CONTENTS

• Quote of the Month
• Question of the Month
• Photos - Submitted by Daniel Hernandez
• Interview - Endangered Species Awareness Club
• Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony
• "Blowing in the Wind" - Winning Energy Essay in MKHC Challenge
• Poetry:"Power Play"
• Opinion - "Rescuers or Destroyers"
• Editor – New Structure – New Writers
• Join Us
• "Green Team" Bio's
• Previous Issues

Mission Statement: We are attempting to strengthen and unify the young environmental community in the Bay Area by sharing interests, information, and calls to action between 1,500 local youth. We seek to inspire participation in projects and events between groups, strengthen journalistic skills, and foster career exploration.

Quote of the Month

"Having to squeeze the last drop of utility out of the land has the same desperate finality as having to chop up the furniture to keep warm." - Aldo leopold

What do you plan to do to honor Earth Day? (Answered before Earth Day.)


I will encourage my neighbors and friends to recylce more. As well, I will encourage them to buy recycled products even for that day. Finally, I will not ride in my vehicle which burns excessive gas.
Tobie Kress, Oakland High School

To honor Earth Day, I will try to produce no trash on April 22. All the things I do will be recyclable, and I will encourage my family to do the same.
Jose Ruelas, Oakland High School

I would spend some time outdoors and would take the time to enjoy the 5-6 trees in the backyard that we planted ourselves.
Willy Deng, Oakland High School

I am planning to honor all the people who did a good job at cleaning up the environment. If we all work together we can make a differenece in life. I usually help out cleaning the lake with a net and picking up trash most of the time.
Jack Chu, Oakland High School

I plan to just be more aware of my environment and try to do things that might benefit the environment.
Tu Vo, Oakland High School

I would buy more glass items rather than plastic. Glass is able to recycle without adding more glass to it to make it stroger. We should stop buying plastic materials.
Tommy Ngay, Oakland High School

Question of the Month for June - Let's hear your answers !

What environmental change would you like to see at your school?

Send your answers to TheGreen@earthteam.net

Photo by: Daniel Hernandez - Antioch H.S.

Editor:

Kristina Lee is a Junior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, CA. She is the Publicity Manager of her schools Endangered Species Awareness club, or ESA.

How long has your club or class been in existence and how many student are in your club?
Our club has been in existence for) 2 years, (and we have) about 30 people involved.

What are your club goals?
To promote awareness of endangered species within the Bay Area and our community.

What projects are you working on? Are they going well? Are there major challenges with the projects and what are they?
We're working with children at local YMCA organizations at elementary schools. They are definitely a success! It's so enjoyable to teach young children and make them aware of the endangered species in the world. We, the ESA Members, get to learn from the children about the knowledge that they already have. Then we get into small groups and make crafts, play games and do skits to head towards a fun way of approaching awareness with the children. We're also working with Save San Francisco Bay Organization in restoring native wildlife in Palo Alto. We work on these restoration projects once a month. We also are aimed at bringing in guest speakers from different organizations such as the National Wildlife Foundation, to make our members aware and recruit new members. These activities take a lot of time, support, effort, and motivation. The difficult parts are getting many people involved and getting them enthusiastic about what they do. We want our club to be passionate for the cause, and it's difficult for them because of where we live. Our lives are comfortable, without any worries and sheltered from the outer world. What we want our members to learn is that there is another world out there, and even though we don't see it up close and personal, that through our promotions, we can truly get the message in people's minds.

What do you like best about your club?
The aspect I like most about our club is we have a unique goal in mind. There are other environmental clubs at my school which we truly appreciate, but I believe our club is truly passionate through the community events and activities we do. We're one of the most active clubs in school and this proves that we are striving towards promoting awareness through every event. Not giving up on members and officers, and just pursuing every single opportunity and taking advantage of every event, is what is best about our club!

What specific experience with your club was a highlight for you?
I believe the highlight for me was when we went to the children to promote awareness, and we saw their faces light up as us teenagers walked in the room. It not only taught us that we're role models for them, but also that through our cause of promoting awareness, these children will grow up to care more about our environments. It's great to know that one's ideas and efforts can make a great impact.

What are you clubs biggest challenges?
Challenges we face are getting people enthusiastic about the cause and having them get actively involved with current issues involving endangered species. It's also a challenge to recruit members because many of the students at Monta Vista are quite busy. What we hope to do, is show them the benefits of joining a club where when the goal is reached, it will outweigh the amount of work and effort that we have done to get there. I would like to help my club advance for the future and put my opinions and ideas to promote passion and enthusiasm.

Do you feel like your club is making a difference? In what way?
Yes, I definitely believe so. Even through our existence, we are sending a message through our name: "Endangered Species Awareness". We hope that people ponder that name, and wonder why it's so important to get the message out of how many animals and plants are becoming extinct every day. We are also making a difference within our members, community and school.

Which environmental issues does your club care most about?
We care to share issues with children for sure, and we also focus on financially adopting animals. For instance, we adopted a panda and have been funding part of what they need to survive. We are also looking into adopting a turtle from the San Francisco Zoo in the near future.

Is your club completely student run, or supported by an involved teacher or assistant?
We are completely student run with 7 officers. We also have two advisors that make sure meetings run well. The positions are: President, vice-president, Secretary, Treasurer, Publicity Manager, IDC Rep, and Webmaster. Everyone is assigned their duties and tasks, and we sometimes get into groups to head towards a main goal or set up a specific activity. We hope for the future to connect with schools in our district (Fremont Union High School District), and have joint community activities such as camping events. This will be one of our top priorities this coming summer.

The Goldman Environmental Prize Ceremony

   I was blown away. Completely amazed. In this single theater, the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, six passionate and Earth-committed individuals stood before us. They represented each of the six continental regions (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and Islands & Island Nations) and were here to be recognized for their dedication and work to the greater good of the Earth. They were the 2003 recipients of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

The Goldman Environmental Prize consists of $125,000 and an Ouroboros statue. It is awarded to six environmental heroes annually, honoring ordinary people with extraordinary commitment. All of the movements that these people were representing are entirely on a grassroots level. These people weren’t born superheroes. The Goldman Environmental Prize began in 1990, and is the only environmental prize that awards this type of grassroots work.

These people aimed high. They faced opposition, arrest, violence, and work with controversial issues. There is so much injustice in the world, and these people committed themselves to the greater good. They were unwilling to sit aside and watch forests be cut down, animals die, villagers be the victims of unjust policy. A previous Goldman Prize recipient, Nick Carter, said, "If you look around and see a problem, and no one else is doing anything about it—you’re elected."

After the opening ceremonies which included a video, an introduction from Jane Akre (previous Goldman Environmental Prize recipient), a performance by the Ballet Afsaneh, and a speech from Nancy Pelosi, we learned about this year’s recipients. The awards were presented by Richard Goldman. For each recipient, there was a video describing their work, and a short speech. We learned of the adventures, struggles, and motives.

Odigha Odigha, is a Nigerian forest activist who founded the NGO Coalition for the Environment. The Cross River forests of Nigeria are home to the highest primate diversity on the planet, and home to thousands of species. With the help of 1.5 million people of the forest communities, he has been challenging the unchecked industrial logging industry. He has helped make the communities and civil societies represented in forest management policies.

Pedro Arrojo-Agudo of Spain, who, targeting the European Union, "rallied 400,000 people to march in the streets of Barcelona" to protest "dams, flooding and development that come at too high a social and environmental cost." He has led the campaign to stop Spain’s National Hydrological Plan (NHP). He has proposed economic plans which would re-use water, and which would be better for the environment.

From West Virginia, Julia Bonds has lead people to challenge the practice of mountaintop removal. This practice pollutes rivers, mountains, and the whole eco-system. She is leading communities in opposition to government action which violates the Clean Water Act

.
Eileen Kampakuta Brown and Eileen Wani Wingfield are of the aboriginal community of Australia. In the 1950s, Great Britain started testing nuclear weapons in the deserts of Australia, which were considered to be uninhabited. This is the home of many Aborigines. Additionally, other nations have decided to bury nuclear waste in these deserts. These two women "are leading the campaign to block construction of a nuclear waste dump in their homeland."

Unable to attend the ceremony (she has previously been in prison because of her cause; the US refused to grant her a visa), Maria Elena Foronda Farro has lead campaigns against the fishmeal industry of Chimbote, Peru. These factories severely pollute the air, and damage the eco-system. She has worked with schools and helped shut down one of these factories.

Von Hernandez of the Philippines "helped organize mass protests, testified in hearings, and waged a national public education campaign in the media to draw attention to the devastating health impacts of waste incineration and to highlight proven alternatives to burning waste." This resulted in the passing of the Waste Incineration Ban.

It became clear that these really were ordinary people. They had unbelievable dedication, though. Their humility, leadership, bravery, and creativity were what had led them to accomplish what they had. Additionally, for every person recognized, there are hundreds of others also dedicated and active.

The speakers stressed the need for us to work together. We must find common ground and put energy and passion into our daily lives. Imagine that there are two groups of people: people who want to save the rivers, and people who want to save the forests. If the people trying to save the rivers fail, the people trying to save the forests will also fail. We have to work together and combine all aspects of the struggle. Martin Luther King once said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Similarly, good somewhere is a part of good everywhere.

Family and community values are universal as the basis of positive action. All of the speakers recognized their families and friends. Almost all of the speakers also looked up to the balcony where the youth were seated, and reminded us that the power is in our hands. That is really cliché, but like all clichés, it has truth in it.
It is necessary that we do our part to protect and defend our world. Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has." We need to think, cooperate, and act.

At the end of the ceremony, all of the recipients were called back on stage. They held hands throughout the immense amounts of cheering and applause. There was a huge crescendo of passion, as these amazing individuals moved us all. It was like everyone in the room felt this unspoken exclamation of, "Yes! Yes! We CAN save the Earth!" There was a huge realization of us being altogether in this one, of the need for us to help each other and love one another and work together. We have to stay inspired, we have to inspire others. We have to fight injustice. We have to defend our home. Yes, yes, we can save the Earth. We have a lot of work to do.

(excerpts from Goldman Environmental Prize ceremony program)

More info at: www.goldmanprize.org

"Blowing in the Wind"- MKHC Energy Essay Winner

  
"Good morning San Francisco! Today is a good day with temperatures of…! You interrupt the radio DJ as you snooze your alarm, even though you know you shouldn’t. finally, 10 minutes later, you do your regular morning routine. With the bread in the toaster and the fresh coffee brewing, you double check your papers, and finally you drive or take public transportation to work. When many people start their day, they do not think twice about the energy they use in a simple activity such as getting up in the morning. However, imagine a morning with no electricity, now imagine a day, a week. How can people survive? People, especially in developed countries, take simple things like electricity for granted. Energy does not fly around waiting to be caught, or does it? Wind power is a good solar and renewable energy source that all Americans can use without adding to global warming.

The world is getting warmer and Americans should take advantage of wind power before people melt to death. California is the state with the most wind turbines and more can be built to provide electricity for the whole state. Congress can pass bills to have wind turbines built along the east coast or the Mid-West and not just the Golden State. However, the American federal government prioritizes oil over wind power for it is an immediate source of energy. President bush and his administration could have built a wind turbine farm in Alaska instead of drilling for oil. The federal government can authorize all the farmers to have wind turbines on their land. Maybe the government could build it on site and give money each year to the farmers who produce electricity for the surrounding community or cities. Many farmers can earn some extra money by allowing wind turbines be built while the cows peacefully graze ben3eath. The federal government should be looking for other ways Americans can get power without rummaging deep in the ground.

Wind power is friendly to the environment with minimal backlashes. The location of wind turbines is vast. Of course, coastal areas have the most winds because of the incoming sea breeze, but the Great Plains in the Mid-West can also be a place where wind turbines can be built. Deserts are another good possibility for a farm of wind turbines. The upside of possibility of wind turbines mean that almost everyone can benefit from electricity. Most importantly, wind turbines do not produce any pollutants, thus it does not add to global warming. In addition to all these wonderings things, wind turbines have no age limit. In other words, there will always be wind in the world, so wind turbines can be used to get electricity for decades or even centuries to come. President bush and his administration should take a look at the possibilities of wind power instead of fighting Iraq for oil.

Mother Earth will not live forever, nor will the human race, but as long as people live on this planet, they should respect it and use the more efficient power sources that are available. Americans make up only 5% of the world population, but we emit 25% of the total carbon dioxide emissions in the world; it is time for us to stop being selfish and look for cleaner ways to get what we need. Wind power is a great source of energy that the federal government should pay more attention to because Americans cannot always depend on oil.

Opinions: "Rescuers or Destroyers"

It is amazing to think that although human beings are supposedly the most intelligent mammals that exist because of our ability to reason, and yet we are the world’s top destroyer. Why would we want to destroy the place where we call home? Why do we act as if we are the only occupants of this place? So many questions can be made through the things that we unconsciously and consciously do everyday and things that degrade the world’s quality every time that we do them. One of the biggest problems lies in our excessive and unthinkable usage of our man-made appliances which benefit no one else but ourselves. This selfishness has to stop or else we are going to slowly kill the other inhabitants which we share this world with and also ourselves.

Energy is the fuel that everything lives by. There are many different kinds of energy sources in this world in many shapes and forms, sources which are renewable or non-renewable, and many others distinguishes between one another. However, the best kin of energy sources that benefits the environment are those which are renewable such as solar, hydropower, and many others. However, the world demands a source that has a mass production and also most importantly it has to be cheap. Ironically enough, the cheap sources are those which create the most harm for the environment thus the world.

Despite the popular belief that the air that we breathe, the pollution that we create, and myriads of others will still be in a decent condition for our time, can we say the same for our grandchildren’s children? Human beings seem to be interconnected with selfishness and greed when we begin to see things from this perspective. It is amazing how much energy is taken and used up by the human population in a day just to do things which we take for granted. When you walk out the room and leave the lights on and choose to disregard it, think of how many other millions of people are doing the same thing that you are. We are so unreasonable with our action and how we respond to the problems which we are called for.

The only improvement that we need to do is to limit ourselves to waste as little as possible for our own good. The thing about this is the mandatory participation because one can create change and we all need to be aware of how much we all are capable of doing by doing our parts. We just need to be more considerate about the things that we do and how wasteful we are. Once we come to the realization, I know that the human population will be able to be the rescuers as opposed to the destroyers.

Editor

New Structure, New Writers, Letters to the Editor

We are thrilled with the interest in "The Green". Welcome to Lucy Wu, Oakland HS, Vrinda Manglik, Acalanes HS, Jason Moore and Alicia Sanchez of Deer Valley HS, Antioch, Daniel Hernandez (photographer), Antioch HS, and Susan Loshin, Drake HS, San Anselmo, who are all new writers and members of "The Green Team".

This being our first year we are learning a lot. A few articles and Letters to the Editor were lost in a computer shift. In the future, we will have duplicates of all articles and publish each issue the first of the month with whatever we have by the deadline, the 25th of the previous month. So to make sure there will be a lot of good material, send in your answers to the Question of the Month, articles, or Letters to the Editor. Please send them all to TheGreen@earthteam.net. If you’re interested in writing for "The Green" please call EarthTeam at (925) 274-3669 and we’ll get back to you right away. Let’s make a big voice about the environment.

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