From Illinois to Sierra Leone, laws on child labor and child marriage

Illinois now requires that child influencers receive part of revenues from their parents’ vlog content

Though states have long had laws protecting children in the entertainment industry, Illinois is the first to pass legislation governing child labor rights on social media. “Family vlogging,” in which parents monetize social media content featuring their children, has become increasingly lucrative and has inspired backlash due to the practice’s mental health implications and young participants’ lack of agency.  

The law stipulates that children younger than 16 are entitled to compensation if they appear in at least 30% of a guardian’s social media content over 30 days. Half of the earnings from vlogs must be set aside in a trust that is accessible to the child when they turn 18. Eighteen-year-olds may bring legal action against parents or guardians who fail to pay them for their work.

The law was inspired by 16-year-old Shreya Nallamothu, who brought the idea to her state senator. Maryland, California, and Wisconsin are considering similar measures.

Sources: Rolling Stone, CNN

A culture of nurturing nature – instead of battling it – is protecting livelihoods in rural Bolivian communities

Bolivia is one of the 15 most biodiverse countries on Earth. But animals such as the red-fronted macaw, endemic only to the nation’s Andean valleys, have suffered as farmers considered them pests and forests were cleared for agriculture.

But now, protection of forests and animals is a source of revenue for locals. In 2006, bird conservation organization Armonía helped communities build a reserve for red-fronted macaws, which last year earned locals $25,000 in profits from their ecolodge. Projects such as beekeeping and tree nurseries provide income as well as benefits for the forest.

Other organizations, such as Natura, have similar approaches: Nonmonetary incentives offer tanks to capture drinking water and fences for livestock. Municipal governments also support these programs where upstream residents protect the environment to benefit downstream water users. Since 2002, some 34,000 families have worked with Natura to conserve thousands of hectares of forests.
Source: Reasons to be Cheerful

Amsterdam clamps down on cruise ships

Phasing out visiting cruise vessels is the city’s latest measure to lessen the burden of “overtourism” and to reduce air pollution. A single cruise ship can produce nitrogen oxides equivalent to 30,000 trucks, according to a report, and about 190 vessels dock in the Dutch capital each year. The number of day-trippers increased by nearly 20% from 2019 to 2023, and overnight stays spiked to 22.1 million last year, exceeding the intended cap of 20 million.

In 2026, the law will cut to 100 the number of vessels permitted to dock in the city. By 2027, instead of their onboard generators, ships must use Amsterdam’s onshore power, which generates less pollution. The city will ban cruise ships entirely in 2035 after the opening of a new terminal being built 16 miles outside Amsterdam.

The plan will increase cruise traffic in Rotterdam, where some ships will soon be routed, and lower Amsterdam’s revenue. But officials have held firm that changes are necessary to keep Amsterdam livable for residents.
Sources: Bloomberg, The New York Times

Sierra Leone banned child marriage, part of a national campaign focused on the welfare of girls

Adults who marry someone under 18 can face 15 years imprisonment or fines of up to $5,000 – a hefty cost in a country where nearly 60% of people are classified as living in poverty. Parents, officiators, and wedding guests can be imprisoned for up to a decade and fined $2,500.

In 2020, about 800,000 girls under 18 were married in Sierra Leone – roughly a third of girls. Pregnancy is a leading cause of death for teens in a country that is still working to lower high maternal mortality for all women, and child marriages are associated with low levels of education for girls.

Experts say that for the law to be effective, the government must address poverty and emphasize the benefits of schooling and better health, since girls may still face cultural stigma for refusing to be wed. The law also allows child brides to annul their unions.
Sources: Semafor, Girls Not Brides, Human Rights Watch, The New York Times

The precision of drones is helping some Vietnamese rice farmers work more efficiently

Growing 27 million metric tons of rice each year, Vietnam is one of the biggest rice producers in the world. While rice is traditionally labor-intensive, drones are changing the workload and saving seed, fertilizer, and pesticides.

The farmer or drone pilot fills a drone with material and maps the field using a smartphone app. The machine then runs automatically and returns when it’s out of supplies, cutting the labor for some tasks in half. “I have more free time, so I can also offer spraying service to other farmers to gain extra income,” said To Van Hoang.

Some caution that such automation reduces available jobs, and note drawbacks such as noise and the potential for crashes. But there is a younger generation that is returning to its family farms, drawn by improvements in quality of life. XAG MeKong, which introduced drones to the Mekong Delta in 2021, estimates that Vietnam has 4,000 active drones.
Source: Hakai Magazine