It’s the first time the EPA approves an eight-gene corn. In the past, the EPA approved genetically modified corn with only two extra genes, three at most.

But some people think the EPA has been too quick with the approval. Policy analyst Bill Freese at the Center for Food Safety in Washington worries the corn will spur the evolution of superbugs – insects resistant to conventional pesticides.

“First of all the EPAs decision on these crops is based almost exclusively on studies that are done by the companies that are applying for approval of the crops and that has given rise to bias,” says Freese.

BT is a pathogen found naturally in soil. It’s toxic to many insects, and so it’s been used as a spray-on pesticide for years.

Genetically modified corn like SmartStax is engineered to include the BT gene in its genome. As it grows, the corn plant produces its own dose of BT pesticide.

The concern is some insects in a population of Root Worm, for example, are naturally more resistant to BT. Freese says the genetically strong insects that survive could mate — producing offspring with even more resistance to BT.

“There’s a great concern among organic farmers that development of resistance could make BT sprays useless,” says Freese.

The EPA says the chances of this happening are low because it mandates growers to use a refuge’. Mike Mendelson from the EPA explains a refuge is a portion of land growers devote to non-BT corn.

“If resistance were to develop to the BT-corn the refuge provides non-resistant insects that could dilute that potential resistance,” says Mendelson.

But that’s true only if the refuge is big enough. The concern with SmartStax is that it isn’t.

In the past, growers had to devote 20% of their field for the refuge. With SmartStax however, the EPA reduced the requirement to 5%. Freese says it was an unwise decision for the EPA to reduce the requirement.

“Obviously I think we need to take an independent study with a greater seriousness than one completed by a self interested company,” says Freese.

Professor of Crop Sciences at Ohio State, John Finer is one of those who stand behind the SmartStax science. Finer says it’s because SmartStax combines – or stacks’ – many pesticide genes into one plant.

“What we see in the laboratory is a “Yes, you can have insects that eventually develop a resistance”. As you stack starting more genes, the numbers get incredibly low, infinitesimally small,” says Finer.

Even if 5% were large enough for a refuge, Freese says he’s also concerned about grower compliance.

The enforcement of these refuge requirements is left to the industry and often enough these refuge requirements aren’t followed,’ says Freese.

A consortium of companies including Monsanto and Dowe says grower compliance is about 90%. Monsanto’s Joanne Carden says the company arrived at that number by sending an online survey to its growers and by on-site assessments.

Growers are randomly selected, and it’s a face to face interview. We could look at invoices to see if they have properly purchased refuge seeds, and all that type of information’, says Carden.

Monsanto – citing anti-trust measures – won’t say how many assessments are completed each year.

“All I can say at this point is that it’s statistically significant for that particular growing years,’ says Carden.

Danita Murray from the National Corn Growers Association says her association welcomes the EPA’s approval. Murray says the technology could boost a grower’s bottom line.

But ultimately, it’s up to growers to decide whether they’ll harvest the new genetically engineered corn.

I simply can’t predict, obviously that’s an individual decision each grower will make for themselves based on their own operation,’ says Murray.

Approximately 1000 new cases of HIV/AIDS are diagnosed in Ohio every year. That number has remained stable for some time — but increasingly more young people are becoming infected with the virus.

In 2007, about 20% of those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Ohio were younger than 24 years old. That’s a 60% increase from the 2003 number.

The increase implies more young people at risk of contracting HIV are engaging in unsafe sexual behavior. But why?

Howard Fradkin is a psychologist who specializes in HIV/AIDS counseling at the Columbus clinic Affirmations. He’s one of those who say the increase is linked to abstinence only sexual education programs.

“In the time you’re talking about the US government was actively promoting only one type of sexual education which was abstinence education only. I suspect that what we’re seeing is the effect of lack of appropriate education,” says Fradkin.

In 1997, the federal government announced it would give 1 billion dollars for sexual education programs that promote abstinence exclusively. Ohio was one of those states that accepted the funds.

That changed in 2007 however when Governor Strickland vetoed the federal money. A study mandated by the US Department of Health at the time demonstrated that abstinence-based courses did not discourage youth from having sex.

Medical Director and Assistant Health Commissioner at Columbus Public Health, Dr. LeMaile-Williams says if young people are going to have sex they should learn in school how to protect themselves and their partners.

“We can’t ignore that sex is out there and is happening. And it’s important that we try to talk to you people about sex and what happens when you have sex,” says LeMaile-Williams.

Dr. Michael Para is a Professor of Infectious Diseases at Ohio State University. He describes another factor that might explain for the increase in young people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

“The treatment is so good. That’s part of the problem – you don’t see it as much so you think it’s under control. You see Magic Johnson and he’s fat and happy,” says Para.

HIV attacks the body’s white blood cells – hijacking them by becoming engrained in their DNA. White blood cells are like soldiers for the body’s immune system. So as the virus multiplies, it slowly disables the body’s ability to fight off infections.

“HIV basically is a virus that kills the immune system,” says Para.

There’s still no cure for HIV. All the medication does is slow down the virus. But, it works so well that this is what Dr. Para tells his patients.

“That the meds work so well that they’ll probably die of a heart attack or something else,” says Para.

It could sound like good news, but Para cautions that nothing is set in stone.

“Those meds have worked completely and have suppressed the virus for 13 years. Will the drugs started in 1996 be good in 2026? I don’t know,” says Para.

Para wants the younger generation to know that HIV marks a person for life. It’s often considered a manageable condition today – like diabetes or high blood pressure – but it’s nothing like catching the seasonal flue. HIV, he says, is a big deal.

“Because it changes your life. You can stay healthy with it, but the reality is if you want a sex partner you have to tell them. You know, you’re a marked person,” says Para.

“Last year we had over 11,000 people visit our farmers markets over the three Thursdays. This year we anticipate even more,” says LeMaile-Williams.

It appears she’s right. Last Thursday’s market was packed.

But what isn’t so clear is whether the big turn-out is reason to celebrate. In the center of the market is a line of people about 0.25 mile long. The line – mostly women and children – is waiting for $15 of food aid benefits.

Shannon asked her last name not be used.

“So you come out and you get these coupons and you have like $15 to spend and you can get all types of nutritious stuff. It just helps people feed their children healthy,” says Shannon.

The Women with Infants and Children program – or WIC – is a program from the Department of Agriculture. The organization began handing out the benefit almost 20 years ago. It wanted to encourage its clients to purchase fresh produce from Farmers Markets.

But Dr. LeMaile-Williams says WIC realized many of its clients were not actually redeeming the vouchers.

“When surveyed it was largely because they didn’t know where to access a Farmer’s Market. So we felt that by hosting a farmer’s market right here on our grounds would hopefully increase participation,” says LeMaile-Williams.

It seems to have worked. In its first edition of the market five years ago, the voucher redemption rate doubled.

The purpose of this farmers market goes beyond providing locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Michael Jones, from the Greener Grocer, says purchasing any type of produce could be difficult for those without easy access to transportation.

“In many of the inner city urban areas there is no grocery store that is accessible to the population there. They may have access to a corner store but that store is likely to carry beer, wine, cigarettes but very little in the way of healthy food,” says Jones.

A few hours after the Market’s opening, the line of people waiting for the $15 food aid benefit is almost gone. But it’s no comfort to Jones. He expects the line of people waiting for the food aid benefit to during next Thursday’s farmer’s market. “Just imagine. People waiting in line mile long simply to get $15 of benefits to purchase healthy food. That should be a wake up call to our community,” says Jones.

And Jones is awake. Because the farmers markets are seasonal – taking place only during the summer. So the Greener Grocer and Columbus Public health looked for ways to provide similar shopping opportunities year-round.

“So this idea of the veggie van was born,” says Jones.

The Veggie Van is a travelling farmer’s stand. It makes two or three stops a day in different parts of the city to sell locally grown produce. But Jones says sales at the Veggie Van have been slow.

“There’s also an issue of resources. If you don’t have money you can’t buy fresh fruits and vegetables,” says Jones.

So while the veggie van ran year round since last fall, it’s not clear if the initiative will continue through the winter.

The Veggie Van’s stops include St. Stephen’s Community House, the Jewish Community Center and the South Side Settlement House.

Battelle donated 1 million dollars to the National Society of Black Engineers for SEEK camp: The Summer Engineering Experience for Kids. Executive Director of the National Society of Black Engineers Carl Mack says the camp started three years ago.

“We don’t have enough African Americans in Engineering. Engineering is about solving problems: Scientific problems, Societal problems how well can you think? When you got those types of skills, there’s nothing that you cannot do,” says Mack.

The 300 elementary school children worked in teams for three weeks designing gliders, skimmers and toy cars.

[BITE: 3, 2, 1 Cheer]

While the kids may sound like science enthusiasts now, they weren’t at first. On the camp’s first day, only 5% of the children said they’d consider going to college and study engineering. But on the camp’s last day it’s 80%.

The camp targets children aged 10 to 12. Battelle’s Rich Rosen explains the importance of targeting that age group.

“We’re born scientists. We put things in our mouth. We touch things that somebody says don’t touch it’s too hot and then we touch it. But once we start teaching algebra and math as sterile topics, people loose interest,” says Rosen.

The camp dovetails with the initiative of converting Linden McKinley High School into a STEM school. STEM schools emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in their course curricula.

Rosen says it’s especially important to teach science to today’s kids.

“The fields of Science Engineering and math we are loosing ground as a country. But more importantly everything that happens in the 21st century requires these types of skills,” says Rosen.

The camp curriculum aims to get kids excited about engineering with hands-on projects. But is that all it takes?

[BITE: Mentors Name]

A few minutes at the camp reveals how the mentors play a big role in the kids’ experience at the camp. Mack explains the mentors come from as far away as Texas. “When you start educating about the disparity of African Americans in the field of engineering These mentors have decided you know, I’m gonna spend my summer exposing another African American child to engineering,” says Mack.

Many of the mentors, like Kyle Hardy, come from the Linden area.

“I live around here so it feels good to feel like you’re helping someone that’s close to you,” says Hardy.

The SEEK camp is growing. In addition to the Columbus camp, there’s also one in Washington, DC. Mack envisions a future where SEEK camps pop up in cities across the US.

“We gonna have 100,000 kids studying to be engineers. I’m telling you it will happen,” says Mack.

The electricity meter spins in reverse when the solar panels produce more electricity than the household needs. Debalak says his monthly electric bill fell by 70% since he had the solar panels installed.

“We’re impressed. We’re very impressed,” says Debalak.

Debalak is not alone. Michelle Greenfield – from the company ThirdSun Solar – has been in the solar panel business for 12 years.

“Our business has grown tremendously over the past 3 years. We more than doubled from 2007 to 2008 and the year before that we tripled,” says Greenfield.

And she says business has not really slowed because of the recession or the drop in energy prices. Greenfield credits state and federal tax incentives for the sustained momentum.

The gross cost of a solar system is about $40,000 – but new customers end up paying only a fraction of that cost.

“A system may cost $40,000. If you get a rebate from the state of Ohio the rebate would be 30% to 40% off and the federal tax credit would be another 30%. It’s like a 70% off sale on solar,” says Greenfield.

That brings the $40,000 cost down to about $12,000. Despite those savings, solar panels aren’t a bargain. The payback period for even a discounted system is about 10 years. This might explain why people like Al Debalak say money does not drive their decision.

“I’m just concerned about how we use our energy and being responsible. We didn’t do it because we wanted to pay itself off,” says Debalak.

Steven Ringel is a professor of Material Science at Ohio State University. He explains that solar panels are costly because it’s difficult to find a material that converts light to electricity.

“It’s actually a very hard problem. It’s very difficult to convert all of the sunlight to electricity,” says Ringel.

Solar cells are made of a special type of material known as semiconductors. Most materials classify as either conductors of electricity – like copper – or insulators of electricity – like porcelain. But semiconductors are both of these things.

Professor Ringel explains how it’s this property that allows semiconductors to work in solar cells.

“A semiconductor becomes very conductive when light gets absorbed. It directly converts energy in the form of light to energy in the form of electricity. Wood, of course, might get hot,” says Ringel.

And not all semiconductors are equal. Some are better at converting bluish light to electricity, while others are better at converting reddish light. A perfect solar cell is one that is able to convert all colors found in sunlight.

“When you think about the sun there’s a distribution of colors. A good solar cell material would be one where most of the colors are absorbed by the material. That depends on the chemistry of the material,” says Ringel.

So it’s all about finding the right material or combination of materials. Ringel’s group is testing the effectiveness of layering different types of semiconductors.

“There are many new players in the field. Solar cells that are made out of polymers, that are flexible, solar cells that are made out of very esoteric materials,” says Ringel.

Ringel is optimistic that – one day – research will produce a widely available, inexpensive, and efficient solar cell material.

“It’s a matter of time. The race is on. There are so many research groups and companies that have entered the field. You know, there’s been some great findings,” says Ringel.

As for Debalak, he looks forward to promoting the idea of going solar to others who are interested. He says that solar energy, despite Ohio weather, is worth it.

“Everybody told me when we put those up that we wouldn’t be able to bring in the amount of power that we needed – because Ohio’s so gray especially Columbus. But even in gray central Ohio, we seem to be doing ok with this,” says Debalak.

“Anytime we could take a waste stream, something that we would have normally thrown away – and turn it into something useful, you’ve done something good,” says Ganley.

That’s the “Clean Coal” solution. But it’s a controversial idea.

[SOUNDBITES OF TELEVISION ADS FOR/AGAINST CLEAN COAL]

At Ohio State University researchers are trying to figure out if there is such as clean burning coal. It’s run by chemical engineering professor Liang-Shih Fan. A student in the lab, Shwetha Ramkumar, is testing a method to capture carbon dioxide with calcium.

“This is a pilot scale demonstration of the calcium-based process,” says Ramkumar.

Ramkumar says the method involves directing the exhaust of a standard power plant into a mixing device. The machine injects calcium powder into the stream of gas. The calcium reacts with the CO2, and captures the greenhouse gas by converting it into something else: Calcium Carbonate.

“And actually Calcium Carbonate is just limestone,” says Ramkumar.

But emitting tons of limestone powder into the air instead of CO2 is not much better. So, Ramkumar says her group uses a particle separator to extract the limestone from the exhaust.

“This will separate the calcium from the gas and the gas will now be free of CO2 emissions, so then this is a clean technology,” says Ramkumar. A special machine – called a calciner – then breaks the limestone back into calcium and pure CO2. The calcium is recycled for another capture process, while the CO2 is isolated for storage.

Most people agree on this part of the clean coal process. But… then what?

“It’s one thing to capture the carbon dioxide it’s a second thing what do you do with it?” says McConnell.

Charles McConnell oversees the clean coal research activities at Battelle. He explains the different options on the table.

“Actually injecting it deep underground into the large saline aquifers and other geological formations far down below the earth’s surface in areas where it can be safely and effectively stored for 100s of years going forward,” says McConnell.

But it’s unclear whether it’s possible to lock up a greenhouse gas – safely – for 100s if not 1000s of years.

Another challenge is cost. Clean coal technology is expensive because it requires a lot of energy. For every four new power plants that would be built with clean coal technology, one of them would have to be entirely devoted to powering the clean coal process. McConnell questions what impact clean coal will have on the cost of electricity.

“Nobody really knows what the impact economically will be,” says McConnell.

Developers have yet to build a clean coal power plant in the US. And out of some 200 power plants planned for construction, virtually none of them incorporates blueprints for clean coal technology.

Joe Lucas is a vice president for The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity. The coalition spent 10s of millions of dollars in TV ads aimed at rallying public opinion around clean coal.

[SOUND BITE OF ACCE ADVERT]

Lucas says the technology is too new for companies to heavy investments in planning or construction.

“What we’re doing is that right now we’re in the demonstration phase. This is a process where you have to walk before you run,” says Lucas.

Walking’ in clean-coal research means testing the technology on small boilers instead of full-scale power plants.

Kate Rooth is with Greenpeace and maintains its website – Coal-Is-Dirty.Com. She says her organization opposes any process of electricity generation with coal – even clean coal.

“It covers a wide range of issues – not just carbon capture and storage. But other problems we have with mining,” says Rooth.

Rooth says Greenpeace advocates for the use of renewable energy resources.

“We need to rather focus on alternatives to get us off completely off global warming,” says Rooth.

Whether coal can be clean or not, there is a good chance the coal industry will have to do something about its CO2 emissions. The cap-and-trade bill – which passed the House – asks for an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Battelle’s Charles McConnell says these guidelines are asking a lot from clean coal technologies.

“Are these technologies available today at those scales, demonstrated, and cost effective? And the answer is, no, they’re not,” says McConnell.

Regardless of what happens to the Cap-And-Trade bill as it goes through the Senate, McConnell suggests leaving emotions aside.

“Everyone has their own opinion. The answer will lie in the truths that science brings. And taking the emotion out of the issue what will the technology do?,” says McConnell.

But while dumpsters are taking longer to fill, it’s another story for recycling bins.

Evan Williams arrives at a SWACO drop-off box with bags of empty bottles and old newspapers.

[Sound of bottles breaking in dumpster]

The trip has cost him fuel money But Williams says it’s just a small price to pay for what he considers his share of environmental stewardship.

“You give and take really It helps get rid of the trash. We like Earth. We want it to stay healthy,” says Williams.

Williams is not the only one sustaining his green behavior during the recession. Jonathan Kissell – from Rumpke recycling – cites a noticeable trend.

“June was the highest month ever for drop off boxes. We have seen participation increase over the past year. So we’re receiving more material,” says Kissell.

This has caused somewhat of a conundrum for the company, because Rumpke makes money by selling what it collects.

“Placing the material is as important as collecting the material. The recycling markets are very volatile. Fluctuating up and down like a roller coaster,” says Kissell.

And since the economic downturn, prices have nosedived. Last summer Rumpke earned about 100 dollars for a ton of recycled paper – it now gets 20. The reason for the fall in commodity prices is the close link between the recycling industry and consumer shopping habits.

For example, glass bottles sent to Rumpke’s facilities are crushed and sent to Defiance, Ohio – where they’re transformed into fiberglass insulating material. Some of the pop bottles are sent to Haviland, Ohio – where they’re converted into drainage pipes.

With fewer people buying those new goods, demand for the recycled commodities that go into making them plummeted. Kissell explains how the weakened demand translated into weakened market prices.

“With the global economy as it began to collapse and unfold so did the recycling market and the demand for recycled goods decreased,” says Kissell.

Don Convington is from Signode Plastics – a company that purchases old plastic bottles and transforms them into plastic packaging strips. Last summer, business was booming, and the company had to import plastic bottles from across the continent to satisfy demand. But with less people buying its products in recent months, Convington says the company has had to change things.

“We used to import materials from as far away as Mexico City – believe it or not – and as far North and West as British Columbia. We’ve been buying less of it,” says Convington.

In fact, the shipping industry as a whole has suffered since the beginning of the recession. This dip in shipping activity has had a noticeable effect on the variety of materials Rumpke processes in its plants.

“Our cardboard numbers have slightly dipped. If retail outlets are selling fewer goods, they’re not sending out as many cardboard boxes and so we’re not receiving as many cardboard boxes back at our plant,” says Kissell.

Rumpke has been able to weather the recession and has not had significant layoffs. It has been able to find markets for its commodities – despite collecting less money for them.

But Kissell is optimistic that things are looking up. He interprets a recent increase in commodity prices as a sign of hope for the troubled industry.

“We actually saw historic lows at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. Now over the past couple of months we’ve seen a very slow but somewhat consistent rise in the values of the commodities,” says Kissell.

Shirley McGlone takes a smoke break as she offers her opinion on the new bulbs.

“I think they need to improve the compact fluorescent light bulbs. They don’t come on when you turn them on. They take a while to come on and the light’s real harsh,” says McGlone.

Nancy Roscoe is nearby. She’s among those who don’t quite mind the light – but she worries that what’s inside the compact fluorescent could make her sick.

“They’re fine. My only concern about those is the mercury. When they get broke, you know, how you have to handle that. You can get, is that, poisoning?” says Roscoe.

The Environmental Protection Agency lists mercury as a neurotoxin – a substance that could impair the cognitive development of children and infants. In adults, inhalation of mercury vapor could lead to tremors, a reduction in cognitive function and, in large enough doses – acute kidney failure.

But it’s all about dosage. There are about 3 mg of mercury in one compact fluorescent. And according to the Department of Labor, a working environment is still considered safe when that small amount of mercury is vaporized in a typical 200-square foot room.

Greg Stein, of the Ohio Department of Health, compares the amount of mercury in a compact fluorescent to what’s inside another household item.

“Three to Five milligrams is a very small amount. A typical household fever thermometer contains 500 to 1000 mg of mercury”, says Stein.

Stein says when they work properly, the compact fluorescents don’t actually emit mercury.

“Functioning normally, they’re sealed. Even when the electricity’s turned on, it’s still sealed,” says Stein.

But it doesn’t mean that precautions aren’t necessary. Pregnant women should be especially cautious and avoid exposure to mercury as much as possible — which could happen when a bulb breaks.

“The problem with mercury is through inhalation. Mercury vaporizes at room temperature. This happens over a period it can be months if it’s not properly cleaned up,” says Stein.

Stein encourages consumers to follow clean-up steps outlined by the EPA. The agency advises against using a common clean-up tool.

“First and foremost, never vacuum,” says Stein.

A vacuum could increase exposure to the mercury by vaporizing it in the air. Instead, the EPA website recommends immediately leaving the room and letting it air out for 15 minutes. Consumers should then use cardboard to pick up the shards of glass, and a damp cloth to wipe the mercury off the ground – even if it’s invisible to the naked eye. The broken remnants and cleaning materials should be sealed in two plastic bags and brought to a local recycling station for proper disposal.

Burned bulbs should also go to proper disposal sites. But David Miller – owner of a True Value in Columbus – doubts many of his customers know about proper disposal methods.

“No. They’re not aware of it. Most if the time now, they just throw them in the trash,” says Miller.

Sending compact fluorescents to the landfill releases the mercury they contain into the environment. The substance could then leach into the air, water and eventually make its way up the food chain and onto our plates.

It doesn’t mean conventional incandescent light bulbs are the most mercury-friendly option either. In fact, they might be worse.

Incandescent bulbs use four times more electricity than do compact fluorescents. And in Ohio, most electricity comes from burning coal – which also releases mercury. The EPA estimates that, when accounting for energy production, it’s the incandescent bulb that releases the most mercury.

Yet, David Miller admits mercury is not what most of his customers talk about in his West Broad Street hardware store. For most of them, it’s still price that drives the purchase.

“They sell reasonably well. People kinda shy away from them cause they are pricy. But people are starting to realize that the overall cost of ownership is a lot cheaper than a regular incandescent bulb,” says Miller.

NASA launched a new lunar orbiter last month to begin a yearlong mission. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will provide NASA with some of the most complete and accurate information about our moon.

Ron Li is from Ohio State University. He’s one of the 24 scientists selected by NASA to design mapping tools on-board the orbiter. He explains how this mission is only a preface to NASA’s larger, more ambitious, project.

“To establish long-term habitat for people to stay there in the longer term,” says Li.

By mapping the entire lunar surface, NASA hopes to find a landing site for its future colony of humans. The orbiter will do this by circling the moon only a few miles above ground, and produce pictures of the surface about 30 times better than what’s typically found on Google Earth. From the pictures, NASA might be able to see some of the equipment left behind by the mission of 1969.

[Armstrong: It's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.]

At the time, NASA succeeded in landing on the moon without the type of information it’s collecting with the 500 million dollar orbiter. But, as Li explains, NASA didn’t need back then because it landed in the equatorial region of the moon.

“The areas to be landed on will be different. It’s not going to be equatorial area anymore. There interested in polar area. There’s a possibility that water or ice exist that could provide energy on lunar surface,” says Li.

NASA suspects the water is hidden in dark craters of the moon’s polar regions – which means it might be difficult to detect from space. So the space agency came up with a plan to send a camera down onto lunar soil but without ever landing.

On day 100 of the mission, an empty rocket engine will be dropped from the orbiter. It’ll act as a projectile – speeding toward the moon to blast a hole in its surface.

The impact will release a cloud of dust 6-mile high. It’ll also signal the orbiter flying above to launch something else toward the moon – the LCROSS. This machine will dive into the cloud of dust, measure what might be in it, and send the information back to earth. But it’ll have to do this quickly, because within four minutes, the 80-million dollar gadget will end up crashing itself on the lunar surface.

Ron Li acknowledges that enthusiasm for space exploration isn’t what it used to be. But he hopes that this type of mission could generate excitement about science in the younger generation.

“Missions like this will generate a lot of enthusiasm so that more domestic students could go to science majors and engineering majors. And that is very much needed,” says Li.