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The Green

 

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 2005
Issue 26

Quote of the Month

Chosen by Maggie Young, Mercy HS, Burlingame, CA

To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.

                                                                                 – Helen Keller (1880-1968)

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"Pink Flower" by Elizabeth Hawkins, Campolindo HS, Moraga
(Click Photo to view larger image)

 

 

Actions of the Month  – Composting at School andApril Fossil Fool’s Day

Take action at your school this month!  Here are two environmental actions that you can for your environmental clubs to take on which will help your school become more sustainable.

The first action is directly related to this Month’s Youth Coalition Meeting on March 13th from 1:30-4 pm at the Orinda Library, where our speaker will talk about Composting in Your Schools.  The goal, do not just come to the meeting and learn about composting but take the steps to get composting happening at your school.  The first step, come to the March meeting, but if you cannot because maybe you live else where, don’t worry, your first step will be other’s second step.  Go on-line to this link, here, and do the Garden/Landscape/Composting Survey at your school.  You will find out a lot about how your school operates when it comes to landscaping, gardening, and food waste. 

But, don’t stop there – take what you learned and turn it into an environmental action project.  If your school uses chemical products for landscaping, can you work with the administration and gardeners to try and find a more environmentally friendly product?  Did you find a place on your campus where you could start a garden?  If so, talk to the administration about using this land for a student garden.  In your survey, did you realize how much food waste your school creates which gets thrown away?  What about starting a composting system to cut down on the waste? 

These are all great projects for clubs to do to help their school become more environmentally friendly, so do the survey, chose the area you feel most strongly about, and take action.

The second action is in support of the upcoming April Fossil Fool’s Day.  The goal of this action is to move towards cutting back on our use of energy, and maybe even finding ways to move away from fossil fuel use and towards clean energy.  The place to start, the same link as above, but this time, do the School Energy Audit.  This will clue you into places in your school where you can improve on the amount of energy used, meaning finding out where to cut down on energy use.  What type of light bulbs does your school use and can you talk to the administration about using more energy efficient ones?  Did you find that people are leaving lights on all around the school, and if so, can you start an education campaign to prevent this from happening? 

You can even take this action project a step further and talk to the administration about moving towards alternative energy?  What about having your school run on solar power?  This project is larger in scope, but don’t get discouraged, it all begins with little steps.  Set up a meeting with a teacher you think might be able to support this project.  Send around an information sheet on alternative energy at your school, and make it so that people can sign it in support.  It is always important to get teacher and student interest in projects at your school.  The more people involved, the more likely it is it will happen.  You can also bring in a speaker on the subject to educate people, and, set-up a meeting with the administration of your school to talk about the idea and tell them about the level of interest throughout the school.  It may not happen in one meeting, but once a dialogue is established you will have come along way, and if you keep at it, good things will come.

Both of these actions are found on EarthTeam’s website and are for you to take and follow through with at your school.  And of course, we are here to help.  If you do the survey and do not know where to go next, get in touch with one of our Youth Coordinators, Laura, at LauraG@earthteam.net, and we’ll get the next steps laid out.

 
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Photo by Elizabeth Hawkins, Campolindo HS, Moraga
(Click Photo to view larger image)
 

 

Be Creative About Your Interest in the Environment with EarthTeam Visuals and Voices!

by Sangeeta Hegde, EarthTeam’s Visuals and Voices Intern,College Park HS, Pleasant Hill, CA

Bay Area students, are you ready to help out our Earth? It's easy, just send your submission to the Earthteam Youth Coalition's Visuals and Voicesyear-long traveling show and contest before the new deadline: May 1st. There are three categories: Photography, Art and Poetry, and the first place winners in each category will receive $$CASH$$ prizes and six runners up will receive egift certificates to your favorite places. There will be at least three winners from each category.  But, aside from the material rewards, let's look at the rewards that come from within.

The main goal of this 2nd annual traveling art show is to promote environmental awareness, and we have the opportunity to do that by creatively expressing ourselves. Having been a part of this last year, I can truly say that it is so rewarding to know that people look at your work and stop to think just a little bit about the Earth.

The kickoff is May 15, 2005 (1:30-4:00 P.M.) at the Oakland Museum. It will be a recognized part of the United Nations 60th Anniversary Celebration hosted by the San Francisco Bay Area. The theme for the anniversary is THE ENVIRONMENT! There will be a really awesome band playing at the kickoff, and winning poets will also be reading their poems aloud for everyone to hear and admire, if they want to, of course. After that, the entries will go on a road trip for 12 months, traveling to different galleries, libraries and other places around the Bay Area. For schools with 10 or more entries, Visuals and Voices will host a one-month showing of the art from your school at your local library. One person can also submit more than one entry. Just make sure that all entries are nature related and that you fill out a separate form for each one of your entries. Entry forms are available online at www.earthteam.net or you can always call Ms. Laura Grossmann, our wonderful supervisor, at 510-290-7654. Hopefully we will see you there! Tell your friends! We are hoping that this year the contest will be bigger and badder than ever!

sangeetaH@earthteam.net

MLK Jr. Rally and Restoration

by Rosie O’Hara, St. Ignatius Preparatory HS, San Francisco, CA

Entering the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Hall building for the Martin Luther King, Jr. rally on January 17, organized by the MLK Jr. Freedom Center, East Bay Regional Park District, and MLK Jr. Rally Committee, I encountered a very large group, a few hundred people, seated in utter concentration, staring ahead of them at the current speaker, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. She spoke of what Martin Luther King Jr. would say and do about our current economic, social and global situation. She declared that we as a people would not stand for these injustices and that we needed to keep MLK’s dream alive and well. The unanimous applause and nods of heads from the audience encouraged her to go on. As I peered about the hall, I became aware of how her speech not only resonated within her own heart but also within the entire soul of the community she spoke before. Even though I only witnessed about twenty minutes or so of Congresswoman Lee’s speech, I can say without hesitation or regret that I felt empowered.

Now for the best part, after the rally – the tidal marsh restoration project at MLK Jr. Shoreline in Oakland sponsored by the partnership between Earth Team, Save the Bay, and the East Bay Regional Park District. Upon reaching the observation tower, the meeting place at the park, two school buses and a few cars packed with students from across the bay, a total of a 104 students in all, pulled into the parking lot. Not only students participated; there were also eight adult volunteers with our group, plus eighteen others from AmeriCorps and a local business – a grand total of a 130 volunteers for the marsh restoration!

After the students piled out, signed in, and gathered together, two women from Save the Bay, Margot and Mel, explained the history of the marsh and split the students into smaller groups. The restoration activities consisted of planting native plants (Grindelia stricta (gumplant), Frankenia salina (alkali heath), and Distichlis spicata (salt grass)) in order to provide natural habitat, and picking up trash along the water line. I, fortunately, was able to do both. I planted a small gum plant, and got to pick up plastic wrappers that were dispersed around the marsh like sand on a beach. After doing the clean up I was pretty disgusted at how individuals can so freely choose to be apathetic and let their trash clutter and degrade what would be a beautiful environment. On a lighter note, thank you to all the volunteers who were willing to pick up after those so indifferent about the environment.

All in all, I believe the restoration was a success – students became aware of the present state of the marsh and helped to preserve it. If you were unable to attend, don’t fret, there’s always more to do. For example, there was another habitat restoration event at Fort Funston on Saturday, March 5. You can contact chicoryb@earthteam.net if you are interested in helping out on future Restoration Program.

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“STB Planting” by Rosie O’Hara, St Ignatius Prep HS
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“Shoreline Cleanup” by Rosie O’Hara, St Ignatius Prep HS
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Students Volunteer at Markham Arboretum

by Mara Constantine, Acalanes HS Lafayette, CA

On February 19, about 25 Acalanes High School students participated in a creek restoration at Markham Arboretum in Concord. Even though it was pretty wet, it was tons of fun. Many people pruned trees and bushes along the creek, while others, including myself, walked along the creek removing garbage.

The Markham Arboretum is a very beautiful park, yet I had never even heard of it until I did this restoration. It's at the end of a residential street, so it's not something you would see when just driving by. There are different gardens featuring plants from different regions of the world. There are hundreds of trees, and the creek, now garbage free, is just lovely. It would be a great place to go on a picnic, once the weather gets a little nicer. The people who volunteer at the arboretum were just great to us Acalanes kids. They showed us how to prune correctly and get rid of "eye pokers", branches that potentially could hurt visitors' eyes or faces. They provided information about the arboretum and all the tools and supplies we needed for our restoration work. They even cooked us lots of good food. It was a really good time! 

MaraC@earthteam.net

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“Hobo Me” by Mara Constantine, Acalanes HS
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“Markham Restoration, 1” by Mara Constantine, Acalanes HS
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News from Campolindo’s Environmental Club

by Zach Bjornson, Campolindo HS. Moraga, CA

Although this is only our first year, the Campolindo Lorax Environmental Club has embarked upon several successful projects. We have fourteen dedicated members who spend their lunches on Tuesdays preserving and restoring the environment. We have brought back can and bottle recycling to the campus. We are in the process of completing the Waste Busters challenge (hosted by the Contra Costa County Solid Waste Authority), filming an environmental music video for the Environmental Film Project (hosted by EarthTeam and the CCCSWA), hosting a recycling drive, and gardening several planter boxes in the lunch quad.

In the recycling drive, we are collecting empty ink and toner cartridges, dead batteries, and old cell phones for points in fourth period classes. The class with the most points per student gets an organic pizza party. The drive lasts two weeks. In just one week, we collected 400 pounds of batteries, 250 cell phones, 200 inkjet cartridges and 40 toner cartridges! All collections are recycled and the profits used to protect South American rainforest.

Here are some tips we’ve picked up along the way:

  • When you're organizing a recycling drive, make sure that you have the shipping labels (pre-paid from companies such as www.ecophones.com) before you start the drive. We now have 30 toner cartridges and hundreds of cell phones that can't be shipped off until we receive the shipping labels.
  • Probably the best way to get students involved in recycling events and other environmental activities is to offer rewards. Think about organic pizza parties and environmental bumper stickers.
  • If you're having trouble with people putting garbage in recycling bins, move the recycling bins next to garbage bins so that it's less work for students.

zachB@earthteam.net

 

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Tahoe” by Mara Constantine, Acalanes HS, Lafayette
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Eco-Update and Conservation Tips

By Hannah Cherkassky, Venture Independent Study, San Ramon, Ca

Perchlorate Danger

California’s health, environmental, and community groups recently initiated a campaign to protect our state’s water from dangerous rocket fuel chemicals. Pregnant women, newborn babies, and fetuses are all highly at risk to the effects of this chemical. Although in very small trace amounts, the toxin perchlorate (ClO4), is found in our water; enough has been detected to be deemed harmful. Perchlorate, the most significant component of solid rocket propellant, has been known to cause thyroid problems, which in children can lead to mental disabilities later on in life and, in some cases, ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

In order to lower the amount of the perchlorate in our water, lobbyists, environmentalists, and top officials are signing petitions and are providing information to the California Environmental Protection Agency warning them of the effects of this chemical. In addition to seeking to lower the amount of perchlorate allowed in the water, the petitioners are also strongly urging the EPA to study the effects of the toxin on children and pregnant women. The petitioners claim that both prior studies by scientists and basic knowledge of chemicals have proved that perchlorate is indeed dangerous. They hope to sway the EPA to significantly lower the use of this chemical.

The petition itself, started by the non-profit organizational group Environment California, is being sent to the California Department of Health Services and the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment. Signers of the petition, hundreds of independent citizens and groups, include: the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Environmental Working Group, Sierra Club California, Clean Water Action, and Citizens for Chuckwalla Valley. “Communities across the state are crying for the state to act immediately. We hope that state policy-makers take the task of protecting our children seriously,” an environmental health organizer for Clean Water Action said recently. The people behind the petition hope to prevail this time in the never-ending battle of environmental politics.

Five Easy Water Conservation Tips

Everyone knows that water is a very precious resource both for our bodies and for our earth. Not everyone knows that conserving that water, while seemingly a difficult task to accomplish, is in fact very simple. There are many ways that one can conserve the water one uses and feel much better afterwards, knowing that individual small actions really add up if enough of us do them. Here are a few tips that you and your family can use to protect, conserve, and ultimately better your usage of water in everyday life.

1. If you water your lawn with a hose, use a special nozzle that uses less water but still does the job. Letting the hose run without something covering it wastes a large amount of water and also makes a bigger mess!
2. Letting the water run while brushing your teeth is probably one of the worst things that one can do within their household to waste water. On average, you can waste five whole gallons of water just by hovering over the sink for a mere two minutes. So turn the water off while you brush!
3. Checking for toilet, sink, and showerhead leaks for water leakage is also an important step to conserving water within the home. A quick check under and around these is vital to a healthy water-conserving household. A constant 24-hour leak of just one teaspoon a minute adds up to 694 wasted gallons a year!
4. A harder but very effective way to conserve water is by taking five-minute showers instead of epic length ones.
5. Running the dishwasher, clothes washer, etc. only when full is also a good way to conserve.

As you can see, these five simple steps can and should be taken in order to conserve water in and around our homes. The next time you decide to wash your car, use a bucket and a hose with a shut off nozzle! The next time you decide to take a shower, make it short! And remember the point of it all: water is a precious element that we must protect in order for it to remain plentiful.

HannahC@earthteam.net

Gaia’s Gift

By Elizabeth Hawkins, Campolindo HS, Moraga, Ca

In the summer, the oak tree in my backyard is covered with vibrantly green leaves.  They sway in the gentle morning breeze, and are stationary in the still heat of the afternoon when the only sound is the buzzing of the cicadas.  It is protected, as are all oaks in my home of Lafayette, by law; not that I could ever wish to harm such an exquisite being.  However, some people would jump at the chance. Out of mere destructiveness?  Perhaps not. But out of desire for other things that society has defined as ‘better’. The oak tree, to my mind, represents all nature, all flora and fauna.  Some aspect of our civilization always threatens it; unless protected by law, it never is able to defend itself. I look out on the bleak, lifeless concrete of the gargantuan cities and I weep, I weep for all the many varieties of life that once thrived there, I weep for the cruelty of the world. I clench my fists in anger at the wantonness of man’s destruction, but a sole person is nearly as helpless as the tree itself, as all the earth itself. To me, my tree represents nature’s beauty, its ongoing desecration at the hand of mankind. It is a constant reminder to me that we must all do our best to preserve it. 

Even the drabbest bit of lichen clinging to a rock face is fascinating, with its intricate geometric patterns. From the towering sequoias to the minute, but self-sufficient, anthill, nature’s peerless works are truly awe-inspiring. It is no wonder many people think them to be the works of gods. Perhaps earlier people were wiser, if not more intelligent than we are, taking only what they needed and thanking the earth for the gift. The mountains rise tier upon tier over the meadows and the valleys running down to the seas, and they are filled with miracles of life – life which we cannot create, but can utterly ruin. 

But we do not respect earth’s gift.  Concrete and asphalt encroach upon the tender grass; the animals are herded into miniscule pens where they live until they are slaughtered for their few pounds of meat.  The bright glare of the lights in the metropolises blot out the silver stars, and the sky that should be sable takes on an eerie orange glow.  Giant dredges plow up the vast floors of the seas; the great tuna that should grow to thirty feet or more are herded into huge nets, growing only a few feet long before they are caught and killed and their bodies packed into cans. As for the few plants, animals, and regions that are protected by law, poachers will often attempt to capture and sell rare plants and animals to thoughtless collectors. Human nature will never be satiated, if we continue to consume at this rate three earths could not support our needs – or rather our wants. 

We must stop abusing nature’s gifts to us and snatching what should be left untouched out of her sacred hands. Nature ought to be cherished and respected by all.  We should strive to preserve not only areas of spectacular beauty like Yosemite, but ordinary areas, and areas not ordinary but commonplace.  By some counts, seventeen species of plants and animals become endangered or extinct everyday because of our rampaging. Extinct – never again to be seen except by a paleontologist in the distant future uncovering a leaf print or foot print forever graven in a slab of cold, dead stone.  The greed, the wantonness, the gluttony for more must stop.  We have to start using only what we need, stop dumping our garbage into the oceans, pouring pollutants into the air that once was clean.  We have to call a halt to the destruction, heal the damage, and preserve the healing. But how?

A journey of a thousand miles begins with one small step.  It is a simple manner to follow such familiar epithets as ‘reduce, reuse, and recycle’. On the topic of cycling, there is the good ol’ ride your bike instead of drive to nearby places. Turn off lights and appliances that aren’t in use. If these things sound obvious, it’s because they are. Unfortunately, they are also easy to forget.  If everyone were to remind him or herself to do a few of these simple things, the world would be in better shape. 

The old oak tree on the hill in my backyard represents to me all that is wild and free. If laws did not protect it, it and countless other ancient pillars of nature’s architecture would fall for a small pile of lumber. We must strive to preserve the earth that we are of or else by destroying it, we will eventually destroy ourselves. 

elizabethH@earthteam.net

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“Trees and Cliffs” by Elizabeth Hawkins, Campolindo HS Moraga
(Click photo to view larger image)

 

The Kyoto Comes to Life: Why the US, the Country That Emits More Greenhouse Gasses Than Any Other Country, Won’t Agree to the Kyoto Protocol

By Meika Hollender, Vermont Commons School, Charlotte, VT

On February 16th, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, a creation of the United Nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, went into effect globally when Russia joined the list of signers. The only unfortunate thing about this celebratory day: the United States never signed the pact. The country that is number one on the list of world-wide polluters and whose automobiles alone rank 5th for global emissions, still said no to being a part of a global effort to bring global warming to a halt.

The Kyoto Protocol, formed in the ancient city of Kyoto Japan in 1997, is an agreement between United Nation countries that targets carbon dioxide and five other gases that pollute our world and contribute to the problem of global warming. The protocol mandates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2012. The agreement states that once 55% of the world’s GHG emitters have signed on, then the pact will go into effect. So far the protocol has been ratified by 140 nations, and the reason for its recent actualization is because of Russia’s very recent decision to sign the pact.

“The United States, the world’s largest emitter of such gases [greenhouse gases], has refused to ratify the agreement, saying it would harm the economy and is flawed by the lack of restrictions on emissions by emerging economies China and India.” Although many countries such as the United States and India claim that signing the agreement would be way too detrimental for their economy, the reality is that areas such as the European Union are also willing to risk economic setbacks. If the US were to decide to become a part of this fight to stop global warming, it would be asked to reduce its GHG emissions to 7% below its 1990 levels by 2012, while the European Union is attempting to reduce to 8% below its 1990 levels by this same date.

Since George Bush happens to be the president during this time, it would be easy to blame him for the US hesitation to sign. The reality, however, is that President Clinton was also presented with the chance to sign in 1997 and he too declined the proposal. Another thing to consider when criticizing the US for not signing on is that countries like France and Norway, that have both signed the Kyoto, already get over 50% of their energy from alternative methods such as wind or nuclear; therefore, it is easier for them and limiting their fossil fuel use isn’t going to affect their economies as much as it would the US.

All in all the Kyoto Protocol is a great thing. Its enforcement could have a huge effect on global warming, and global pollution emissions. Even though the US isn’t willing to “get onboard,” it seem that once oil does eventually run out, which it will, the US is going to see the repercussions of its decision. The fact that the United States is not addressing the global warming issue and agreeing to the Kyoto Protocol makes one wonder if the issue is really about our health, or about someone’s money. Both the Bush and Clinton administrations both felt that the emissions regulation outlined by the Kyoto protocol would be too restrictive on critical US industries, causing massive job losses and ultimately devastating our economy.

___________

Coleman, Joseph. “Kyoto Global Warming Pact Takes Effect” The Washington Post, 2/16/05

meikaH@earthteam.net

Rants and Raves: What's happening in Your Forest?

By Andy Hamon, Hollister HS, Hollister, Missouri

Is the forest slowly slipping away in your hometown or county?  Well you’re not alone.  In my hometown, Hollister Missouri, the woods I find so beautiful daily seem to fade away as fast as you can blink. In my opinion, this is so disgusting because I believe as humans we should know better. We might not be directly affected but what about the other animals that live in these woods? What about the natural balance?  Even if one species is wiped out, that sets a downward trip population wise. If this happens, what is our main food source when all the animals are gone?  It wouldn't be much fun eating salads and soybeans every day!  So if you share my interest in forest depletion, send me an e-mail.

AndyH@earthteam.net
Thirteen Answers to the Question of the Month: What Do You Think Is the Most important Environmental Problem, and Why?

1.  Habitat degradation/global warming—One leads to the other and animal extinction etc. buds off of these 2 things.  Sangeeta Hegde, College Park HS, 2005

2.  Recycling is a huge problem in the U.S.  We really waste too much and we just keep producing more and more.  Vivian Truong, College Park HS, 2006

3.  Global warming because it encompasses so many other areas such as habitat destruction and pollution.  Madeline Burchard, Deer Valley HS, 2006

4.  Over population/poverty because it is a huge problem that contributes to many other environmental problems.  Kaglee Corbett, Acalanes HS, 2005

5.  Global warming and related topics because even if you fix the poverty problem, the earth will still die if the way it’s treated won’t change.  Elliot Klein, Acalanes HS, 2005                                                                 

6.  Global warming because it will affect how all species are able to live on the Earth.  Drew Harwell, Acterra Schools Group

7.  Fossil fuels—Overuse is driving many other problems (global warming, pollution, war, etc.).  This is something we CAN address, so I feel this is the most pressing issue.  Matt Sieving, ET’s The Green Youth Coordinator

8.  Over population because the earth will not be able to sustain 6 billion + people for very long.  It’s all the little people who are causing the other problems.  Mara Constantine, Acalanes HS, 2005

9.  Overpopulation and not enough awareness about environmental issues.  These are both causes of most of the problems we’re facing with the environment, so I see them as the roots of the problem.  Samantha Kanofsky, College Park, 2005

10.  Fossil Fuel Use—We have the technology and ability to make use of more efficient fuel sources, like hydrogen and solar, but we don’t(mostly thanks to politics).  No fossil fuel means thousands of times less pollution, less habitat destruction, reduced global warming!  Zach Bjornson, Campolindo HS, 2006

11.  Overpopulation because humans use too many resources that are vital to our future.  Marky Cassell, Deer Valley HS, 2006

12.  They’re all important environmental problems, but because I think about the population the most, I’ll say overpopulation.  We need to be better educated.  Mandi Cassell, Deer Valley HS, 2006

13. All three answers [population, global warming, toxics, ed.] are directly related. I'm wondering how many people actually are aware of the dangers involved in global warming/climate change. For one, the entire rainforest system may dry up ending the existence of half or more of the species on Earth. Another, coastal flooding where I believe that 90 % of the people on Earth live. Not positive about my statistic on that one. It may be 80%. John Hartman, Louisville Kentucky (on line response)
Letters to the Editor

Just had to let you know that your projects are awesome.  Wish we had the same creative, energetic programs in San Antonio, and all of Texas for that matter. Thank you for your inspiration.  You all do a tremendous job and I wish I lived in California so that I could be a part of it.

Rita Zenzen Heck

The Green Connection, San Antonio Texas     

www.greenconnexion.com

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