CONTENTS

• ACTION of the Month - Attend Eco-Career Day for High School Students, Sat.  April 3, Chrissy Field - by Cleo Fung, Washington   HS, San Francisco
• Quote of the Month
• Work on an Organic Farm for a Few Weeks This Summer", by Vrinda Manglik,    Acalanes HS, Lafayette
• Earth Day" By Susan Loshin, Sir Francis Drake HS, San Anselmo
• "Environmental Social Justice at the Grassroots" an interview with Ori Skloot by Sarah Stoller, College Prep HS, Oakland
• The Tree Hug By Amy Lam, Amador Valley HS
• Quick Book Review: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson"by Nicole Charles, College Park HS, Pleasant Hill
• Poetry 1- untitled, By Jonathan Lawson, St Ignatius HS, San Francisco
  2-A California Spring, By Rebecca Smith, California HS, San Ramon
  3. Untitled, by Curtis Hayden, St. Ignatius HS, San Francisco
• Answers to Question of the Month-March
• April's Question of the Month-"If you could ecologically study any place on Earth, where   would it be   and why?" submitted by Yvea Eaton, I-YEL , SF
• 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.

March 2004
Issue 14

Action of the Month - Attend Eco Career Day for High School Students on Sat., April 3 at Crissy Field, S.F.!

Action and article submitted by Cleo Fung, Washington   HS, S.F

Thinkin' about working in the environmental field now or in the future?
Then come to ECO-CAREER DAY!

Get a flavor for CAREERS in the environment through hands-on WORKSHOPS
Get the scoop on educational, VOLUNTEER, and summer JOB Opportunities
FREE lunch and goodies

Registration required.
For directions and to register go to www.crissyfield.org
For more information call 415.561.7751

EcoCareer Day is a Crissy Field Center event, a partnership of the   Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy and the National Park Service, in collaboration with Earth Corps of the Dept. of Environment and TEAM of the Marin Headlands Institute.

More about EcoCareer Day:   This is a day where high school students can explore the different careers in the environmental field through hands-on workshops.   They get to have a chance to meet professionals in the environmental field and attend the job fair at the end.

Quote of the Month

"Be the change you wish to see for the world"
- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

By Vrinda Manglik, Acalanes HS, Layfayette

Are you looking for something cool to do this summer?   Want to road-trip with your friends and get to see a new part of the country?   How about packing your bags up to go WWOOF?   And nope, it doesn't have anything to do with dogs.   In fact, it means Willing Workers on Organic Farms.  

WWOOF is an organization of hundreds of organic farms throughout the world (with hundreds in the US alone) which allows volunteers to go work on a farm!!   So, you become a member for about $15 and they mail you a directory of all the farms with descriptions.   Then, you pick a state, pick a farm, contact the farmers, and get there however you want (plane, train, bus, car, Amtrak).   Once there, you work on their farm FOR FREE and get food and lodging.   Depending on the farm, you work approximately 4 hours per day, 4 days a week.   The rest of the time is yours to hike, bike, swim, explore, write poetry, bond with your host family, etc.   You also get to choose how long you want to stay for.   Depending on what works for the farmers, you can stay for anywhere from one or two weeks to six months!

As they say, "WWOOF-USA is part of a world-wide effort to link volunteers with organic farmers, promote an educational exchange, and build a global community conscious of ecological farming practices." You get to meet all sorts of cool people (students, backpackers, volunteers, farmers, people from different parts of the country), spend time outdoors, and learn a thing or two.  

If you are younger than 18, you need a parent or guardian to accompany you.   But hey, it could be a family bonding experience!   If you're over 18, it might be a great way to seal-up high school friendships before going your own separate ways.

For information about WWOOF-ing in the US, go to www.wwoofusa.org .   If you want to go abroad, check out www.wwoof.org .  

Have fun planning!   Pax Gaia.   

Earth Day

by Susan Loshin, Sir Francis Drake HS, San Anselmo

April 22 nd is the national " Earth Day ". On this day we celebrate the earth by respecting it. Trying to drive less by carpooling, biking and using recyclable materials, are all ways to easily cut back on our tremendous reliance on our planet's resources. This is a day to let our slowly disappearing planet breathe and sit in peace. This is a day to reflect on our appreciation for everything we receive from earth.

I encourage everyone to actively become evolved in this sacred day. Encourage your friends and family to use environmentally friendly transportation (everything from buses, bikes, walking, carpools, ferries, trolleys, to sharing cabs). Try to cut down on spending, only buying what's crucial for the day or week. When you do buy try to choose an item with the least amount of packaging. But most of all spend time in nature. Turn off your TV and stereo and listen to nature. Go on a hike; get away from our society's fast-paced life styles.

At my school we hold an annual Earth Day celebration. We have a ride to school day with a raffle, music, poetry, organic food, speakers and non-profit organizations that come and set up informational booths. This encourages the community at my school to come together in a positive way to care about our planet and learn. Hopefully, students leave with a clearer and deeper understanding and caring concern for the earth.

While there are so many detrimental things happening to our planet everyday, there are positive ways to help. Voice your opinion, by reaching out into schools, communities, or very importantly the government. Go out and pick up garbage in a park. Anything helps and your voice is important. Celebrate this beautiful place that gives us shelter, food, water and air. A very famous biblical passage in the Book of Job says, "Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee."

Environmental Social Justice at the Grassroots:
an interview with Ori Skloot

by Sarah Stoller, College Prep HS, Oakland

California Youth Energy Services (CYES) is a project of Rising Sun Energy Center, a non-profit corporation established in 1984.   For the past four years   the Rising Sun Energy Center has promoted energy conservation and sustainable living issues via employment and volunteer programs for youth ages 14-21 years.   The CYES program trains and employs youth to provide resource conservation (electricity, gas, water) audits and retrofits in local residences. Ori Skloot is the current director of the project. Since 2000, 73 youth employees have retrofitted over 800 East Bay residences and 11 public shelters. The cumulative measures and materials installed by CYES staff saves residents over $75,000 in annual utility   costs, and prevents the emission of over 475 tons of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of removing 135 cars from the road each year.   For every dollar invested in the CYES program, the services provided to residents creates $1.30 in energy-related benefits.

Mr. Skloot became involved in CYES three years ago. He has a degree from the Haas School of Business at U.C. Berkeley , but his passion has always been environmental and social justice. He has been very active in volunteering for nonprofit organizations and causes for most of his life. For Mr. Skloot, CYES is the perfect synthesis of his interest in growing an organization that can make a real impact in addressing environmental issues.

How and when did the CYES project begin?

The CYES project was birthed through a volunteer project in Berkeley High School in the Spring 2001. As part of their academic courses, the students learned about renewable energy resources, technology, and conservation. This inspired some of the students to want to put their learning into action. They began working with Hal Aronson in doing 2-3 energy retrofits a week in low-income households. This spawned a summer youth employment program where high school students can receive training and employment in conducting weatherization (energy conservation) services and audits in the community.

For students who are unfamiliar with the process of doing an energy audit and retrofit, what is the purpose, and how exactly does it work?

Retrofits include the installation of energy and water saving materials such as: compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), weather-stripping, programmable thermostats, and efficient-flow showerheads; as well as performing a comprehensive energy audit that provides further steps for household energy conservation. CYES provides three services when in a resident's home.

1. Installing weatherization materials (ie, weather-stripping, CFLs, caulking)

2. Providing an energy audit: this involves doing a visual inspection of the house to gather data that is entered into an energy calculator program which then provides suggested next steps for "upgrading" the home or appliances.

3. Information dissemination: informing residents about the other programs available to assist them in conserving energy, water, and resources.

How are you encouraging youth participation, and what do you hope to accomplish?

CYES is committed to youth development where young people have the chance to do hands-on work and make a difference in the community. The CYES program benefits communities on three levels: Youth receive hands-on training and work experience.   Youth learn technical skills, customer service and office administration; end of program provides letters of recommendation and job placement assistance. Residents receive free materials and services that reduce their resource consumption and utility bills.   Low-income and elderly residents save an average of $100 annually on their utility bills. Communities are strengthened by   the constructive youth-adult interaction of teens educating and providing valuable services to residents.   In a voluntary survey of CYES clients, 90% of residents reported that their experience with the youth staff "surpassed expectations".

Additional information about CYES can be found at <www.risingsunenergy.org>

The Tree Hug

by Amy Lam, Amador Valley HS

I grew up with trees, so what could be more natural than for me to love them? Of course, as a child, I didn't know why I loved them as part of my family; I was only aware that I did, and that my friends thought I was weird because of it. Elementary school is not always a kind place, and not every idea is always accepted without question there. I thought that they looked rather pretty with their leaves a beautiful lush green in the spring, and red and gold in the fall. Their branches, to me, looked like they always wanted a hug, and I hugged them often - as long as it was not in front of the others.

After I went to middle school, my love of trees started fading away with books, endless arithmetic problems, and Columbus sailing across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492. They grew quietly in the background, just waiting for me to pay attention to them again. But in science class, they were mentioned over and over as the giver of oxygen, of life. Sure, everyone appreciated them, though not all to the same degree. I, like the rest of my class thought that trees were good for us, but I didn't think of them more than that. Trees would grow, life would go on.

What if they stopped growing?

Finally, we come to a stop in high school, where the homework pile is higher than ever and pressure is applied on all sides again. It's funny how I encounter the remnants of trees everyday with every clean sheet of paper that I use for school and in my textbooks, and yet, seem to rarely have even the time of day to think about them. Dead trees taking me away from my trees? How ironic. But this year, for some reason, they pull at me a little harder than usual, demanding my attention. The once saplings are now grown into towering giants. They too have aged since I was little, now no longer needing my attention every day - they haven't for a long time.

So I go out and meet them once again in another light. Trees - they are more amazing than I have ever fathomed. They can convert light energy to chemical energy for the rest of us, live longer than the oldest animal, provide oxygen for us to breathe, clean up the air, give us shade, provide homes for millions of creatures. They are like pets in that they thrive with love, but they are less temperamental and fragile and can survive without their human counterparts. Trees are strong. Did you know that if you cut down a tree, that tree is still not dead? The trunk and the roots live, so does the tree. I talk to them, and they listen. Is it that odd to talk to a tree when you know that they're the only ones that stay silent while you digress? Is it that hard to find a friend in a tree?

They are no longer pretty to me. They are beautiful, and this is a hug to all trees out there.

This is Our Generation

by Meika Hollander, Vermont Commons School, Charlotte, VT

Most of us, American teenagers, would describe our lives as tiring and stressful. We have an endless list of papers to write, equations to memorize, and vocabulary words to learn, so when it comes to giving back to our community, most of us don't tend to jump at the opportunity. Who has the time or the energy? I am certainly not an exception to this feeling of a "teenage burden," but that has yet to impede me in my desire to work towards my goal of creating an environmental awareness among teens today.

            Being environmentally aware is the first step in creating a healthier environment. If teens today spent a little less time worrying about Friday night, and a little more time wondering what was in their last cheeseburger, they would be making a difference. Not everyone has to pick up trash or become a recycling guru for things to get done. The majority of American teenagers, on some level, are aware that our environment is being increasingly abused, and by simply acknowledging the problem and forming this "teen awareness" we will environmentally progress as a generation. We need to recognize that we are products of our environment, and as we continue to support chemically infected products, we are, in the end, only harming ourselves. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and we food we eat, contain considerable amounts of chemicals. Without taking the time to understand where our sustenance comes from, we are unconsciously exposing ourselves to a world of toxins.

            We validate our lack of action by reassuring ourselves that organizations like the EPA are taking care of the problems, and therefore they are "safe." The fact of the matter is that the EPA and other similar organizations can't do it all. As a matter of fact, their capabilities are extremely limited. In a world with thousands of environmental issues, how can anyone expect one organization to solve every puzzle? We need to take action. This is our environment, and without it we wouldn't exist. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and sitting back now, only harms our own futures. This is our life, our time, and our responsibility. So get up and take action, because there are 101 ways that YOU can make a difference!

Book Review

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

By Nicole Charles, College Park High School, Pleasant Hill

Carson's main goal -- more than forty years ago -- in writing Silent Spring was to open the eyes of the public to the danger of pesticides. This informational yet shocking book contains numerous case studies on the harmful effects of pesticides (particularly DDT) on the environment. Although Carson was extremely knowledgeable, chemical industries ruthlessly challenged her view points, questioned her background, and disparaged her gender. When the book was first released in 1962, arguments over its subject matter exploded into a flow of controversy. Even though many powerful interests were opposed to Carson's research, the uproar attracted a huge amount of publicity for Carson and her masterpiece. As a result, several environmental interest groups including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Wilderness Society, and the Environmental Defense Fund were formed after the publication of Silent Spring . All these wonderful groups campaigned for "restrictions" now embodied in laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Pesticide Control Act, and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

             If you're into working with agriculture or natural resources, I most definitely recommend this book. But it's definitely not restricted to people who want to work in those areas. Anybody who wants to make an impact on the environment as a citizen can learn a thing or two from Carson. With one book, Carson was able to make a huge change for the better. Two words sum up the entire book: Inspirational and Informative. We need more books like this!

Poetry

Answers to Question of the Month for March

If you could ask any company to make a positive environmental change, which company would you choose, and what change would you address, and why?

"First, it wouldn't be a company, it would be a non-profit organization.  For the earth I would go further to ask not an organization but more of agathering of people who call themselves EarthFirsters, EarthFirst! is not anorganization or a company. There are only EarthFirsters who devote theirtime to helping save the Earth. The change would be whatever the mostcrucial change needed at that time was."
Patrick Edelbach, Deer Valley HS, Antioch

"I would ask grocery stores like Albertons, Safeway, and especially TraderJoe's to encourage bringing back paper bags to reuse them the second time you shop. Or bring cloth bags."
Jillian Halliwell, San Ramon Valley HS, San Ramon

"Monsanto - they should accept responsibility for their crops that cause small farmers endless problems."
Addison Raap, Vermont Commons School- Vermont

"If I could ask any company to make a positive environmental change,I would probably ask a big company like Ford to try to make an electric car for an affordable price that anyone can buy. This way people might be more willing to buy an electric car if it is cheap."
Sam Salazar, Bishop O'Dowd HS, Oakland

"I would probably ask a Duracell to make a battery that could be recycled, because to my knowledge most batteries are toxic waste and can't be recycled."
Justin R, Bishop O'Dowd HS, Oakland

"Well until recently I didn't know that nail polish wasconsidered toxic waste. I would probably have to ask a cosmetics company to make a nail polish that isn't so harmful."
Samantha D, Bishop O'Dowd HS, Oakland

"I can't think of a specific company but it would be great if more clothing companies would follow the lead of American Apparel and others, who have turned away from the traditional abusive sweatshop structure through worker ownership and sustainable use of organic materials.   This type of Green business is what all companies will need to do eventually, and should begin as soon as possible."
Jeff Martin, Acalanes HS, Lafayette

"I want to see companies staying out of small businesses and other people'slivelihoods.   I'm sick of large corporations stretching their nasty claws   into developing nations and setting up monopolies there. I want to see the   revival of local small community-based businesses , an overall eradication   of exploitation and animal testing....and definitely more fair-trade and use of organic and recycled materials.   Also, a cut-back on packaging.   Additionally, I am also not a fan of being told how to dress, so if companies could cut back on trying to tell me that I have to dress in a particular way in order to be a decent human being, I would greatly appreciate that."
Vrinda Manglik, Acalanes HS, Lafayette

Question of the Month for April - Let’s hear your answers!


If you could ecologically study any place on   Earth, where would it be, what   would   you study and why?Submitted by Yvea Eaton, I-YEL and Lick-Wilmerding HS, San Francisco

Send your answer by March 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