CONTENTS
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. We seek to inspire participation in projects and events between groups, strengthen journalistic skills, and foster career exploration.
July 2003
Issue 6
"In every landscape, the point of astonishment is the meeting
of the sky and the Earth."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Question of the Month
Answers to June’s Question of the Month –
What nature experience do you plan to have or hope to have in the future?"
"I would like to see the threatened species return."
Yvea Eaton, Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco
"I hope to connect more people with nature."
Kimberly Schroder, Acalanes High School, Lafayette
"I want everyone to, at least once, feel their inextricable connection
with all of creation."
Vrinda Manglik, Acalanes High School, Lafayette
"I would like to see my school open up to restoring the environment."
Rosie O’Hara, St. Ignatius High School, San Francisco
"I hope to promote environmental awareness within my community."
Emily Rinaldi, St. Ignatius High School, San Francisco
"I hope to establish natural beauty in more industrial/rundown communities."
Laura Holtan, Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland
"I hope to continue restoring the Living Laboratory at Bishop O’Dowd
High School."
Kyle Salwasser, Bishop O’Dowd High School, Oakland
"I hope to raise awareness in our school and get others connected."
Jessica Guidotti, Moreau Catholic High School, Hayward
"I hope to sleep under the stars for one year. I wish to become
entranced and infatuated with the essence of nature’s midnight sky."
Susan Loshin, Drake High School, San Anselmo
"I will run naked through the forest!"
Siera Levenson, Drake High School, San Anselmo
Question of the Month for August - Let's hear your
answers !
"How do environmental issues impact your home
life the most?"
Submitted by Yvea Eaton, Lick-Wilmerding High School, San Francisco
Send your answers by July 25th to TheGreen@earthteam.net
If you have ideas for questions send them too.
Photo by: Daniel Hernandez - Antioch H.S.
Photo by: Daniel Hernandez - Antioch H.S.
Are We Really "Green" ???
by
Susan Loshin, Drake High School, San Anselmo An impending issue in our society, especially in the Bay Area…is the question, "Are we really green?" Recently there have been a number of articles published, concerning whether or not recycling, carpooling, buying organic…is really "cutting it". We'd all like to think of ourselves as environmentally aware and "friendly", but are we really just fooling ourselves, making the destruction of our planet a little further away from it's true source…us?
Lets say you buy an Odwala smoothie. It's made with real ingredients, it is natural and you can easily recycle the bottle. However, the process is never that simple. Every time you use plastic, glass, or paper, although recyclable, it's still detrimental to our planet. Each time the recycling process takes place these materials have to go back through machinery and equipment to make them "re-useable". This takes more materials and energy to complete this process. This therefore creates waste, energy and pollution. Although we feel recycling is a 'friendly" and clean process. Is it really? Who's going to start making their own smoothies to conserve our planet?
Every thing from driving in smaller, less gas guzzling cars to solar heating, should be an impending concern of the public, especially those of use who consider themselves "environmentally friendly". But can you supplement the real thing? Does conservation mean substitution with something that's "better" or does it mean CONSERVE?
Numerous people seem to find comfort and ease in the simple words of "recycling". But breaking it down, it's not always pretty. To me, being environmentally friendly is consuming less. True, it is a sacrifice, but I believe the misconception was created by humans, in believing there are alternatives and ways around every thing. In truth, there is no way around saving our planet…besides saving it. Life is about sacrifices and trade offs. No one said this would ever be easy.
"My Thoughts About firstscience.com"
by
Jason Morris, Deer Valley High School, Antioch
I have recently discovered a very informative website devoted to modern
issues on the environment and other scientific matters. The moment I found
FirstScience.com was a breakthrough, and I thought to myself "Everyone
else probably already knows about this site." If you haven't checked
it out already, it's a great place to find information and learn about
environmental issues. I came across an article written by Adam Carter
entitled Global Warming and Storm Chasing. The article made clear the
realization that global warming is a continually worsening problem caused
by people all over the world, and is directly related to "extreme
weather events." Carter states that global warming is turning into
a serious problem on a global scale. I had been waiting for an article
like this! I am concerned with the ongoing trend in America to let certain
problems progressively get worse until the danger is seemingly imminent.
It would seem a lot easier to tackle issues before they get out of hand.
The article mentioned that the increase in storms and weather anomalies
has given birth to a new group of storm chasers: people who follow storms
and attempt to learn how they operate. I think that the ability to obtain
information about something is more vital than already knowing about it.
The ability to gain knowledge will help solve ecological problems like
global warming.
My life tends to be lonely and at times pathetic, so FirstScience.com
was a good discovery for me. I hope it is the same for you, and I think
it will be a good resource over vacation. My main commitments over the
summer are my ongoing musical experiments and my newfound environmental
conscience. I'll be going to Japan in July, and hope to observe a foreign
perspective on the environment. Hopefully this will spawn motivation for
future articles.
"But I would expect it from anyone now to protect life's indigenous
sound…" ~ Chino Moreno
Poetry: "Turning Tides"
by
Rebeccca Smith, California High School, San Ramon
Rays of the late afternoon sun arching high overhead
carved a pathway for the approaching night
to follow.
Miscreant beams gathered in by the sun
added diadems to its cascading robes.
Heat from the desert eagerly rose to greet the sun,
escorting it towards the near horizon.
Energy pent up since the day's dawning
induced the landscape to shimmer and sway
to nature's rhythmic overture.
Bearded lizards perched on nearby rocks surveyed their domains,
unheeded by the desert's stranger.
The parched and winded traveler lay motionless upon the sand,
drained by exhaustive attempts to forge
on.
The weary wanderer silently scolded himself for relaxing his guard,
prying his battered eyelids open.
It is dangerous to be lulled by the desert heat -
too many men succumb to its deadly embrace.
A strong will to live forced the man to lift his head,
taking stock of his dismal circumstances.
In answer to the man's most dire need,
memory conjured up an oasis of water and
lush greenery from the haze.
Barely allowing hope to tinge his breath,
the shadow of a man squinted his eyes to
focus on the illusive image.
Delirious from heat stroke and dehydration,
he eagerly grasped at this lone chance of
redemption.
Directing all his energies into his weakened arms,
the wraith-like being painfully levered
himself off the ground.
Dissipated by the sudden movement,
the mirage was instantly reclaimed by the
merciless desert.
Sinking down in depressive self-pity,
the man let his hopes falter with the receding
light.
Scavengers wheeling high overhead sensed the stranger's life force draining
away,
incrementally spiraling closer to the immobilized
creature.
Nausea ripped through the downed traveler,
blurring his vision with its searing heat.
Unconsciousness gradually commandeered the man's mind,
stifling his instinctive drive for survival.
The mind, groping to cement awareness of his surroundings,
imprinted one last image upon his memory
-
A bold turkey vulture swooping low to cut off he last rays of the retreating
sun,
enveloping the man in a mantle of darkness.
Activity beneath the dusty surface reawakened from the day's slumber,
pouring out into the night in search of
meals for youthful broods.
The moon took her place in the sky,
standing solemn witness to the events of
nature's drama playing out below.
The moon sweeps the ground with her gentle rays,
following upon the heels of her brother's
harsh radiance.
Daylight etches war, death, and devastation in stark relief,
leaving moonlight to soothe earth's wounds.
Nature maintains the rhythm of life in this limbo of destruction and renewal,
for as one cycle comes to a close, another
is just beginning.
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Letters to the Editor
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