BeechBark
Features - 4
Editor:Tia Anczer
Loving Our Earth Go green. Reduce, reuse, recycle. We see these slogans everywhere as motivators for everyone to do their part to help our environment. But are these slogans really motivating people to do their part? Are we showing the love to our Earth like it needs? According to climate.nasa.gov, the global temperature has risen 1.5 degrees Farhenheit since 1880 and the sea level raises 3.19 mm per year due to the melting of icebergs. It is obvious there are changes happening to our environment. The government is taking action to keep our planet clean. For example, according to usnews.nbcnews.com, Hawaii grocery shoppers will not be hearing “paper or plastic?” anymore. Hawaii has recently banned plastic bags completely throughout the entire state. Is it right that the government is making these laws? “There are many people who don’t take the right actions to help our environment, so I think it’s good the government gets involved,” says Savanah Stluka (So). Beecher High School is taking part in helping the environment. Recently, Jarrad Mulderink (Sr) started the Environmental Club, which is overseen by Mrs. Short. “Environmental Club is a student-lead organization. The students decided to do this club because they not only wanted to learn about the environment, but get involved and help,” says Mrs. Short, science teacher. So what will the club be doing to take action? “We will be going to the elementary school to help the 5th graders and also we will be going to the junior high to help 6th8th graders. The high schoolers will be teaching them Environmental Education Awareness and Action,” stated Mrs. Short. With a constant changing Earth,
people are opening their eyes to the changes and lending a helping hand. We are seeing these changes happening in the government, and in our own school. Our environment is constantly changing and people are going green to keep mother Earth clean and healthy.
It’s been a little over two years since the United States has pulled out its troops from Iraq. However people are questioning whether that was a good idea. Recently, much violence has occurred due to an Al Qaeda militant group that took over the Iraqi city of Ramadi. Ben Scrementi (Sr) said, “It doesn’t really come as a surprise to me. It’s an easy target.” Along with Ramadi, the Al Qaeda militants and other terrorist groups have taken over the city of Fallujah. In response to these rebel activities, on January 12 the Iraqi government has launched a full-scale offensive campaign to retake the two cities and drive out the groups. About twenty people have died due to mines that were set up in various parts throughout the cities. Currently, Iraq is enduring its most violent year in the past five years. The Middle Eastern country is being perceived as a country that is in the midst of a civil war. Not only have terrorist groups taken over cities, but on January 13, after the Iraqi conquest to reclaim
the fallen cities, seven bombs in Baghdad killed twenty-six and injured many others. Some people suggest that if our troops were to have stayed in Iraq, this civil unrest would not have occurred. When asked about whether or not the United States should have pulled its troops, Gabi Peters (Sr) stated “Even if they wouldn’t have pulled the troops Al Qaeda still would have made attempts to take over the government.” Mary Rose Gianotti (Sr) said “I think it was a lose-lose situation. We want the troops home but if we pull them out conditions go back to the way they were before.” These events in Iraq also leave the United States wondering what to do about the Middle East as a whole. Some people would say that the United States should be more aggressive and offensive while others want to be more peaceful and attempt to work it out diplomatically. When asked about what he would do with regards to the Middle East, Mitch Darabaris (Jr) said, “I think we should protect
• A typical Bussiness office will produce about 1.5 pounds of paper waste per employee each day
•
Abbey Wilson
North Carolina has passed a law to ban plastic water bottles from landfills
Reporter
• In the US landfills include more than 80% of solid waste • Hybrid Cars can produce about 90% less pollutants than a non Hybrid car.
Recycling Facts
• $500 million a year from tax payers money go to picking up litter by a high way crew
http://www.keepbanderabeautiful.org/ keepearthclean.html
• Paper Recyling saves up to 70% of the energy needed to create paper from new timber
• Manufacturing products from recyled paper can reduce up to 35% of water pollutiona and 73% of air pollution.
http://www.nation.com.pk/
Civil War In Iraq? our oil exclusively. We shouldn’t get involved in their politics. Ben Scrementi (Sr) however believes “We should handle it with caution but not be too assertive. We should only send troops when it is necessary.
Dean Blumenfeld
Reporter