IN ((ANIM))
BLOCK C
((PKG)) POPCORN FACTORY
((Banner: Popcorn….))
((Reporter: Lesia Bakalets))
((Camera: Artyom Kokhan, David Gogokhia))
((VOA Russian))
((Adapted by: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Chapman, Nebraska))
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
Popcorn actually is one of the oldest grains in the world.
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
So this one is the popcorn. You see it’s long here, but it’s skinny. You can put your fingers all the way around the outside of this one. It’s very skinny on the top and this is the stuff that we use for the popcorn production and this is what you will explode when you put it in a pot or you put it in your microwave. We pop every 15 minutes. This lid will open and you will see them start to fall out of the popper.
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
This is a brand new popcorn facility with the very best technology in the entire world that you could have for popcorn. So, it all starts with farming. It starts with growing the right hybrids and knowing what popcorn customers want and caring about customers.
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
There you go. It’s brand new.
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
For popcorn and popcorn quality is to make sure we have a specific scientific methods to test the popcorn, to make sure it’s performing exactly the way that a customer wants and so, this machine is a very highly scientific machine that keeps all of the variables the same. So, we always pop at 480 degrees and we always use exactly the same amount of oil when we’re going to pop. This is, the industry standard is coconut oil. So, we’ll put the oil in and we’ll let it heat up to exactly 480 degrees. That’s the standard that popcorn will pop best. And so, what we will do, we also take exactly 250 grams of popcorn and it’s at the right moisture that it’s supposed to be at.
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
How many volumes am I going to get out? Is it going to be 47, 48? That’s very good high expansion, what we call platinum popcorn. So, this is the butterfly. You see, it looks like it has wings that go out like that. That’s what gives it the high expansion. So, the bigger these little chutes are or the wings that come off of the kernel, the higher the expansion. It’s a really good kernel.
((NATS))
((Pop-Up Banner: Americans eat more popcorn than any other people in the world.))
((NATS))
((Sam Krug, General Manager, Preferred Popcorn))
Oh, I eat popcorn, probably five times every single day, from early in the morning till the end of the day. My family, we’re eating it here. We’re eating it at home. We love popcorn.
((NATS))
((PKG)) PIA - Maz Jobrani
((Banner:….and a show))
((Executive Producer: Marsha James))
((Camera: Kaveh Rezaei))
((Adapted by: Martin Secrest))
((Map: Los Angeles, California))
((Courtesy: YouTube)) + ((YouTube Logo))
((NATS))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
I knew we were going to root. We have a chant. Our chant is ‘doo doo doo doot doot (continues chanting). That’s what we chant right before we take you hostage. OK, close the doors! (laughter).
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
I was born in Iran – Tehran, Iran, and I left Iran when I was six years old. A lot of immigrant parents do not want their kids to be comedians and actors. They want them to be lawyers or doctors or engineers. The moment I realized that you only have one life and you can’t live your life for your parents, you have to live your life for yourself, when I decided that I’m going to pursue this a 100 percent.
((Courtesy: “Maz Jobrani: I’m Not A Terrorist But I’ve Played One On TV.”))
((NATS))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
When I was a kid, I loved playing soccer, so I thought I’d be a professional soccer player. Then, I started playing baseball, so maybe I’ll be a professional baseball player. And then, when I was 12, I ended up trying out for the school play, and I fell in love with being on stage.
((Courtesy: YouTube)) + ((YouTube Logo))
((NATS))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
And when you first come to this country, you try and blend in as much as you can. So, I would do whatever it took to blend in. I would play baseball. I would eat apple pie. I would eat apple pie while playing baseball. Whatever it took, and things would be going great.
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
If I lived back in Iran, I don’t think I would necessarily be doing what I’m doing now. Acting and comedy is not really an option. I think the thing that’s good about the West and about America is the idea that you should pursue what you love doing. I’m very appreciative of the opportunities that were afforded me here in America. The Zoroastrian religion has a saying, and that’s the original religion of Iran, and the saying is, ‘Good words, good thoughts and good deeds.’ Now, I’m not really religious myself, but if you can live by those, I think it leads you to good places in life. I had such a struggle getting to do what I want to do in life, meaning that I had to really battle my parents to get to where I am, that usually the first thing I say is, I say I’m lucky because I get to do what I love doing.
((Courtesy: “Maz Jobrani: I’m Not A Terrorist But I’ve Played One On TV.”))
((Courtesy: YouTube)) + ((YouTube Logo))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
I really firmly believe that if you are lucky enough to find what you love doing, and then are even luckier to get to do it, and then are even luckier to make a living doing it, I mean, that’s the trifecta, man.
((Courtesy: YouTube)) + ((YouTube Logo))
((NATS))
((Maz Jobrani, Comedian))
A red card for me, and the whole team. Bye! (laughter)
CLOSING ((ANIM))
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BREAK ((ANIM))
SHOW ENDS
