October 2006

Art of the Month

Desert Landscape

Ichida
Eloyesia Ratliff, El Cerrito HS,
Click photo to view larger image

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

Dear Dr. Green,

I am dumbfounded! I heard that Boiling Spring Lakes, a city in North Carolina, has recently lost thousands of trees because someone sighted a rare bird.  Why would this town cut down trees in response to witnessing the rising population of an endangered species?  I just don’t see the correlation between the lucky bird survival and the need to cut down trees.  Wouldn’t the town want to protect the woodpeckers by preserving the trees? 

Mystifyingly,

Boiling Spring Baffled

Dear Boiling Spring Baffled,

Sadly, in the case of Money vs. Environment, money is consistently victorious.  The issue in Boiling Spring Lakes is a perfect example of the reoccurring corrupt nature of humans.

The federal Fish and Wildlife service was about to designate areas of Boiling Spring Lakes as protected habitat.  When landowners discovered that red-cockaded woodpeckers were about to spread their population into prime spots for development, they were petrified; after all, the main source of income in a city is property tax.

Low and behold, the landowners’ solution to this problem was the most loving solution in the world: cut down all of the city’s trees before the helpless woodpeckers could inhabit them. 

Thousands of destroyed trees later, the effects could and can be seen all over the town of Boiling Spring Lakes (which is now more like a wasteland).  Along the roadsides where there were once pine stands, there is only scattered brown bark.

For the sake of increased income, the city has issued 368 logging permits.  Sure, maybe Boiling Spring Lakes will get to remodel their City Hall, but they have lost the true beauty of their city and some of the very scarce and precious carbon dioxide eaters left in the USA.

It is truly hard for me to understand the logic behind this massive annihilation of one of the most valuable organisms alive.  Instead of feeling dejected by a tragic occurrence like this, let it serve as a powerful inspiration to act against environmental injustice.

The pronounced tree-hugger,

Dr. Green

References:

http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/rare-woodpecker-sends-town-running-for/20060924114809990001?cid=

Dear Dr. Green,

Apparently, a writer for the Oakland Tribune did an extensive study on a Bay Area family.  He lived with them and studied their lifestyles, analyzing closely the chemicals that they consumed and tested their body’s contents.  I haven’t followed up on this study, but I hear that after a number of tests on the health of these individuals, the results were mind-blowing.  What on earth did this writer discover?

Curiously,

Freaked-Out

Dear Freaked-Out,

After the learning the discovery of Patrick Fischer and Nick Lammer, I am rather freaked-out as well.  Patrick Fischer and Nick Lammer are the writers that did this extensive study on the Hammond Hollands, a family not much different than yours or mine.

The Hammond Hollands live in relatively ideal circumstances; they have a nice home, a stable financial situation, and excellent resources.  However, Fisher discovered that the family members showed shocking levels of nasty chemicals in each family member’s hair, blood, and urine—especially in that of the children.  The children in the family contained extremely high levels of flame-retardants that can eventually lead to many disasters, including retardation and an inability to conceive.

After doing some research on the best ways to avoid consuming harmful chemicals, I was extremely satisfied on my relatively recent choice to become a vegetarian (soon to be vegan).  According to Elizabeth Jardina and Douglas Fischer, other than the obvious recommendation of exercise, there are three ways to avoid detrimental contaminants:

1. Avoid farm-raised salmon and rainbow trout — which generally have the highest concentrations of PBDEs.
2. Limit consumption of animal fats, since PBDEs are present in virtually all samples of them, especially dairy products, fish and beef.
3. Choose skim versions of dairy products and low-fat meat such as chicken breasts. Or replace some of your meat and dairy foods with grains, vegetables and fruits.

   Although there is no sure answer as to what is causing such harmful chemical buildup in adults but even worse in children, eating by the previous guidelines will not only increase your health but will be beneficial to the environment.  To find out more about how to reduce your body burden, go to www.insidebayarea.com/bodyburden/ci_2603026. In addition, I strongly advise that you visit http://www.insidebayarea.com/bodyburden and click on the link that says A Body's Burden: One Year Later.  By clicking this link, you will be taken on a video tour of the Body Burden study, narrated by Douglas Fischer himself. Even more determined to become a vegan, Dr. Green

   Palm Trees Allison Cooper, Albany HS, Albany (Click photo to view larger image)

Fast Food?  Of course – NOT

By Christina Sun, Castilleja School, Cupertino

Without a doubt teenagers today are extremely busy. Everyone is completely immersed in school, sports, and extra curriculars. I feel as the years go by, society demands even more of teenagers than it has in the past. There is a growing trend of taking AP classes during high school, leading clubs and organizations, and volunteering around the community. I sometimes feel so overwhelmed with everything I need to do, that I cannot find the time to breathe anymore. With such busy schedules, how does anyone find the time to think about what they are eating? With growing schedules, there should be natural tendency to eat fast food. After all, fast food restaurants offer tasty food for low prices, and even shorter waiting times. I surveyed six teens to find out their eating habits.

 I asked two questions:

1. How many times each week do you eat fast food?

2. What steps do you take to make sure that you are eating healthily?

Leah Rappaport

Woodside Priory School

Grade 11

“ I eat In n Out about once every month. However, I don’t usually eat fast food. I know it is bad for my body and I try to be as healthy as possible. I don’t drink soda and I try not to have dessert other than fruit or non fat ice cream.”

Lee Rong Sun

Tamalpais High School

Grade 12         

“ I eat fast food about once every week. Everyday for lunch I eat my school lunch food which is basically as unhealthy, if not more unhealthy than fast food. But I do try to take care of myself. I try to even out the days that I eat bad food with days I eat healthy food. I eat at least one meal at home everyday, and if I eat a burger one day I try to eat a salad the next day."

Allison Hoffman

Castilleja School

Grade 11

“ I go to In n Out about once every two weeks. Everyday for lunch I try to have salad with my main meal. “        

Michael Elowson

Lick Wilmerding High School

Grade 11

“ I don’t eat fast food that often. I probably go about once every three weeks or so. My parents are health freaks so they make sure I eat according to the food pyramid.”

Andrew Wailes

San Mateo High School

Grade 11

“Fast food is gross. I barely ever eat it. I think the last time I had a hamburger was when I was in the 6th grade. I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables and drink a lot of tea.”

Kate Ceremsak

Sacred Heart Prep

Grade 11

“ I usually eat fast food late at night when I’m hanging out with my friends and there is nothing else open. I make sure I eat a lot of vegetables, eat complex carbs,  and drink a lot of water. Water is a must.”

    Eating healthy foods is essential to both mental and physical health. With the growing fast food industry, it is up to individuals to choose to feed their body well. Every time we put anything into our mouths, we make a conscious choice. We can either give into that ice cream sundae, or we can choose to eat fruit instead. The way to a healthier lifestyle is with choices we make everyday. No matter how busy we may be, we can always make time to choose to eat healthily.

Recycling Posters

By De Anza HS photoshop class, Richmond

Recycle Today Andrea Buenvenida (Click photo to view larger image)

Fork it Over Robert Taunton (Click photo to view larger image)

Stop, Turn & Go Stephanie Rico (Click photo to view larger image)

Something New Going On Here

By J Paul Lee, San Mateo HS, San Mateo

I am a Freshman attending San Mateo High School and just before school started, curing the summer, I got the chance to watch the movie and read the book, An Inconvenient Truth, by Al Gore. The one major thing that affected me most about the movie was the fact that if the Earth keeps running the way it is,  the sea levels will rise, causing parts of San Francisco and other major parts of the world to be underwater. This astonishing fact brought me to the harsh reality of global warming.

I thought that I needed to get involved by having my school and city aware of the arising situation. The first thing I did was talk to my older sister and her friend about getting a club started. I was told to find a sponsor for the club who would help run the club. I knew that my biology teacher, Mr. Appleman, would be the right guy. I was able to talk to him about my ideas about global warming and that I was interested in starting a club, and he was all for it.  My first goal is to set up recycling bins around the school and in all of the classes. This will significantly improve the waste our school produces daily. Also I am going to set up signs around our campus explaining what global warming is, how it affects the world and suggest some ways that  everyone can help. I am very excited to start this club and plan for the school year here at San Mateo High.

Poetry

Egret Allison Cooper, Albany HS, Albany (Click photo to view larger image)	A Wish
	Yards of old netting Grasped by young fingers Pulling, pulling Upwards from the sea A crab with three claws A dead fish without eyes An irregular shaped starfish Plastic rings from Coke cans A sigh A tear A wish… Jaime Toy Archway School

Red Ginger Allison Cooper, Albany HS, Albany (Click photo to view larger image)

The symbol for the Wildcat Canyon watershed, this wildcat painting covers an entire wall in the Richmond Hs hallway, painted by RHS students, supervised by eco-artist, Christopher Castle.

Christopher Castle: Naturalist and Artist Extraordinaire

A close-up interview with an Ecology Art Prodigy
Interviewer: Samantha Page AKA Dr. Green

Art is one of the most powerful forms of expression.  Paintings can speak to the hearts and minds of those looking to deepen their perspective, clearly demonstrated by eco-artist Christopher Castle. 

When Lana Husser, the woman behind the Green, suggested for me to interview an esteemed eco-artist, I was immediately intrigued.  It was only after being exposed to Castle’s wise words and naturally intuitive artwork that I realized I had interacted with the modern-day Henry David Thoreau.  Although nervous at first, I managed to squeeze some beguiling juice out of Castle.  He left me with thoughts that continue to penetrate my mind, and insight that should serve as a role model for the way humans live their lives.  And now… we begin. 

Sam: First of all, hi, nice to meet you. Where are you from?

Chris: Well, I am originally from England. 

 Oh, wow. I could sense an accent but I wasn’t sure.

Yes, but I’ve been in California for many years. So I’ve been pretty “Californianized.”

 So you are an eco-artist, right?

Chris: Well, that’s one description of me. It’s all basically focused around environmental landscape.

What exactly is eco-art?  It is a response to the environment that people have of nature and something that inspires that kind of interest.  It might be making a comment about pollution or an aspect of environmentalism that needs to be prevented in a different way.  I mean art can do it in a way that talking about it or writing about it or using words to describe it cannot do.  Eco-art communicates on a different level. What does your art stand for?  I’m not really interested in just doing pretty pictures.  Pictures can stir peoples’ imaginations and emotions about things, too. I’m not saying that representing a place isn’t a valid thing to do, I’m just simply interested in working on a lot of different levels.  Eco-art works intellectually, emotionally, and even spiritually.

 Do you have a connection with nature?

Yes.  I feel that people are a part of nature and not separate from, and we’ve done a good job of separating ourselves form it for a few centuries I’d say, through industrialization.

I may be jumping to conclusions, but is anti-industrialization the message behind your artwork?

Well, that might be a subtext.  It’s not the thing that I make a big show of or the thing that I put right out in front saying, “this is what my work is about.”  I’m sure it has that effect but I am mainly just interested in getting people to look at the place in which they are more closely and respond to some sensitivity to it instead of walking all over it and trashing it.  So the idea is, by creating art, it puts out a message that there is something going on in which they may not have noticed.  If you can spend time in nature or interacting with it you are going to feel that sense of a harmony with that place more readily than if you are just dreaming up ideas about it. Does it bring simplicity to your life? Yes, we certainly complicate our lives in unnecessary ways. I am not saying that nature hasn’t got its complexities—it certainly does.  It’s a great mystery and it’s quite magical.  Where can we see some of your work? Right here where I am.  Periodically, I have showings in Point Reyes.   I’m working on a musical composition thorough topography, which is creating music based on the shape of the land. Chris’ RHS students painted this scene of “under the SF Bay at the end of the mural on the walls of the Science hallway at Richmond High. Where are you right now? I’m in Richmond. Does anyone influence you?

Sure, a lot of different people.  French painters of the 20th century when the big revolution took place in art and the abstraction started. Also Samuel Palmer, an English landscape artist, who is very important to me, from early 19th century.

Are your paintings more realistic or more abstract?

They vary. I use representation in a form that people understand to represent a particular place or landscape and then I usually combine it with things like maps or diagrams.  Multilayered things happen within my art almost like creating a stage set. It’s the thing that’s happening that’s interesting, although creating the place is interesting too usually. 

When did you start?

I started when I was in school, when I was 16.  Then I went to art school and started making prints.  I got a job at Cambridge Art School as a print-making technician and assistant and got really deep into print-making. It’s a form of art that isn’t usually considered painting but it is actually by making etchings and replicates and those kind of things.

Are you a teacher as well?

Well I am not a full time teacher.  I am doing some work with elementary school children happening through the Richmond Art Center. They have a list of artists and they send artists like myself out into the schools to teach—in this case it’s an after school program—and Ido it 4 hours a week.  We do environmental art with the little ones too. I think it’s really important to communicate this stuff when the children are young, that way it becomes second nature.

Following artwork by Christopher Castle was drawn from http://www.ecopsychology.org/journal/gatherings6/html/Image/Christopher.html

Google Christopher Castle to see pictures of his work and find out more about the connections between art and nature.

What Kind Of Justice???

by Sandra Nguyen, Piedmont HS, Piedmont

Environmental Justice is about equal and fair access to a healthy environment; equal enforcement of environmental regulations; and a movement to protect communities of color and poor communities from environmental hazards. Environmental Racism can be seen as the placement of waste sites and other hazardous facilities in towns and neighborhoods in which most of the residents are non-white. Environmental Racism is seen around the world, especially in developing countries. Some of the poverty of the developing countries can be attributed to unjust economic practices of the wealthy industrialized countries. However, environmental justice issues can also be found right here in the United States.

             New Orleans East is the home of the largest Vietnamese community in New Orleans. They managed to hang on after Hurricane Katrina despite being overlooked, and are one of the first communities to resettle in the city again. However, the city wants to build a land fill less than a mile away from their community. It would be a 100 acre land fill probably leading to an 85 foot high mountain of debris left from Hurricane Katrina.  The debris from the Hurricane is not exactly your typical landfill garbage. As seen in the news, there are many chemicals, electronics, and other hazardous materials that could seriously be a threat to the area. There is also a chance of having a contaminated water leak from the landfill into the community's water which would lead to the cruel cost of human lives, by ground or by a nearby canal.

            Couldn't the city just dump the waste somewhere else? Well, the city would be saving money by putting the landfill near New Orleans East. Waste Management Inc., the waste management company in charge of the debris, would not even let groups in the community test for toxic materials currently being dumped into the site.  Is this environmentally just? This is a clear act of environmental racism.

            Learn how you can help New Orleans East by going to http://www.saveneworleanseast.org/. Learn more about Environmental Justice, Environmental Racism, and the Environmental Justice Movement at the EPA's main website http://www.epa.gov/.

Contact LanaH@earthteam.net to submit your photographs, stories, articles, poetry or videos to The Green News. We also welcome your ideas to upgrade this student  part of the Earthteam website.    Be creative!   Show us your new technology skills!   Share your ideas with EarthTeam.

Letter to the Editor

Dear Dr. Green:

I recently read the letter from Naturephobic about her being interested in doing environmental work but not liking the outdoorsy stuff.  Your response explaining other ways to improve the environment nwere excellent, and I'd like to add another approach to doing environmental work.  There is another environment which does not involve trekking through the great outdoors.  I'm speaking about the indoor environment or as it's sometimes called the built environment.  At the Environmental Protection Agency, we have an entire program dealing with the indoor environment and particularly the air quality (or poor air quality!) indoors, particularly in schools.

The indoor environment is an environment.  It's every bit as fascinating (when you open your eyes - and nose - to it) and complex as the outdoor environment and since we spend 90% of our day indoors (schools, offices, homes, transportation) the indoor environment is truly the human environment.  When we take care of it, we're healthy and productive.  When we don't take care of it our health and productivity (teaching and learning) suffer accordingly.  EPA has found that indoor air pollution is 2-5 times and often 100 times greater indoors than outdoors.

The U.S. EPA has developed a simple, voluntary program to assist schools with improving the air quality indoors.  We call it the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program and students can do it and get credit for it.  Two years ago, we sent a student from Northgate HS in Walnut Creek to our national Tools for Schools Symposium in Washington, DC. to receive a Special Achievement Award for his project.  I've created special "tools" for helping students take on this project and am willing to mentor students and their teachers who would like to take advantage of this offer.  It is an excellent way to improve the environment in which you spend most of your time.

If Naturephobic wanted to take on this project, I'd be very willing to help and her classmates and her teachers would be grateful. My office is in San Francisco and I live in the East Bay so I can usually make frequent visits to local schools to help.  I look forward to working with Naturephobic or other students - it's your tax dollars - take advantage of me - please!

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

The indoor environment is as fascinating and complex as the outdoor environment and since we spend 90% of our day indoors - it's truly the human environment!  Visit our website: http://www.epa.gov/iaq

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