>> hello and welcome to "global 3000." i'm michaela küfner with your weekly look at the issues that shape the global agenda. and here's what we have coming up for you today -- fast track to american citizenship -- why many chinese want to give birth in the u.s. a bug's life -- how studying creepy crawlies in mozambique can help all of us. and, defying the odds -- female entrepreneurs in afghanistan dare to make a difference. living the american dream is

still a very appealing idea to many people around the world. so much so that people will take unbelieveable risks to reach the united states. even if you have the means to buy that plane ticket and get into the u.s. legally, that still doesn't grant you the right to stay long term. but if timed right, it could mean that your child is born in the land of the free, guaranteeing automatic citizenship. and that's what more and more members of china's elite are aiming for. >> pregnant chinese women have become a common sight in parts of california - particularly affluent los angeles suburbs. they don't speak english, they don't know their way around. they're here for one reason -- to secure their child an american passport. their trips are organised by chinese agencies. they act as a guide to the foreign country, procuring tourists visas for the women and advising them to wear an

oversize coat when they arrive to conceal their bumps. then they put them up in quiet residential areas. all for a fee of up to $40,000. this house has been converted into a temporary home for pregnant women. when we knock on the door, we get no response. despite the efforts made to keep things low-key, the neighbours have their suspicions. >> based on the people i see coming and going, there have got to be 8 or 10 people living in that house. i think they are just taking advantage of our system and i don't think there's a whole lot that anybody can do about it really. >> according to the united states constitution, anyone born in the country can automatically

claim u.s. citizenship. the chinese agencies' websites make it all look straightforward. seven months into their pregnancies, women pack their bags and head off to california. and while they wait to give birth to their american offspring, they can always spend their time shopping. in the long-run, their plan is to send their children to an american university. an american passport is a guarantee of freedom and social stability. it also confers the right to vote in presidential elections. it is estimated that about 10,000 babies are born in california every year to chinese parents there on tourist visas. the agencies are booming. someone from the agency is always on hand to help the expectant mothers. even in the supermarket. we follow a group at a discreet distance as they head back to a residential complex. hundreds of the apartments here are rented out to pregnant chinese women.

many of them beat a hasty retreat at the sight of the cameras. nonetheless, we find a few who are willing to talk. why do you want to give birth here? >> the air here is clean. the smog is so bad in beijing that it's a health risk for pregnant women and babies. >> it's an argument many of them use - at least, those of them who don't mind talking. but the agency guardians usually prevent them for saying much. publicity is bad for business. the agencies provide a wide range of services, from supplying organic milk and diapers to dispensing advice and taking care of the paperwork. when the babies are a month old, mother and child return to china. the american infant, of course,

requires a visa to get into china -- which doesn't permit dual citizenship. some of the mothers admit to mixed feelings about what they're doing. >> i'm doing it so my child has more opportunities in later life. but i want him to feel chinese. the trip to america has other advantages though too. jewellery and designer clothes are cheaper here, and i do like to shop. >> the thing is, it's not all entirely above board. the women weren't completely truthful when they filled out their tourist visa applications. that explains why the woman from the agency is so flustered. >> i need you guys to leave. >> there is lots of pregnant women here. >> she doesn't want to talk about pregnant women. the company doesn't pay taxes because it isn't licensed. a license for the services they provide doesn't even exist.

she wants us to leave. the last thing the agencies want is authorities clamping down on such a lucrative business. gary chodorov is a lawyer based in beijing. his clients include chinese families whose choices came back to haunt them. >> why were you in the u.s. for four months? why did you give birth in the u.s., when you said that you were going to the u.s. just for one week to go to disneyland? the child will be required to go to an international school or to pay an international tuition at a chinese school, will not have access to medical care on the same basis as a chinese citizen. >> the issue of what's called "obstetric tourism" is a controversial one in china. chai jing, a high-profile journalist, recently triggered outrage when it emerged that she had given birth to her daughter in the u.s. many denounced her as a traitor. the chinese couples who dream the american dream on behalf of their children are better off

keeping it to themselves. >> according to u.n. experts, the earth in the midst of a mass extinction of life. they estimate that up to 200 species are lost per day. if true, during the course of this program, we will have lost around three species to extinction. mostly because of the impact we humans are having on nature. but this general statistic oversimplifies reality. that's because the destruction of nature is all the more devastating if it hits specific areas that are home to an unusually high number of rare or valuable species. harm one of those and it's the equivalent of stabbing nature in the heart. time to take stock of what we still stand to lose. >> up to 14 million species inhabit our planet. animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms. but do we need them all? butterflies, for example. biologists have identified around 180,000 different species.

they can be found here. and here. and here too. they look very different, and are also different in terms of many of their genes. genetic diversity helps species to adapt to environmental change - and survive. and that ensures the survival of species that rely on them. many birds for example feed on caterpillars. and cats feed on birds. the pyramid of dependence goes on and on. if the butterflies at the base of it go missing, then it can have a big impact on species diversity as a whole. and animal diversity can affect plant diversity. that's because butterflies feed on nectar from flowers, and in the process act as pollinators. without them, many flowering plants would be unable to propagate.

by destroying natural habitats, human beings pose a danger to butterflies -- and therefore entire ecosystems. climate change is making things worse. and what's true of butterflies is true of every living thing on the planet. each fulfills an important function in its own ecosystem. over the ages, many species have become extinct. to some extent that's a natural process. but currently around 130 species are being wiped out every day. at that pace, earth could soon become a lifeless wasteland. >> so how do we stop this? and ideally, how do we reverse the damage that has been done? scientists in mozambique's gorongosa national park start right at the bottom of the food chain. the region is still recoveing from the civil war in the

1980's. now a harvard professor studying the insects there hopes to provide the vital information to speed up nature's recovery. after all, he argues, "insects rule the world." >> no prey is too small. here in the gorongosa national park in mozambique, 21-year-old ricardo guta is out hunting. but he's not looking for lions or elephants. he's looking to bag insects. >> this insect belongs to the beetle family -- the ground beetle family.

if you touch it, it secretes an acidic liquid. >> ricardo works with piotr naskrecki, a harvard professor. he's here in the park to document the diversity of its insects. >> what did you find, ricardo? i have some insects. >> in gorongosa, international scientists work with young locals to find out about mozambique's rich biological heritage. in recent weeks, ricardo has caught thousands of insects for the park's team of experts to identify. >> three types of insects. we have grasshoppers -- >> the gorongosa database is still a work in progress. it contains information on all the animals and plants found in the park, and that includes insects. they play a key role in the food chain. ricardo guta is studying agriculture. but his professor's enthusiasm

is contagious, and now he'd like to study coleopterology in the u.s. >> another interesting thing about this group of grasshoppers -- first of all, they are always very colorful. >> after nightfall is when insects come into their own. professor naskrecki has set up a light trap, based on the principle that moonlight influences insect behaviour. believing the artifical light is the moon, the insects begin to spiral so that they remain parallel to the light source. >> it is insects who actually run the world. they are some of the most important elements of almost any terrestrial ecosystem. they provide a number of services without which we would be unable to function.

for instance, pollination. without these moths, all the trees and plants around us wouldn't be able to produce fruit. >> the people who live near the national park have other concerns. but the next day, we get to see how they're starting to benefit from the protected area. locals used to live mainly from poaching. now, they have regular jobs. a wealthy american donated $40 million to the national park and hopes to boost tourism. schools and hospitals are under construction and a new research laboratory has already been completed. as we're driving deeper into the park, we come across elephant dung. elephants are returning to the region. the civil war in mozambique in the 1980's wiped out the local animal populations. slowly but surely, they're

coming back. even while the gorongosa park was shut down and abandoned, the insects never left. ruins make an ideal habitat for them. but now they're facing another threat. ricardo guta takes us to his village. on the way, we pass logging trucks. most of the timber is destined for china. ricardo hates to see the widespread destruction of his country's forests. but he knows how expensive elecricity is -- which is why locals depend on wood fuel. >> i think we're running the risk of losing our biodiversity.

too much forest is being chopped down for wood fuel. generally speaking, people don't have enough respect for nature. >> back at headquarters. the insect hunters are working tirelessly. today they're setting up nets. the researchers want to find out more about the feeding patterns of bats. they make most progress at night. jen guyton, an expert on bats, is using an instrument to identify sounds that human ears can't normally hear.

>> she is angry. >> that was a warning call. >> the recordings are highly informative. [bat chirps] >> without this listening device, we could not hear anything. >> gorongosa is the perfect place to study this. because we have a high diversity of bat and insect species. we're surrounded by places that suffer from malaria and where people grow crops. so it's an ideal place to study the interaction between bats and insect species that plague humans. >> soon she'll release the bat back into the wild soon. but first, it will have its picture taken. >> it looks like he is sitting. >> the scientists are counting indigenous species in the park. >> i like this one.

>> this one as well. >> we're told that scientists are only aware of about 10% of existing insect types. in coming years, the reserachers in gorongosa park will likely discover thousands more. thanks, in part, to ricardo and his net. >> and now we take you on our global trip to experience the world's best snacks. today we're in mexico, where we get an introduction on how to make really good quesadillas. lesson one -- make sure you have really good corn flour and cheese. plenty of cheese. here you go. >> here corn, or maize, plays the leading role. nowhere else is so much of it used in cookery as in mexico. in the south, quesadillas, cheese-filled corn tortillas, are very popular. this snack bar in tapachula has been serving them for 15 years.

the dough is made of corn meal, water, salt, and a bit of shortening. just about every mexican has a tortilla press in the kitchen, though usually slightly smaller in size. first the tortillas are pre-cooked. the term quesadilla is a combination of the word tortilla and queso, which means cheese. but many other ingredients can be added to the filling. a look at the menu tells you what they are. >> we have them with beef, tripe, sausage, bacon rind, mushrooms, pork, or chicken.

>> before they're eaten, the quesadillas are opened up again so the spicy extras can be added. the quesadillas here are extra-large. customers pay less than the equivalent of two euros for each. but that's not the only reason they're so popular. >> the tortilla is nothing but corn, and the sauce with chillis and lemons gives you a taste that's typical of here, of mexico. >> and how often can you eat a quesadilla like this? >> almost every evening, but not every evening. >> well then, till tomorrow evening -- and the next quesadilla.

>> please send in your suggestions for a global snack, if you have one. afghans are in the midst of a two-phased presidential election. whoever takes over from current president hamid karzai faces the daunting task of stabilising a country battered by years of war and a resurgent taliban. but even as the volatility and uncertainty continues, afghans haven't given up hope for a better future. and that includes the country's women, some of whom are risking their lives to set up businesses in the face of adversity. >> the lakes in the band-e amir national park in the bamyan province are breathtakingly blue. here in the hindu kush mountains in central afghanistan, there's no trace of the country's ongoing war. it's an extraordinarily scenic, tranquil spot. but where are the tourists?

only a handful of intrepid travelers have found their way here to "afghanistan's grand canyon" so far. najiba alavi runs a hotel overlooking one of the lakes. she shows us round, pointing out that each room has a double bed, a stove, and hot water. she's been running the hotel for five years. but it's empty. not a single guest this year so far. >> we had a few guests last year. but no one comes anymore. afghanistan is seen as too unsafe. >> in fact, bamyan is relatively safe. the way there, through the mountains, less so. the only way for tourists to get here is by plane. najiba wants nothing more than to be able to greet guests and make them feel welcome. >> it saddens me that no one comes here. i opened a hotel to make a living. and to show visitors this

beautiful scenery. >> bamyan truly is picturesque. 3000 meters above sea level, it feels like it's on top of the world. but it wasn't always so idyllic. the lakes are situated just west of the famous buddhas of bamiyan, two 6th century monumental statues carved into the side of a cliff. they were destroyed by the taliban in 2001. plans to reconstruct them have stalled in the absence of the necessary funding. the cliffs and the valley are now a unesco world heritage site. despite the many hotels that have gone up in recent years, the guests just aren't there. >> we would like tourists to come here and tell everyone at home about us. there's more to afghanistan than war and terror. it is also home to peaceful, calm places. >> 4000 people visited bamyan last year. not enough to sustain a tourist

industry. nevertheless, other parts of the country are faring better. sima ghoryani runs a successful business in herat, western afghanistan. the province is famous for its saffron fields. female entrepreneurs are few and far between. >> it's difficult as a woman. but when i'm working, i'm not constantly thinking about the fact that i'm a woman. and no one else refers to it either. >> a role model for other afghan women and also to other farmers to make a switch from opium to saffron production. >> opium used to be traded on our street. but the situation has changed a lot. saffron has become a profitable alternative for many afghans. i mean, why should we muslims earn our living with something

un-islamic? >> saffron is a valuable commodity. a gram sells at about 4 euros. sima ghoryani has been growing it for 18 years. here, hope is in the air. many in afghanistan are proud that the presidential elections got off to a peaceful start in early april. but there is still room for improvement. election fraud remains a problem. and the outcome is still uncertain. sima ghoryani is optimistic. she has 15 employees, almost half of whom are women. she exports to germany, dubai, and russia. she'd like to expand. but the instability in afghanistan is still an obstacle. >> i think people want the country to finally have a good, functioning government. they want more stable lives. they want fewer worries. >> sima's seven daughters are helping shape that future.

two of them help out in the business. they're at university, studying medicine and graphic design. they're also hopeful that the elections will usher in a new dawn. >> it's up to the people to decide. i'm young. i think that when people understand that they can choose their president, many of our problems will be solved. most afghans want peace, and security. as i do myself. >> najiba from bamyan agrees and she hopes the situation in afghanistan will start to change soon. and more tourists will come to admire the beautiful views of band-e amir. >> and that was "global 3000" for this week. as always, you can find all our reports online along with plenty more background information. for now, thanks for watching and bye bye. captioned by the national captioning institute

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