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U.S. Government Report Looks Into The Global Computer Chip Shortage; Game Reserve Makes Progress In "Rewilding"; Flying Cars Get Closer To Taking Off. Aired 4-4:10a ET
Aired January 27, 2022 - 04:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: We`re taking a ride in a flying car today. So, buckle up ya`ll as CNN 10 gets off the ground. This is your captain, Carl
Azuz. We`re starting with a new report from the U.S. government.
In the months ahead, the Commerce Department says America could see more factory shutdowns and furloughs, workers sent home without pay, but it
wouldn`t be because of the new corona virus outbreak. It would be because of the global microchip shortage we told you about last year. The problem
hasn`t gone away. In 2019 before the pandemic, American manufacturers that needed computer chips to make their goods had plenty of semi-conductors on
hand, about 40 days` worth.
According to the new government report, that inventory was down to less than five days` worth in 2021. That means they may soon run out of the
chips they need to make things like cars. General Motors, for instance, had to temporarily shut down most of its plants in North America last year
because it didn`t have enough chips on hand to make vehicles. Other electronics like Smartphones, appliances like washing machines, there have
also been shortages and in some case, price increases on these items as the chip problem persisted.
It was caused in the first place by concerns and closures related to COVID outbreaks. Then some manufacturers thought the economy would slow down, so
they pulled back on their orders but demand for electronics actually went up during COVID as people at home bought more and more devices. So
suddenly the computer chips needed to make those devices were in short supply. Some chip manufacturers are planning to invest billions of dollars
into building new plants which could help.
Most of the chips America relies on are made in Asia. Though the U.S. used to manufacture more than a third of the world`s semi-conductors, it only
makes 12 percent of them now days. A bill in the U.S. Congress would spend $52 billion to help support chip manufacturing in America but it hasn`t
passed yet and critics say microchip makers should spend their own money to do that instead of getting taxpayer funds through the U.S. government. Its
latest report expects the shortage to remain through most of this year.
10 Second Trivia. This the flag of what nation? Chile, South Africa, Kenya or Jamaica. One of only two national flags with six colors, this one
represents South Africa. Taking a chunk of land and making it how it used to be, bringing back species that used to live there, these are the goals
of rewilding.
There are some risks to this. If the plants and animals that are reintroduced to an area have already adapted to another one, it`s possible
they won`t thrive in a place of rewilding. If people live nearby, they could face new dangers if the relocated animals are aggressive. There are
also ethical concerns about trying to re-establish different species in a place they`re no longer found. But when things go right --
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ISABELLE TOMPKINS, SAMARA PRIVATE GAME RESERVE: The word conservation means to keep things the way they are. It means to prevent things from
getting worse. But rewilding has a much more ambitious meaning and I think the planet deserves a more ambitious (inaudible) at this point and time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Located in South Africa`s Great Karoo Region, the Samara Private Game Reserve was established by Isabelle Tompkins`s parents
Sarah and Mark Tompkins in 1997.
TOMPKINS: What rewilding seems to do is to restore ecosystem health by reintroducing all the component parts of that system, essentially
reintroducing all the pieces of the puzzle.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Spanning 67,000 acres the park is home to five of South Africa`s nine vegetation bios and the team says it has over 60
different species of mammals.
TOMPKINS: We`re located in a global by diversity hotspot. So despite being a semi-arid region, there`s actually a remarkable amount of
biodiversity particularly endemic plants and also certain endangered species like the Cape Mountain zebra, the cheetah, the black rhinoceros.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In 2019, the Tompkins family reintroduced lions to the reserve after an absence of almost two centuries.
TOMPKINS: When you think of Africa, you think of a lion. There`s no feeling more primal than walking in the bush knowing there are lions
around. You feel all your ecological senses tingling. It`s -- it`s almost like a rewilding of itself. We`re seeing (inaudible) private land at the
moment an incredible sightings.
One of the best sightings I`ve ever had actually and seeing our new little cub for the first time which is really, really exciting. And in terms of
rewilding, it`s not just about the about bringing back a species that existed maybe 300 or 400 years ago, as wonderful it is to see them back in
their natural habitat. Rewilding, as I said, about bringing back the ecosystem and for lions being an apex predator quite clearly one of the
main roles is the role of (inaudible) and if you look around us you will see a lot -- a lot of skulls from some rather unfortunate vertebrates that
have seen. I guess lion food over the past few years, but -- but it`s a key role really that they play in controlling herd numbers and enabling the
(inaudible) itself very palatable and grasses to actually regenerate itself as well.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the mighty lion to each and every blade of grass, it`s all connected.
TOMPKINS: So human beings tend to want to compartmentalize nature. We want to divide it up into cells and units that we can understand, but
nature doesn`t really function like that. Nature works as a whole system and various elements can impact on each other in ways that we don`t even
understand yet. One of the central principles of rewilding is actually to manage an ecosystem less.
It`s to -- to give nature back to nature. Give nature back to itself. We need to take a step back and sort of realize that we`re a part of nature
rather from apart from it. I think that if human beings can focus on their own sphere of influence and on making a difference in their own little
backyard. Our backyard just happens to be 27,000 hectors of great (inaudible) landscape and -- and what a privilege for us to actually be
able to spend our time improving this landscape and making it work for -- for both people and planet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: This isn`t the first time we`ve reported on a flying car and the one you`re about to see isn`t the first one to get approved by a country`s
government. Last year the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration certified the Terrafugia Transition as airworthy. That happened shortly before the
company`s work was moved to China. It`s one challenge to develop a car that can fly.
It`s another to get government approval to do it. Then, companies have to bring to market. These vehicles tend to be very expensive and you need a
pilot`s license and an airport runway for take offs and landings. You can`t legally do that on the interstate. But with traffic congestion on
the ground and open skies above, plus an undeniable cool factor, you could see why someone would want one of these.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Just imagine, you`re stuck in traffic but with a touch of a button your car grows wings and you can fly right out of
it. Sound like a dream? Well actually this is edging ever closer to a reality. After more than 70 hours of test flights and 200 take offs and
landings, the Air Car has received a certificate of air worthiness from Slovakia`s transport authority.
Now during those test flights, takeoff and landing procedures were actually achieved without a pilot even touching the flight controls. That is
according to the Air Car`s developer Kline Vision. It`s flown between two cities in Slovakia landing in a (inaudible) airport where upon it
transformed into a car and drove straight into the cities center which is pretty cool. Now there are a few flying cars around in development around
the world.
Mostly they`re waiting for regulatory approval. Some though, are already for pre-order like Dutch company Power V. Now their entry level model is
priced at $400,000. Flying cars have become a regular sight actually at tech shows and car shows.
The Air Car`s developer actually hopes to have it commercially available within the next 12 months, but there is one small catch. You need a
pilot`s license to operate it which means unfortunately I won`t be flying one anytime soon. Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AZUZ: Hey, if you got the license, the clearance and money to "land it" it`d be fun to say my lane is the "sky lane", my street is the "high
street". My way is the "sky way". My road is the "high road". My highway is the "flyway".
You try to control traffic, I call it "air traffic control" and when I fly I don`t mean to look down on you, but I can`t help it. I`m Carl Azuz for
CNN 10. Marksville High School is in Coos Bay, Oregon. The Pirates "arrrrrgh" watching and they know how to get a shout out. Subscribe and
leave a comment at YouTube.com/CNN.
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