Volume 67 Issue 8
thechaparral.net
October 28, 2019
Young people lead the way on climate change
Dump fire prompts campus closures BY ALEXANDRO ZATARAIN STAFF REPORTER
Climate change protesters striking on Sept. 20, 2019, in Kansas City. With temperatures rising, the future will Climate change has BY AMBER JUAREZ been be very chaotic. “There might be heavy a hot topic these COPY EDITOR precipitations and increase of freshwater past few years. Many people are talking about resources at high latitude while the decrease of these resources in tropical it, and the majority of them are young areas. Also, there will be an increase in people. The youth have been speaking up about climate change and are beginning to the heat intensity and durations,” said Elsenousy. create new organizations. Elsenousy said that the increase in According to NASA, if climate change temperature isn’t only affecting the earth, continues to increase it will cause it’s affecting the upper atmosphere. sea levels to rapidly increase. COD’s “According to some studies about astronomy professor Dr. Amira Elsenousy, global warming, as the CO2 consider believes sea levels are already increasing. the significant reason for increasing the “By looking at past data that’s collected average surface temperature at the lower over years we can see that in the last fifty atmosphere, in fact, it cools the upper years there has been a 1 degree Celsius atmosphere by about 8 degrees. That increase of the global average surface consequently affects a lot of satellite-based temperature which has affected mainly technology and high-frequency radio the north pole and the ice sheets which is communication systems.” causing it to melt and add water to oceans While some people agree that climate making sea levels increase over time. Likewise, this high temperature makes the change is real, some don’t. The younger generation strongly believes that it is real. ocean warm and seawater expands to take Many organizations like School Strike 4 up more space which causes floods and Climate Change, Young People’s Trust affects coastal areas.” for the Environment, International Youth Elsenousy said that according to the Climate Movement and Our Children’s National Climate Assessment (NCA) Trust, were created to tackle climate report 2014, the Arctic Ocean is expected to be ice-free in the summer before around change and the majority of them are led by the youth. 2050 because of this significant increase in Swedish teenage environmental activist temperature. Greta Thunberg has recently brought more Elsenousy said a way we know that climate change is real is by looking at data attention to climate change. Thunberg has inspired thousands of young people scientists have gathered since the 1900s across the globe to follow in her footsteps. and comparing it to the data we have From walking out of class on Fridays to now. “By tracking back all the data that peaceful strikes and marches. scientists are observing, we can see that Friends of the Desert Mountains is there has been a big change in the climate. a local organization that helps In the past few decades, we can notice a preserve wildlife and educates the clear global warming trend due to rapidly public about the Coachella Valley’s rising carbon dioxide concentration in the environmental issues. The group has atmosphere.” protected over 60,000 acres of land. Who’s responsible for climate change? Colin Barrows, conservation coordinator “We definitely are responsible,” said for Friends of the Desert Mountains Elsenousy, “The increase in temperature said, “We have four main program areas: is mainly due to the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is related Acquisition. We acquire and preserve open space and critical habitat for threatened to human activities such as burning fossil and endangered species. Research, our fuels, using too much energy etc. All these research priority is understanding the activities increased greenhouse gases that effects of climate change on our native cause global warming.” desert plants and animals. We work with Climate change has significant impact.
PHOTO COURTESY OF AP IMAGES professional researchers at UC Riverside, and community scientist volunteers throughout the Coachella Valley to better understand and protect our environment. Stewardship. We clean up trash, and nonnative, invasive plants from the desert environment to protect habitat, preserve water sources, and reduce the chance of wildfires. We also build and restore hiking trails to promote responsible outdoor recreation. Education, We provide educational programs for all ages, from school groups and girl scouts to college students and visitors to the Coachella Valley, so that together we can understand and protect the natural gifts that surround us.” Friends of the Desert Mountains believe that the future of climate change is in the hands of the youth. They work with students of all ages to keep them informed of what is going on in their environment. “It’s a cliche, but the youth really are the future. Sooner or later, it will be their responsibility to continue the successes (and correct the mistakes) of previous generations in protecting our environment. We work with students, scout groups, and clubs from kindergarten through college level to help them appreciate and protect the natural wonders that surround us right here in the Coachella Valley,” said Barrows. Anyone can volunteer with Friends of the Desert Mountains. “A great way for COD students to get started volunteering with us is to join the campus geology and eco-logic clubs, which we work with to organize programs specifically for students. You can also check out volunteer opportunities on the calendar on our website at www.desertmountains.org,” said Barrows. Young people are passionate and will not stop fighting when it comes to climate change. They are taking action for what older generations have done to the earth. Greta Thunberg summed up how many young people feel at the UN Youth Climate Summit in New York City, “We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable.”
College of the Desert had to cancel courses held at the Mecca/Thermal campus and Coachella Library from Monday, Oct. 21 to Thursday, Oct. 24 due to health concerns in regards to air quality stemming from a dump fire. The school made the initial announcement on Sunday, Oct. 20 via its website and social media accounts, and updated the cancellation of classes every night up until Thursday, Oct. 23. The Mecca/Thermal Campus and Coachella Library do not hold courses on Fridays. The fire began on Oct. 14 at the Sun Valley Recycling Center in Thermal, sending the east valley into a smoke advisory from the South Coast Air Quality Management District. This is the second such fire from the same facility since May. As reported by the Desert Sun, federal officials stepped in last week and forced the closure of the facility, which sits on land belonging to the TorresMartinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. Raul Ruiz, D-Palm Desert, toured the site on Sunday and was hopeful. “It’s a matter of days, if not a day or two, that they’re going to put this fire and smoke down,” Ruiz said. Coachella Valley Unified School District closed all of its campuses on Friday, Oct. 18 after the smoke left several students sick. CVUSD, which spans from Indio to Salton City. The district reopened on Friday, Oct. 25 after receiving clearance to do so. For more updates, visit www.thechaparral.net
Public safety officers bring ALICE to the classroom
”Do not duck and cover. Never do this anymore,” said COD Public Safety Officer Renan Avanzini, “in these times, that strategy will not save your life.” Avanzini and Public Safety Officer Efren Rodriguez taught for a full hour on how to respond to an active shooter situation to students during a public speaking class in the communications building on the Palm Desert campus. Professor Whitney Shaw and her students experienced a serious, intense, and educating lecture from these two officers. They delivered valuable information on what to do when you encounter an active shooter in our campus. ”We usually have over 350 -370 school shootings per year,” said Avanzini, “the ones that we do not hear about publicly is because the police have stopped the shooter from succeeding. The numbers have increased, and we are not a hundred percent safe anymore.” Avanzini explained how there is a high percentage of someone on our campus with malicious intentions and that a shooter can be anyone in our class, someone in our faculty, staff or someone we know. Avanzini repeated during his presentation that the duck and cover method is useless in an active shooter
BY ESTEFANIA MOREIRA STAFF REPORTER
scenario. He said being still and not doing anything helps the shooter succeed. “What’s the purpose of a shooter? The only thing he wants to do is kill you. Being still is the worst thing you can do,” said Avanzini. The officers said students need to evacuate and run away from campus. Being far away from campus is the best thing students and faculty staff can do. “Trying to run to your car is not a good idea,” Rodriguez said, “what if there is a second shooter in the parking lot waiting for students to run to their cars? The best thing is to get far away from campus.” The training program being taught is ALICE and its goal is to educate not just college students but everyone on what to do in the event of an active shooter. ALICE was created by former law enforcement officer Greg Crane after the Columbine shooting of 1999. The program’s goal is to give people the necessary skills to survive in an active shooter situations and every letter on ALICE is meant represent those skills. ”Everyone is easily distracted on their cellphones that you do not notice your surroundings. The “A” stands to be more alert. If you see someone in suspicious behavior in public or even wearing something that does not make sense, report it,” said Avanzini. ”L” means lock-down. If you are in your class and the shooter is trying
to get inside, students need to work together and use tables, chairs, anything to keep the door locked. The officers explain if you are in a twostory building, your best option is to jump off. “You will break a leg, it will hurt, but you will be alive,” said Avanzini. PHOTO COURTESY OF AP IMAGES The “I” stands Active shooter training in a school in Culombia, South Carolina. for inform. reaction but those who do not freeze The officers said it is important for need to lead,” said Avanzini. students, faculty and staff to not ”E” stands for evacuate. The stay silent. People must speak out to officers seriously explained how report anything regarding suspicious evacuating far from campus again, behavior. is the best thing anyone can do but The “C” stands to counter. Probably know not many will survive. It’s a the bravest and most challenging tragic truth the officers nailed in their action to take is to counter the shooter lecture that many will not live, and and fight back. The officers said to we have to take action on this crisis. throw your cell phone, a water bottle, College of the Desert is offering anything that is around you to make a four-hour class training on what the shooter flinch and distract, you to do when you encounter an active will have a better chance of surviving. shooter. To sign up for survival If you have experience with a weapon training, email Jill Probs, the or have athletic abilities to stop the administrative assistant for the Public shooter, you have a high chance of Safety Department and Emergency saving yourself and your classmates. Preparedness, at jmiklesprobst@ ”Only two people will react and collegeofthedesert.edu or call the rest will freeze; this is a normal 760-776-7250.