 Everybody in America has seen a skyscraper; it’s an inevitable thing in this day and age. But have you ever seen one made entirely of wood? Japan plans on it.
We’ve all at least heard of pagodas in history books. These, so far, were the tallest wooden towers in Japan. But, slated to be finished in 2041, is a huge tower made by Sumitomo Forestry, in Tokyo. It is going to be made of 90% wooden materials, the other 10% being miscellaneous materials like steel and glass. If built, it would stand 1,148 feet tall. But why is this such a big deal? There are many wooden skyscrapers- or “plyscrapers” if you prefer- around the world. The current record holder stands tall in Canada, piercing the sky at 164 feet tall. It’s called the Brock Commons Tallwood house, and it houses students in Vancouver. It is currently the world’s tallest mass timber structure, meaning it is composed primarily of wood. Before that was the Treet in Central Bergen, Norway. It is 160 feet tall. It took the record from the 104 foot tall Forte residential area in Melbourne, Australia. There is another proposed wooden tower: the Oakwood Tower, to be built in London. It would stand 1,000 feet tall, and only be shadowed in London by the famous Shard skyscraper. I’m sure there’s a question nagging at your mind: won’t it burn down really easily? The answer may surprise you: no. As a rule, you need weak, thin wood for kindling. All of these towers have been built of thick, sturdy timber, which tends not to burn easily. On top of that, much of the wood is layered into a sturdier design, rather like weaving. It is then covered in strong, fire-resistant glue. In short, these things aren’t burning down. Let’s just hope they don’t fall, because that would be one big “timber”! I’m sure these towers will be a great contribution to the urban “jungle”. Story by Jonas Suskey Sources CNN World News The University of British Columbia Architel.tv  Near Antarctica, approximately 1.5 million Adelie penguins are estimated to thrive. Researchers are calling it a “supercolony”. They have been found in large numbers in the Danger Islands, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. These Islands have never been a prioritized region to preserve, but now that scientists are aware of the high population of these inhabitants, they want to change that.
Scientists found out about these penguins due to the advanced technology of aerial drone photography. The penguins have a pinkish tint, and were easily recognized by the satellites as well. The Adelie population generally survives off of a diet of mainly krill, and are only a few feet tall. The population of these animals has been increasing steadily for years, and it hopefully will continue that way. This discovery of these Adelie Penguins is extremely important. In many areas, penguins are losing habitats and dying off due to global warming. This new knowledge will help scientists continue to study these penguins and put in effort in order to maintain their health and numbers. Hopefully, more of these unique creatures will be discovered, and the future of these penguins will continue to thrive. Story by Willow Schenk Works Cited Newsela | More than a Million Adelie Penguins Found Thriving in Antarctic Peninsula, newsela.com/read/mega-colony-penguins-antarctica/id/40983. “Hidden Penguin Mega-Colonies Discovered in Antarctica.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 2 Mar. 2018, news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/adelie-penguins-colonies-discovered-antarctica-environment/. Weintraub, Karen. “A Supercolony of Penguins Has Been Found Near Antarctica.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 5 Mar. 2018, www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/science/adelie-penguins-supercolony-antarctica.html.  Have you heard of the Times Up movement? The Times Up movement is a movement against sexual harassment, founded January 1st 2018 by Hollywood celebrities. It was created in response to the Weinstein effect and #Metoo. The Weinstein effect is that in early October, dozens of women came forward and accused Harvey Weinstein of sexual abuse. USA Today said ¨Since then 150 celebrities have been accused of sexual misconduct.¨ After this made news headlines, people started to share their stories on social media, using the #Metoo.
Did you know 1 in 3 women ages 18-34 have been sexually harassed at work? Being harassed can range from inappropriate comments to someone touching you in an inappropriate manner. Even though 1 in 3 women are harassed at work, it mostly happens to people working low wage jobs. Research has shown that women in a mostly male dominated workplaces are harassed more than women in a female dominated workplaces. Hopefully with awareness this problem will get better. If you want to help with the Time's up movement, here are some things that the movement's website recommends. For starters, don't be a part of the problem. Next if someone tells you they have been harassed believe them, and help them find resources for help. Just because you're not the one being harassed doesn't mean you can't address the harasser or you can find help. You can also donate to the TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund to help those being affected. Story by Maya Fuchs Sources:https://www.timesupnow.com/#what-you-can-do-anchor http://people.com/movies/how-to-donate-to-times-up/ http://time.com/5189945/whats-the-difference-between-the-metoo-and-times-up-movements/ https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/life/the-harvey-weinstein-effect/ https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/sexual-misconduct/weinstein-here-s-growing-list-men-accused-sexual-misconduct-n816546 |
