CONTENTS

• Quote of the Month
• Photo's by Caitlin Baron
• ACTION of the Month - Take Your Ecological Footprint
• "S.F. Bay is Being Invaded!" by Nicole Charles
• Poem, " Walking on the Beach in the Summertime" by Rebecca Smith
• "Interview with Kelly Boylan" by Sarah Stoller
• "Stuff" by Susan Loshin
• "Deadly Cosmetics" by Meika Hollender
• "The Healthy Forests Initiative - a Protesting View" by Emily Rinaldi and Rosie O'Hara
• Photos by Jeff Martin
• Answers to January's Question of the Month
• February's Question of the Month
• Request for Letters to the Editor
• Join Now
• The Green Team
• Previous Issues

Mission Statement: Our mission is to strengthen and unify the young environmental community in the Bay Area by sharing interests, information, and calls to action. We seek to inspire participation in projects and events between groups, strengthen journalistic skills, and foster career exploration.

January 2004
Issue 12

Quote of the Month

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
Martin Luther King Jr.

Chosen by Jeff Gustavson, San Ramon Valley HS

Photos - Lettuce and Persimmon
by Caitlin Baron, Berkeley HS

Reduce Your Ecological Footprint!

Source: Redefining Progress
http://www.redefiningprogress.org/programs/sustainabilityindicators/ef

What is the Ecological Footprint?

In order to live, people consume natural resources. This is not bad if we don't take more than the Earth has to offer. Are we taking more than we should? The Ecological Footprint provides the most complete comparison of natural resources demand and supply available. Did you know: If everyone lived like the average American, it would take more than 5 Earths to sustain us!

January guest speaker Dahlia Chazan, Research Associate at Redefining Progress spoke to the Youth Coalition about the Ecological Footprint concept, and our role as consumers. She would love to hear your questions and feedback ­ let her know what you’re doing! Contact her at chazan@rprogress.org

The Causes?
        Over consumption. The biggies are: Food, Shelter, and Waste.

What can you do?
Step 1: Take the Footprint Quiz along with your class or club and see how you measure up-

WHAT’S YOUR FOOTPRINT? http://www.earthday.net/footprint/index.asp

Example:

• Bananas grown in plantations in another country
• Shipped/flown/freighted into a central port or warehouse (consuming fuel, producing waste)
• Trucked/freighted to the supermarket (consuming more fuel, etc.)
• You buy the Bananas. [What about the waste afterwards?]

Step 2: Control your choices

• Vegetables take less resources than meat, and locally grown is better than being packaged and shipped long distances. Try to shop at farmer’s markets when possible.
• Make your home as energy efficient as possible! Call PG & E for an audit, make suggestions to your parents.
• Make your own compost pile.
• Discuss it with your class or club - Run through a little exercise tracing a product we all take for granted, like the one in the box.

Step 3: Educate yourself-
A variety of ways to take action:
     http://www.newdream.org/newyears/resources.html
Nine simple steps – track your progress and check it against others in the country:
     http://www.newdream.org/tttoffline

For more information and ideas about consumption:
Redefining Progress - http://www.redefiningprogress.org
The Center For A New American Dream - http://www.newdream.org

"S.F. Bay is being Invaded!"

by Nicole Charles, College Park HS, Pleasant Hill

Introduced and invasive species surround us and cause a number of problems, but this one has gone too far. It’s hard to believe a creature three inches in width can cause such a ruckus. It’s called the Chinese Mitten Crab.

Originally from the Yellow Sea, Chinese Mitten Crabs hitched a ride over to San Francisco Bay in the ballast water of ships. Since their arrival, they’ve been multiplying like crazy and causing damage to bay-estuary aquatic ecosystems. They’re working their way through different species of crabs, devouring fish eggs, and slurping up water plants. Not only do these little omnivores pose a threat to aquatic life, but they interfere with commercial and recreational fishing as well. From getting caught in all sorts of fishing nets and damaging fishing gear, to stealing bate and shrimp, the Chinese Mitten Crab has annoyed fishermen all over.

Not only has this crab caused trouble in the Bay, but it has also been causing trouble in Sacramento above the Delta as well. Recently, scientists have been working on an endangered fish operation in Sacramento, but the Mitten Crabs have been making it extremely difficult for them. They manage to wedge themselves into the oxygen tubes leading to the tanks where the endangered fish were being kept. By the time scientists figured out what had happened, most all of the fish had suffocated. They are now being forced to relocate their operation.

I know what you’re thinking -- why not just eat them? Well, people in Europe and Asia tried that. The Chinese Mitten Crab is a host for the disease called the Oriental Lung Fluke. So, besides being really tiny and not supplying much meat, they make you sick. Luckily, people in California haven’t had a problem with the Oriental Lung Fluke yet. The truth of the matter is, nobody really knows what to do about these creatures. If we could find a reason to hunt Mitten Crabs, our problem would be solved. The only thing thought of was to raise the fine for introducing exotic species into new areas. The outcome of the new law is still pending. For now, watch your feet when you go to the beach, these things are vicious!

"Walking on the Beach in the Summertime" - a poem

by Rebecca Smith, California HS, San Ramon

Moonlight muffles the waves to a gentle whispering crowd,
Urging lovers to come dance in the spray.
Monoliths loom out of the darkness,
Yet laughter soon chases the shadows away.

Footprints appear out of the sea,
Wet and enticingly full of mystery.

A gull swoops low over the land,
Calling all creatures to come be on hand.

A storm's brewing upon the horizon,
Extinguishing the lights of the stars in the sky,
As all come and gather to watch on the sly.

The clouds advanced, raging,
Whipping up crests on the seas.
The water was surging,
The creatures deserting,
Quickly scurrying home to their families.

Crying out for all to hear,
Whether far or near,
A call in the night
Brought a new day to light.
How loud we had sung,
"A new day has begun!"

On the beach all around,
Wreckage abound,
Spread for all to see.
The seas did their duty,
Bringing in booty,
Riches none could foresee.

Soon, those seeking treasure,
And those seeking life,
Were both outdoors in full measure.

After all the strife of its power and might,
The storm was spent in less than a night.

As the sun rises high,
The waters subside,
Leaving the shores in peace and pleasures.

Interview with Kelly Boylan, the President of Castro Valley High School's Environmental Club

by Sarah Stoller, College Prep HS, Oakland

Kelly Boylan is a student at Castro Valley High School. She is President of the school’s large and active Environmental Awareness Club. For more information on the club and its projects, you can contact Kelly at Kboylan6@aol.com.

How long has your club been in existence?
I'm not exactly sure how long the club has been around, but I think it's been about 4 or 5 years.

How many students or participants are in your club and class?
Environmental Awareness (or EA) has about 40 active members this year.

Is your club completely student run, supported by an involved teacher or assistant, etc?
The club is mostly organized and operated by the student officers, with invaluable support and advice from our faculty advisor, Mr. Petersen. The student officers divide tasks like financial concerns, record keeping, event planning, and public relations. Officers participate in organizing club activities like pizza parties, member of the month awards and attending events.

What are your club's goals?
The purpose of EA is to provide community service opportunities to kids who are interested in improving their local environment. We hope to give our members a chance to learn about their natural surroundings and become more aware of the current issues concerning the environment.

What projects are you working on? Are they going well? Are there major challenges with the projects? If so, what are they?
We usually have events every Saturday. Recently we have done a few clean ups with Earth Team (at Arrowhead Marsh and Hayward Shoreline), with Save the Bay (also at Arrowhead Marsh) and with the Friends of Sausal Creek restoring Joaquin Miller Park. We also have a monthly ongoing project at Sulphur Creek in Hayward, where we are involved in restoring and improving the nature center. I believe the club has participated in a total of 12 events this year.

What do you like best about your club?
Environmental Awareness meetings and events are a great way for friends to hang out and burn some energy, while at the same time actually being productive.

What specific experience with your club was a highlight for you?
The first event our club had this school year was a clean up at Sulphur Creek in Hayward for Coastal Clean Up day in September. I was originally skeptical about the clean up because Sulphur Creek looks like such a clean place already, so I was amazed to find huge loads of interesting garbage near the creek bed that had come out of the neighbors' backyards. The event became more like a contest to see which club members could find the most garbage cans, foam mattresses, plastic piping, soccer balls, metal poles, and glass bottles. We had a great time running up and down hills and across the creek retrieving garbage and collecting it into a massive pile.

What are your club's biggest challenges?
Often our greatest challenge as a club is just finding volunteer opportunities. Our club has a large and active membership, and we are always looking for some environmental grunt work, but events are surprisingly difficult to find. As an officer, my biggest personal challenge is following driving directions to event sites without getting miserably lost.

What would you like help with?
As a club, Environmental Awareness is very open regarding the type of work that we want to do. We seek out any community service opportunities that are environmentally related, be they trash pickups, plant removal, planting native plant species, recycling, or beautification. We try not to be too specific, and involve ourselves in a variety of issues. I think our members learn more if given a variety of different volunteering experiences.

Do you feel like your club is making a difference? In what way?
Environmental Awareness has made an obvious impact on our community, as evidenced in the gardens we have planted and restored, the parks and creeks we have cleaned of trash, and the weeds we have removed. We have helped native plants and wildlife thrive in a more natural environment, and we have beautified the local environment for the enjoyment of humans as well. Perhaps our club's greatest impact has been on its members, who have made this impact and seen the change their work has brought about.

Stuff

By Susan Loshin, Sir Francis Drake HS, San Anselmo

From the time we are young, we’re trained by the media to cherish "stuff": everything from small birthday gadgets like Gak from Toys R Us, to a large abundance of tools we don’t even know how to use. We want all of these things, and even believe we need them.

Well, truth be told, nobody (in his or her right mind) wants or needs any of these useless objects. They seem to end up having the sole role of creating clutter everywhere. "Stuff, stuff, stuff"…is ultimately what our lives end up consisting of.

Well, after this clutter begins to ooze out of control, we feel a need to give it away and "clean out". So, we form piles and bags of gizmos, with a sense of proud accomplishment for our immense organizational skills. What we forget is, nobody else wants these plastic pieces of nothing. They will eventually, and in some cases very quickly, end up in the solid waste dump. Plucked, deposited and abandoned is the never-ending fate of all of our "stuff".

How about the craze of the "Supper Soakers"? Hum, they lasted, right? Wrong, every week parents had to buy them for their children over and over, because they gave us a quick and easy thrill. Now all of the Supper Soakers from my generation are in various dumps rotting away our planet.

So, my challenge of the month is to eliminate the desire of acquiring "stuff". We all enjoy our "freebees" and cheap useless possessions, for all of one moment. One moment is far too short for the damage this is causing to the environment. Every time a new gadget is produced, imagine where it will go and what it will do. Are they going to break quickly, or really last? The term for buying intelligently is pre-cycle. Think before you buy.

Deadly Cosmetics

by Meika Hollender, Vermont Commons School, Charlotte, VT.

Change is something every girl wants in her life. Whether it is a new hair color, pair of shoes, or even just a new recording on her answering machine. Yet change is something that most of us don’t like to commit to. Something as minor as a new color on our nails is a safe change that we have control over. Without thinking we walk into a pharmacy and pick up a small, and what seems to be harmless, bottle of polish, not knowing the extremely toxic chemicals that this two and a half inch bottle MAY contain.

Nails represent our personality and also our health, but nail polish happens to be one of the most toxic cosmetics on the market. Nails are made up of fibrous protein and protect our fingertips from injuries and infections. When painting on a coat of polish you are making your nail susceptible to absorbing these dangerous toxins. Conventional polish contains resins, plasticizers, and preservatives.
These three ingredients tend to cause irritation, splitting of the nail, discoloration, and allergic reactions, which affect our skin.

The two fundamental chemicals used in nail polish are Toluene and Formaldehyde. Toluene is primarily used as a solvent and many times makes up 50% of the ingredients in nail polish. Continuous exposure to this chemical can cause fatigue, confusion, memory loss, nausea, skin irritation and respiratory problems. The Environmental Protection Agency says that large amounts of Toluene for short periods of time can adversely affect our kidneys, liver and heart (www.cpsc.gov/cpscp/pubs/725.html). Formaldehyde is used as an inexpensive antibacterial preservative. It is classified as a human carcinogen and is highly reactive. When this chemical is mixed with other chemicals to create the polish we all know and love, it becomes extremely toxic. By applying nail polish, we are exposed to this chemical through the skin that surrounds our nails. Exposure to this chemical can cause asthmatic reactions, rashes, and hives. Due to the horrible effects that results from contact with these chemicals many nail polish companies over time have rid their products of these two chemicals.

A third extremely dangerous type of chemical used in nail polish, as well as hairspray and perfume, are the phthalates. Long-term exposure to these synthetic chemicals can affect our kidneys, lungs and reproductive organs. Phthalates are used as plasticizers in nail polish, mainly because they are cheap and effective. Cosmetic companies choose not to acknowledge the horrible effects that come from phthalate exposure; instead they stick with a "make a buck today-tomorrow ill take care of itself" attitude (Erickson, Kim, "Drop Dead Gorgeous" pg. 128).

There is some good news. Over the past 10 years, a new and safe generation of nail care has evolved. New technology has been able to rid nail polish of hazardous chemicals. Many natural nail polish companies have created water-based polishes that don’t depend on traditional ingredients. This new form of polish peels off, allowing users to skip the step of having to use extremely toxic remover. However, since this is a new market the quality of the natural and safe polish doesn’t quite match up to the toxic polish. The question is, would you rather repaint your nails once more each week or put your body at risk? It’s a decision that most girls are unaware they are making every time they purchase their cosmetics.

Here are a few Natural Nail Polish Companies to look for:
Color ‘N Peel
Nalz Water-Based Nail Polish
Natural Beauty Watercolors Nail Polish
No-Miss Nail Care

"The Healthy Forests Initiative - A Protesting View"

by Emily Rinaldi and Rosie O'Hara, St. Ignatius HS, San Francisco

Despite environmentalist protests against President Bush’s Healthy Forest Initiative, it is now law. This new law will undermine the National Environmental Policy Act and other environmental protections that have prevented damaging road and logging projects. Ironically, President Brush’s plan to protect both civilians and woodlands actually destroys backcountry/old growth forests. The Healthy Forest Initiative proposes the thinning of densely grown forests that are prone to forest fires. Thinning is the process of clearing small trees, brush and shrubs, which provides a better environment for animals and trees. There are great advantages in thinning America’s forests, but President Bush’s proposal follows none of the scientific guidelines presented by renowned forest experts. Bush’s initiative cleverly disguises damaging logging projects of old growth trees as beneficial to fire prevention. In truth it is not the virgin woods that need such treatment, but the second growth woodlands near residential areas. President Bush’s Healthy Forest Initiative fails to address the fire hazard proposed by second growth forests, and awards American logging companies a monopoly over rare virgin woodlands.

The Sierra Club, a prominent environmental organization, put forth its own version of Bush’s initiative with expert advice from fire fighters and scientists. In this proposal, it suggested that five hundred yards of forest surrounding inhabited areas be thinned, thereby creating a buffer zone between residential areas and the surrounding woodland that prevents the destruction of homes and makes the fires easier to control. Unfortunately, the President of the United States of America, by proposing and signing this act, fails to recognize the Sierra Club’s practical proposal, which, though not generating surplus funds for businesses, does correctly address the problem presented in overgrown forests.

There are damaging clauses hidden in Bush’s Healthy Forest Initiative that were overlooked by supporters of this new law. It restricts the right of citizens to appeal logging projects, as well as severely limits both the time for filing such appeals and the time allowed for judicial review. The Healthy Forest Initiative also allows for roads to be built into roadless areas. According to the Forest Service’s research on the development of the Roadless Rule, previously roaded and logged areas are twice as likely to catch fire when compared to large roadless areas. Why are these old growth forests, situated in roadless areas, targeted by the Healthy Forest Initiative if logging them would precipitate hazardous woodland fires? An intelligent individual once said, "the world may never know."

A recently published article titled "Dirty Secrets" (written by Osha Gray Davidson featured in Mother Jones) announced, "Few people know the magnitude of the [Bush] administration’s attacks on the environment because the administration has been working very hard to keep it that way." The administration cleverly avoids legislative battles by implementing their unsound policies through agency regulations. Through these unique tactics, the administration evades tiresome congressional debate, and prevents public awareness of many of its environmental policies. Not many people know that under Bush’s "Clear Skies" plan 100,000 people will die as a result of excessive air pollutants, or that of the sixty-three members of Bush’s energy advisory team only ONE does not have ties to corporate energy interests.

Photos
by Jeff Martin Acalanes HS, Lafayette

Answers to January's Question of the Month

"What’s a simple step you can take to lighten your ecological footprint?"

"Go vegan." Ben Lerch, Washington HS, Fremont

"Recycle, don't eat as much fast food, and carpool." Lauren Reese, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

"Grow food in my garden, don't leave water running and eat 10% less beef." Sierra Cushing, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

"Recycle, vegan/vegetarian, carpool, walk or ride a bike." Megan Heskett - San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

"No Christmas presents, recycle." Jillian Halliwell, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

The following were all brainstormed answers from the Nature/Nexus class at St. Ignatius HS, San Francisco

"Use cloth bags for groceries"
"Reuse water bottles"
"Carpool/walk/public transportation"
"Eat less packaged and preserved food"
"Ride a bike"
"Compost and recycle"
"Reuse the backside of paper"
"Don't use wrapping paper at Christmas"
"Do all shopping at Costco"
"Don't flush the toilet until you go to bed"
"Put a brick in the water tank that is attached to your toilet so you use less H2O"
"Drive a hybrid"
"Don't take more than you need"
"Make cookies for gifts"

February's Question of the Month- Let’s hear your answers!


"What unique impact do young activists bring to the environmental movement?"
Submitted by Yvea Eaton, Lick-Wilmerding HS

Send your answer by January 25 to TheGreen@earthteam.net

"The Green" is 100% student written and edited. We're looking for anything about the environment - what your class or club is doing, opinion pieces, facts, actions and more. The students who commit to monthly or every other month articles receive a small monetary compensation. To find out more, contact TheGreen@earthteam.net

Please send your responses to anything in the Green or anything environmental. We'll print it in the next issue. Also, send us your answers to the Question of the Month by the 25th of the month. It would be great to hear from you. Contact TheGreen@earthteam.net