The Green

In this Issue...

Quote of the month:

" UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It's not."

The Once-ler (Dr. Suess)

Articles
	I Ate My Fork! - by Tyler Jolley, Stewart School, Pinole
	Letters to Dr Green - Christmas Aftermath and What’s Up With the Polar Bears? -by Dr. Green, aka Samantha Page, San Mateo HS, San Mateo
	EarthTeam’s Influence On Me - by Kevin Shen, Irvington HS
	Letter to the Editor - from Shelly Rosenblum, EPA
	Skin Deep Beauty or Danger? - by Dyani Main, St Mary’s HS, Berkeley

Artwork and Photographs
	Art of the Month: – A View of Castle Rock Park - by Julie Sammon, Northgate HS, Walnut Creek
	Castle Rock Park – three photos - by Julie Sammon, Northgate HS, Walnut Creek
	Winter Blossoms - by Tyler Jolley, Stewart School, Pinole
	Emergency Exit - by Elena Nielson, Clayton Valley HS, Clayton

Videos & Audio
	“Sustainability” music video - by DeLawn Hardy and Hasani Ashbury, edited by Doug Scott, John Swett High School, Crockett
	A Bug Hunt - by Alex Ortiz, Adams Middle School. Richmond
	Sausal Creek Restoration - by Alvin Yang, Amy Cai, Brian Vi, Judy Pun, Ramon Garibay, Stephen Mach, Oakland HS
	EarthTeam Celebrates Martin Luther King Day - video by Joshua Martarella Jr, Alex Ortiz, and Cynthia Zuniga
	Message to the Message to the Loggers - by Josh Martarella Jr, Stone Valley MS

January / February 2007

Art of the Month

Castle Rock Park

By Julie Sammon,
Northgate HS, Walnut Creek

Click photo to view larger image

Departments...

	A visit to Castle Rock Park – 3 photos by Julie Sammon, Northgate HS, Walnut Creek

Sustainability music and rap video
by DeLawn Hardy and Hasani Ashbury, John Swett High School, Crockett
Is a preview and that the whole video can be seen on the Green Screen show
Click photo to view larger image

Skin Deep Beauty or Danger?

Dyani Main, St. Mary’s HS, Berkeley

               Is your face wash giving you an incurable and deadly disease?
     It’s a very scary and very real possibility. Cancer causing chemicals known as carcinogens are found in almost one third of all personal care products in the US. With so many teens using not only the basic shampoo condition combo, but make-up, perfume/cologne, nail, and skin care products, this is a serious concern. Use of these products is usually a daily experience which causes people to overlook the adverse affects they could have.
     Most products that Americans purchase have ingredients that are regularly checked and approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Astonishingly out of the 10,500 different chemicals that are commonly put into personal care products about 89 percent are not evaluated at all by the FDA. The FDA’s Office of Cosmetics and Colors made this statement regarding requirements of cosmetic companies on February, 3 1995, “The FDA cannot require companies to do safety testing of their cosmetic products before marketing.” This is due to the fact that the industry that produces these products has a select group of people that make up an industry-funded panel. This panel makes all the decisions on whether or not an ingredient needs to be reviewed or not. Since all these decisions are made in a closed meeting there is no way to require that all ingredients be screened. Without the FDA there to help inform people of the dangers of these chemicals , many people are clueless to the effects of what they are putting on and into their bodies.
     One of chemical called a “penetration enhancer”, causes harmful ingredients to be taken into the skin and enter into the bloodstream more rapidly. Coincidentally penetration enhancer chemicals are found in over 57 percent of all personal care products. With known human carcinogens being found in many personal care products any type of chemical that will drive things into the blood stream should be avoided completely.
     According to a recent article entitled “Pretty Ugly” by author Karen Barrow cosmetic ingredients can be linked to causing breast cancer. A scientific study shows women and girls that begin using cosmetics at an early age might have a higher chance of developing breast cancer at some time in their life. Scientists have found that some cosmetic products contain estrogens which are known do increase the risk of getting breast cancer. Dr. Gray, professor at Vassar College, stated “The worst offenders, it seems, are shampoos and other hair care products marketed to the African American community. Many of these products have placenta extracts inside, which contain adult hormones, like estrogen. And for many years, estrogens have been known to increase breast cancer risk. Manufacturers claim that these placenta extracts are used in shampoos to help strengthen hair and reduce breakage.” If you would like to know what kind of chemicals are being put into your body, or see a list of the top 20 brands to be concerned about (this list includes Chanel, Revlon, Banana Boat, Sally Hansen, Gillette, and Clairol) please visit www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2.
     There are many ways to make a difference and help stop companies from putting these chemicals in products you use. First and foremost people need to be educated about this topic before anything will be able to be done. Stand up for your right to safe products. In Europe people have already taken a stand against a particularly harmful chemical known to cause birth defects called phthalates. In 2005 phthalates were banned in Europe, but in America are still commonly put into products. If you want to get involved and help to ban chemicals in our cosmetics check out a group called Teens for Sage Cosmetics. These teens try to educate people about cosmetics and give them safer alternative brands. To find out more about this organization and its events, or to become a member of the Teens for Safe Cosmetics group visit their website at www.teens4sc.org/. Earth Team member Elizabeth Price believes “We have a responsibility to ourselves and our future children to work together and try to preserve our wellbeing. It’s not only about being healthy, it’s about being happy."

Letters to Dr. Green
	EarthTeam’s own environmental “advice” columnist with a prescription for what ails her readers – and the Earth.

Dear Dr. Green,

THIS IS URGENT. Only two days after Christmas, my parents are absolutely fed up with the post-holiday mess. They are INSISTING that we throw away all of the left over material, meaning all of the gift wrap, the gift bags, and our gigantic Christmas TREE! Can you believe it? I had to stay in the living room, guarding the Christmas tree with my life and soul just so that they wouldn't throw it away. Finally, they told me that I had 60 minutes FLAT to go and find where to recycle all of the Christmas leftovers.

Oh my god. Get this: As for all the presents that my parents received and didn't like such as this traveling toothbrush sanitizer kit (it happens to the best of us), they are going to throw them away, too! This is all far too mortifying for me to handle.

So, hurry, DR. GREEN! I NEED YOUR HELP!!

Urgently Ecological,

ChristMISHAP!

Dear ChristMISHAP!,

Don't worry, I'm here to the rescue! Thank god you were smart enough to guard that tree long enough for your parents to give you time, although an inefficient amount, to get out of this mess!

I would first like to confess something very important about Christmas: there is no denying the beauty of Christmas trees. Although there is something utterly heartless about cutting down a tree solely for the pleasure of having it stand tall in your own home, a lot of us are not willing to sacrifice the Christmas tree tradition. I even know a few environmentalists who keep trees, but they always RECYCLE THEM! Yes, recycle your tree to make new, perfectly useful parts out of it. Check out this AWESOME web site: Earth 911 (www.earth911.org). Literally, all you have to do is type in your zip code and voila!, the most local Christmas tree recycling place will appear. Too good to be true, I know.

As for your gift wrap, that solution is pretty obvious. As long as it's paper, put it in your PAPER RECYCLING. If you don't have recycling, then, well, clearly you have your work cut out for you. Also, be creative! My mom wrapped Christmas presents this year by using scraps of old wrapping paper, creating a sort of a collage affect. Take advantage of those 60 minutes!

Gift bags are really cool in the post-Christmas world of ecology. REUSE THEM! It's definitely not "gross" or cheesy to reuse a nice bag that has been given to you. In fact, it is just a total waste to throw gift bags away!

Finally, I totally understand your parents' distaste for the "traveling tooth brush sanitizer." I mean let's be honest, who is actually going to use that? But what really bothers me is the fact that they are going to throw it away! There are plenty of people out there that never even have the opportunity to receive a Christmas present, so let's make it happen for them. Drop this wild gadget off at your nearby homeless shelter by visiting Grassroots Shelters (www.grassroots.org).

Good luck, and work quickly!

Dr. Green

References:
Daily e-mail: "Ideal Bite" (December 26, 2007)
www.grassroots.org
www.earth911.org

Dear Dr. Green,

What is the deal with the government and polar bears? I know this sounds entirely outrageous, but I hear that there has been a huge battle between three environmental organizations and the government based on polar bear protection. Can you please help me to understand what is going on? Why on Earth does the government have anything to do with polar bears?

Polar Bear Bedeviled

Dear Polar Bear Bedeviled,
You're absolutely right. There is a pretty intense battle going on between the government and three environmental protection agencies: the Center for Biological Diversity, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Greenpeace. These organizations are arguing that the "government is moving to slow" to save polar bears from extinction. The solution? REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.

If you weren't already aware, polar bears are one of first type of animals affected by global warming, "an increase in the earth's average atmospheric temperature that causes corresponding changes in climate resulting from the greenhouse effect." Moreover, the government isn't exactly excited to deal with the consequences of global warming-- Bush actually hired Phillip Cooney, a former lobbyist for American Petroleum Institute in charge of global warming misinformation to be the Chief of Staff for White House Council on Environmental Quality. Basically, the guy in charge of environmental policy in America used to have a job trying to hide the fact that global warming is real. My point is that the government was in no hurry to save the polar bears (reportedly extinct in 45 years), until environmental groups started pressing the Bush Administration hard-- real hard.

According to the Fish and Wildlife Services, extensive research on the polar bears will be conducted in February. It has not yet been determined whether or not a beneficial change in their environment will be warranted. To help save the polar bears, contact any one of these organizations battling the government. Greenpeace (www.greenpeace.org) has a Bay Area local office in San Francisco! There is no excuse to ignore this issue! Even if you don't like polar bears, there are thousands of other species being threatened by global warming-- even us.

Saving one polar bear at a time,

Dr. Green

References:
www.greenpeace.org
http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=11926
dictionray.com-->"global warming"
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/20/1328225
Book: "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore

Message to the Loggers
by Josh Martarella Jr, Stone Valley MS
Click photo to view larger image

“In the winter, not many flowers are blooming, but this one caught my attention because it’s January and this one plant has a million little pink flowers.”
Tyler Jolley, Stewart School, Pinole
Click photo to view larger image

EarthTeam’s Influence On Me

by Kevin Shen, Irvington HS, Fremont

      I have read many inspirational stories where students have done amazing things and made an impact in their communities. However, I always had this vague misconception that before I would be able to do so, I would somehow have to cultivate myself more first.
      My school features a QUEST project all seniors are supposed to do. Even though I did not expect to be able to do much, I jumped at the opportunity to further my interest in the environment’s well being. I found the EarthTeam webpage and posted a comment on a poll. To my surprise, I received several e-mails from Faith and Lana asking if I was interested in joining EarthTeam. I eagerly joined, and the fact that EarthTeam was launching a Global Warming Campaign was pure cake and icing. I was in love.
      My experiences with EarthTeam have been fantastic. The Student Environmental Leadership Weekend was especially inspirational. Never had I seen so many students interested in helping out the environment, all grouped together in a fun 2-day camp. Workshops like GoNextGeneration taught me about the wide impacts our daily actions have on our environment. Activities like the “ORT” food leftover measurements and the sustainable design of Camp Arroyo further drilled into my head how much we can do to be at peace with Nature.
      But even moreso, I have found the EarthTeam staff and their friends to be remarkably helpful in all ways possible. Lana encouraged me to share nature photography I had taken over the years; Jason (from DriveNeutral) has eagerly offered me work on the carbon calculator and talked to me about carbon markets; Matthew’s input has been invaluable in giving me perspective on the topic of sustainable development; and last but not least, Faith (even with the large amount of management that she has to handle!) has unceasingly offered her support in encouraging me to make my EarthTeam experience what I want it to be. Each of the two times that I have gone up to the EarthTeam office, and even more times via e-mail or phone, Faith has been a tremendous help in helping me to understand the scope of environmental work. For example, I have seen other global warming campaigns across the nation and then learned from their example to design a carbon-offset-trading-game and adapt a carbon calculator for school use.
      EarthTeam has taught me that students really can do something to help out the community they live in. Each of us has the potential to do something great, and I look forward to both doing additional work with EarthTeam and learning from what other students will do. I hope EarthTeam has inspired you to do the same as well.

Emergency Exit
by Elena Nielson, Clayton Valley HS, Clayton
Click camera to view video

Video


Hear and see the story of the Sausal Creek Restoration by 10th graders at Oakland HS Click camera to view video		"A Bug Hunt" by Alex Ortiz, Adams Middle School. Richmond Click camera to view video

I Ate My Fork!

By Tyler Jolley, Stewart School, Pinole

The other day an odd thing happened. I was eating some great cheesecake, Lana Husser, EarthTeam multimedia director, announced that the forks and knives we were using at our event were made out of potatoes, (not the plastic that we thought they were). I didn’t know if I should believe her, so to check it out, I bit right into my fork. My teeth went through and it tasted “spuddish”. She was right – potato. I ate the whole thing.

Why do you suppose people want utensils made from potatoes? Well, potatoes are biodegradable, so instead of throwing them out, you can put these utensils into the compost pile and give the back to the Earth. They’re recyclable and environmentally healthy. Maybe they’ll come out with flavored forks next. I could go for a cherry one.

If you’d like to buy some of these edible utensils, go to www.spudware.com where they say "While plastic sits unaltered in the earth for centuries, SpudWare decomposes within 180 days. Guaranteed."

Or take a walk to your local natural grocery store and ask for spudware to help save our environment.

McClymonds HS Students Creating Banners on MLK Day - by Cynthia Zuniga, Adams MS, Richmond

Click camera to view video

EarthTeam celebrates MLK Jr Day at the MLK Shoreline in Oakland –Joshua Martarella, Alex Ortiz, and Cynthia Zuniga

Letter to the Editor

Dear Dr. Green and Ms. Nielsen,
Thank you so much for your wonderful article on indoor air
pollution. As you can see from my address below, I'm with the Indoor
Environments Team in the San Francisco office of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and spend most of my time working with schools on
indoor air quality. In fact I've been working with Earthteam for
several years now recruiting students to do indoor air quality projects
related to our Tools for Schools Program. Lana Husser and I have been
collaborating in this effort. A few years ago we worked with a student
at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek and sent him to our National
Tools for Schools Symposium in Washington, DC to receive a Special
Achievement Award. I would love to work with students at Clayton Valley
High as well as any other school in the Bay Area.

Just to clear up a couple of misconceptions, plants are not a
solution to indoor air pollution. True, some do remove pollutants from
the air but you'd need too many to be practical and then, considering
mold in the soil, and potential for pests, etc. it may also be
counterproductive. Mainly we need to move outside air though our
buildings since, as the astute author pointed out, indoor air is often
much more polluted than outside air.

I would also like to thank Ms. Nielsen for pointing out that
incense, air fresheners and other scented products such as perfumes,
colognes, etc. just add more chemicals to the air even if they're
considered "natural" or you like the smell. The less we add to our air,
the better off we are. People with asthma may be especially sensitive
to indoor environmental asthma triggers so let's all examine how our
typical activities contribute to poor indoor air quality and begin to
take steps to address this very important issue.

To learn even more about indoor air pollution, checkout our
website: http://www.epa.gov/iaq and click on the "Tools for Schools"
menu item to learn more about that program. While you're there, read
about the student presentations at our Tools for Schools Symposium which
took place just 3 weeks ago. And contact Lana Husser or me if you'd
like to start a Tools for Schools project at your school.

Shelly Rosenblum
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Indoor Environments Team
75 Hawthorne St. / AIR-6
San Francisco, CA 94105-3901
415-947-4193 fax: 3583
rosenblum.shelly@epa.gov

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