"teen kids news" is on now, and here's what we've got. i'll tell you why windmills are whipping up a storm of controversy on cape cod. discover tips for clear skin coming up on our special acne report. do you know the difference between a buffalo and a bison? i'll tell you. and much more, next on "teen kids news."

welcome to "teen kids news." i'm mwanzaa. >> and i'm jessica. here's our top story for this week. finding alternatives to oil as an energy source is a national priority. so harnessing the wind would sound like a natural solution. but as tyler reports, getting one community's agreement is not going to be a breeze. >> reporter: cape cod, massachusetts, has been the eye of a storm that has been raging for a decade. along with nearby islands martha's vineyard and nantucket, this area is known for its historic seaside charm -- the shingled houses with rooftop "widow's walks," where wives watched for the return of sailing ships, the kennedy family compound, quiet ponds, quaint stores, and beautiful beaches. it also has lots and lots of wind. and that steady, strong breeze is stirring up a heated

controversy. a project called cape wind would put 130 giant turbines in the body of water called nantucket sound, between the cape and the islands. these images are created by the developer to show what the nation's first offshore wind farm would look like during the day. even miles out to sea, the turbines would still be visible from the shore, because they'd reach 440 feet above the water's surface. that's much taller than the statue of liberty. >> you're going to see a power plant. you're basically going to see a huge stretch of 40-story buildings during the day, and at night you're going to have flashing lights going on for one second, off for two. you're essentially constructing a huge city skyline in the center of nantucket sound. >> reporter: audra parker is the passionate spokesperson the alliance to protect nantucket sound. that's the group that has been fighting cape wind, along with local native american tribes and many others, for more than a decade.

>> reporter: why are you against the wind farm? >> because it absolutely does not make sense for nantucket sound. this was a site that was picked to maximize profit with no regard for the tribes, no regard for the public, no regard for the fishermen here. >> reporter: for the developer's side of the story, we talked to mark rodgers. he says wind power is an idea whose time has come, again. >> the cape and islands have a long history of using windmills back in the day. there were once a thousand windmills here, and by using today's modern wind turbines to make electricity, we can have cleaner air. we can create good jobs for the young people here that pay well, and also mitigate climate change. >> reporter: after the gulf oil spill disaster, the need for cleaner energy sources became even more urgent. that's something we all can agree on. >> we really need more clean energy, and i think wind farms seem like a good way to do it. >> reporter: but it's easy to see why so many people want to protect the natural beauty of this horizon. >> everyone supports renewable energy. that's a no brainer! but only in places where it makes sense, only in places that don't have the conflicts that this one poses.

>> reporter: one conflict is whether the wind farm will interfere with navigation for boats and air traffic. >> it would really be a danger to public safety. and both ferry lines and all three airports on martha's vineyard, in nantucket and on cape cod on the mainland oppose the project because of risks to safety for their passengers and the pilots. >> reporter: do you think the new form of energy is going to be a danger to navigation? >> we've already been approved by the two agencies in this country in charge of making sure that there's safe navigation. >> reporter: mark also points to support from national environmental organizations, such as the sierra club and audubon society. but audra says they're not concerned about the impact right here. >> they're not the ones that are going to bear the cost of this project. they're not the ones that are going to have to endure the public safety risk. they're not the ones who are going to experience a decline in tourism from an area that is heavily dependent on that. they have a national agenda and

no local stake. >> reporter: another issue is the cost of wind power. offshore turbines have huge underwater power plants. the blades turn a copper coil inside a big magnet, which creates a charge that is carried under the seabed to connect to the electric system on shore. that's expensive to build and maintain. and even cape wind supporters say that electric bills will go up. so what would you tell somebody who's concerned about the electricity being produced being too expensive? >> well, what's too expensive is fossil fuels, where we've seen prices go up so dramatically so quickly. and we don't know what the future's going to hold. at least with cape wind's prices, we know it's predictable. >> reporter: offshore wind farms are already producing power around the world from denmark to china. but audra parker says the fact that they work somewhere else is beside the point. >> the key thing is there are better locations than nantucket sound for this particular project, and there's no reason to destroy what's been deemed a historically significant body of water for the sake of a private developer.

>> reporter: but mark says this is the right project in the right place. >> nantucket sound is the perfect location. we have the sea breeze, which means just a few miles off shore we have strong winds that are consistent and blow at the times that the electric system needs it the most. >> reporter: would it work as well on land? >> many times what we see is land-based wind projects aren't producing when the electric system needs it the most -- on those hot summer afternoons. and they produce more at night when there's less need for the power. >> reporter: after a decade of fierce debate, in april 2010, the federal government approved the project. but opponents vow to continue their fight in court. wind power has long been a fact of life on land, from old-fashioned windmills from years gone by to vast fields filled with thousands of modern turbines, churning out power, as you see here in california. but whether windmills will be put in nantucket sound is a question that's still up in the air. i'm tyler for "teen kids news." stay with us. there's lots more still to come on "teen kids news." >> we'll be right back.

assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little or no cost to you. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. hi i'm doug harrison. we're experts at getting you the power chair or scooter you need. in fact, if we qualify you for medicare reimbursement and medicare denies your claim, we'll give you your new power chair or scooter free. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. with help from the scooter store, medicare and my insurance covered it all. call the scooter store for free information today.

this report is brought to you by the national road safety foundation. all right, guys, listen up. the search is on for the best teen-generated psa on distracted driving. first, some definitions. distracted driving is anything that takes your attention away from driving. a psa is a public service announcement that runs on tv. think of it as a commercial for a good cause. >> each year, 5,000 teens are killed in car crashes. that's why it's so important that we get this message out about safe driving. >> and they're using a contest to do that. called "drive to life," it's sponsored by the national road safety foundation and its partner, the national organizations for youth safety. anyone from 13 to 22 can submit an idea.

the concept should be for a psa that runs either 15 seconds or 30 seconds. to enter, you need to send in a script or a storyboard. however, do not send a video. it won't be accepted. if your idea is chosen as the winner, you'll get a $1,000 scholarship, plus an all-expenses paid trip to new york city. there, you'll get to work with an award-winning director who will help you turn your vision into reality. and not to toot our own horn, but the winning psa will also be featured right here on "teen kids news." the deadline for entries is february 7th. for more information on the drive to life contest, visit our website. good luck! standing up to six feet tall and weighing up to a ton, it's the largest land animal in north america. it's called the buffalo -- bison -- buffalo. a bison. well, um, i call individual ones bison, but then like refer to them as the buffalo like a buffalo herd. that's just me. i like it that way.

so is it bison or buffalo? >> if you want to be really correct, it's bison. but almost everybody calls them buffalo. >> reporter: no matter what you call it, this animal had tremendous impact on life in the old west. >> and the buffalo, of course, was a living wal-mart for the american indian. from that one animal, one historian counted almost 300 uses. >> reporter: mardell plainfeather is from the apsaalooke tribe, commonly known as the crow. she listed for me just some of the things the buffalo provided for her ancestors. >> from the meat, of course, they got their sustenance. and the hide provided clothing. the hair provided stuffing for the pillow. the tail was used as a fly swatter. the horn was made into a ladle. the hoofs were used as glue. the lining of the stomach was taken out and put on a tripod, and that was their boiling kettle. the bladder would be taken out

and dried and cleaned, and that was a water container. even the brains, mashed up and mixed up with a little bit of liver, you could spread it on a hide, scrape it off, and it made it soft. another example would be the bones, especially the femur. they took that and made it into tools. also weapons. like i said, there were lots and lots of uses from that one animal. >> reporter: when the indian people used the buffalo, they treated it with respect. they only took what they needed. they only killed what they needed. for centuries, great herds roamed the great plains. at the beginning, when lewis and clark came here, they estimated maybe 75 million head of buffalo. by the time of the end of the

civil war, they were practically gone. >> of course, the ripple of white settlers before the civil war became a flood after the civil war. and it was pretty much doomed for the buffalo. and shortly after that, we were forced on reservations and given rations in place of our loyal buffalo. >> reporter: mardell plainfeater told me that plenty coups, the last traditional chief of the crow, best described the importance of the buffalo, by saying, "when the last buffalo herd disappeared, our hearts fell to the ground." i'm carrie for "teen kids news."

there are so many myths about acne it may as well have started in ancient greece. sammi gives us the facts about skin problems.

>> reporter: acne can make looking in the mirror painful. >> it's unattractive. >> it's really bad, like, for your self esteem. >> it makes a lot of people feel self-conscious about themselves. >> reporter: acne is the most common skin disorder, and it tends to affect 85% of all teenagers. dr. heather needham knows about all sorts of issues that affect teens. we asked her to clear up some myths about what really causes acne. >> eating junk food causes pimples and acne. >> i really think if we ate healthier, acne would not appear on our skin. >> i think the biggest myth is that acne is related to the food you eat, whether it be greasy food, chips, soda or candy.

>> reporter: so why does it seem that whenever you eat greasy food, here come the pimples? >> if you're eating greasy food, and then you're touching, putting your hands on your face, touching your skin a lot, you're transferring the oils and dirts from your hands to your skin, so that is a way that you can have increased acne. >> reporter: the real reason we get acne? unfortunately, it's just a part of growing up. >> acne tends to affect teenagers, because as they enter puberty, there are changes in their hormone levels, and that tends to cause the oil glands to produce more oil. >> reporter: some of us have more problems simply because of our skin type. >> some of it is genetic. so you can ask your mom and dad, when they were younger, did they have problems with acne? some of it is based on products you might put on your face or on your hair, so there are ways to help reduce it, but i don't know if there's necessarily a way to

prevent it. >> reporter: so, what can you do to reduce acne? we'll tell you right after we takeui

hopefully we've cleared up some myths about what causes acne. turns out a lot of us are confused about how to help get rid of it, too. >> i think tanning helps. it, like, hides it. >> for one, the sun is damaging to the skin. and after the tan wears off per se, it's likely that you will have the scarring. >> reporter: scarring is a major issue for anyone with skin problems.

but unlike acne, you can avoid it. >> the best way to prevent the scarring is to not pick at the skin, and i think that that might be another myth in that some people think that they can just pick their acne off and that it'll go away. and actually, that's going to make it worse and increase your chances for scarring. >> reporter: so what is the best way to get rid of acne? >> you can just exercise and drink a lot of water. it will hydrate your body and flush the toxins out. >> reporter: yep, another myth. drinking water and exercising is good for you. but it won't clear up your skin. >> well, first of all, it's good to have a good skin hygiene regimen. >> i would wash my face like three or four times a day, because i believe that like the more you wash your face, the cleaner your pores get and the cleaner everything gets. >> that is not true. that would actually be more of a myth. it's best to wash your face twice a day -- once in the morning and once at night.

if you, for example, wash your face six times a day, you're basically continuing to remove the oils from your skin, so your skin is going to compensate by producing more oil, because you're drying your skin out every time you keep washing it, washing it, washing it. >> reporter: when you do wash, be gentle. use your hands, not a washcloth. and remember don't use regular soap. >> if you're a younger adolescent like between 9 and 12, cetaphil is a good mild cleanser. as you get a little older and you start to produce more oils, it's good to use a foaming face wash that's oil free. for example, neutrogena and aveeno both have one. the foaming cleansers are good, because they help to cut the oils in the skin without over-drying it. >> reporter: again, over-drying can cause your skin to just create more oil. that's why it's also a good idea to use a moisturizer after you wash.

but make sure the label says it's noncomedogenic. >> a lot of the moisturizers that you get just over-the-counter will say this, and basically that just means "will not clog your pores." >> reporter: here are two more products to help fight acne. exfoliating scrubs get rid of dead skin cells that help clog pores. and benzoyl peroxide helps kill bacteria that contribute to acne. but remember, you won't see changes overnight. >> when you're treating acne, you have to keep up with a good face regimen for at least six to eight weeks. a lot of people stop using the products after two weeks because their face feels irritated and dry. however, that's just when things are starting to work, and oftentimes the acne will get worse before it starts to get better. >> reporter: if you don't see changes in six to eight weeks, talk to your doctor. you may want to see a dermatologist. that's a doctor who specializes in skin care.

>> keep in mind that a majority of adolescents experience acne, so you're not alone. and i know a lot of people feel embarrassed or they might feel anxious or they feel ashamed because their skin doesn't look like they want it to, but just keep in mind, over time, that it will get better. >> reporter: but don't just wait and suffer. there are things you can do to deal with it and get rid of it. for "teen kids news," i'm sammi.

the planet is getting a little warmer. and that's causing the growing season to get longer. in maryland, scientists say the growing season is almost eight days longer than it used to be. and that's affecting trees as well as crops. they're growing faster than ever. even 200-year-old trees are having growth spurts. when you think about musical groups racking up awards, you

need to think past the world of rock and country. sam reports on four musicians who take their name from a great american philosopher and made that name famous in the world of classical music. ♪ >> i think chamber music is an amazing form of music, because it's about communication. >> reporter: and when it comes to communicating through music, no one does it better than the emerson quartet. >> in the case of a string quartet, it's about four people sharing a similar experience, though everybody is involved in a different way. it's like a play. it's like looking at four actors and listening to their communication. and when it all works together, it's one. it's an incredible thing. >> reporter: for the record, a string quartet includes two violins, a cello and a viola. that last instrument is larry dutton's passion.

>> i love the sound. i love the quality of the sound, the vocal quality of the instrument. >> reporter: when he was in the third grade, larry actually began playing the violin. but in high school, he found it easier to hold the bigger viola. a talent for the instrument led larry here, to juilliard. it's one of the top schools in the world for the performing arts. >> when i got to julliard, i found the people that really embraced and loved chamber music. and we would hang out friday, saturday nights, and we would play string quartets and all kinds of chamber music all through the night. we'd order pizza at about 1:00 in morning, and then we'd keep playing until, you know, 6:00, 7:00 in the morning and then go out and have breakfast. >> reporter: clearly, this was years before playstation. the emerson quartet was formed out of those relationships. its members have now been playing together for more than 30 years.

>> i think somehow what we communicate to the audiences have been interesting to them, that they've wanted to see us perform. >> reporter: they certainly do. the emerson quartet travels the world, playing sold-out performances. in addition, they've been honored with an incredible eight grammys. eat your heart out, justin timberlake. >> if people want to really have a great experience with classical music, they should go to a concert to a live experience, because it will force you to actually sit there and focus. and that's why you can't replace live, music performances. >> reporter: even with successful albums, world tours and prestigious awards, the life of a professional musician is not an easy one. but larry has no regrets. >> i feel very fortunate and blessed to have had this career. this has been amazing. it far exceeded any dreams i had

as a kid. i was kind of built to do this, so i -- i knew it early. and it -- and i never swayed from that. >> reporter: for "teen kids news," i'm sam. that wraps up our show, but we'll be back soon with more "teen kids news." >> thanks for joining us, and have a great week. here's a shout out to american