In-Depth 7, 8

CLIMATE CHANGE: rising temperatures with a rising generation

As Earth’s weather systems intensify, today’s youth are facing increasing concern for the future of the climate and are advocating change

Anna Holme Editor-in-Chief

Droughts, rising temperatures, floods, heat waves, storms. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), these are a few of the symptoms of climate change. National Geographic defines climate change as “the long-term alteration of temperature and typical weather patterns in a place.” In reference to Earth, climate change helps to explain many of the unusual environmental phenomena that have appeared in recent years.

In the United States specifically, eight out of the 10 warmest years on record have been recorded since 1998, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, since the late 1800s, Earth’s global temperature has risen about one degree Celsius, which many experts consider to be a startling change in such a short period of time.

“There’s now much more evidence of climate change over the past 30 or so years,” environmental science teacher Alonna Beatty said. “We have instrumentation to measure these things now, which means that we can provide cold, hard facts that show trends in data that show human impact. Climate change ” is much more irrefutable than it was a few decades ago.”

With this acceleration in what many consider a “climate crisis,” questions have arisen regarding what the future of Earth entails. Especially among younger generations, discourse has emerged regarding the spiraling conditions of the planet’s climate.

“I’m scared for future generations and how they’ll be impacted, because so far we’re only affected very indirectly by climate change,” freshman Samantha Seiter said. “But once things get worse then younger generations will have to deal with it in everyday life and make accommodations for those changes.”

These concerns are reflective of current climate trends. Many experts in the scientific community predict that Earth will continue experiencing escalating environmental conditions.

“We can expect a significant jump in extreme weather over the next 20 or 30 years,” climate scientist Piers Forster said in a recent interview with the New York Times. “Things are unfortunately likely to get worse than they are today.”

EFFECTS ON PHYSICAL HEALTH

Apart from its effects on the environment, climate change has been shown to have many effects on the physical conditions of humans as well. Earth’s ever-adjusting climate has been linked to many health issues. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that factors such as heat stress, poor air quality, food insecurity, and changing disease patterns are direct results of climate change.

“I have a lot of family in India,” Earth Club president senior Taru Mishra said. “The last time I visited them, the effects of smog were so prevalent. When I walked into the New Delhi airport, I could barely breathe. I was coughing the entire time. My cousins, who are natives there, were used to it. But I have a little bit of asthma, and I felt like I was dying. It’s come to the point where you can’t even see clear skies.”

Respiratory problems, like asthma, are one of the health issues that are becoming more common due to air pollution. These effects are especially noticeable in adolescents. The EPA found in a study that children ages 11 and younger were more susceptible to harmful air particles. In general, research has shown that children are more susceptible to climate-related health problems. The AAP estimated that 88 percent of climate change-related diseases affected those under the age of five.

“Young kids are getting more and more admissions to the [emergency room] and the hospital with asthma exacerbations due to poor air quality,” pulmonologist Dr. Mickey Sachdeva said in an interview with NPR. “We’re seeing more heat exhaustion and heat-related illnesses. With climate change happening, the number of these cases will keep rising.”

EFFECTS ON MENTAL HEALTH

Besides just physical health, climate change has been shown to exacerbate mental health issues as well. In what has now been dubbed “eco-anxiety” or “climate anxiety,” thoughts of climate change have been linked to worsening mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.

“I definitely think that with climate change, there is this ever-encompassing dread,” Amnesty International Club co-president junior Jake Stachura said. “There is uncertainty that I won’t have a good life in my future. That affects me and my decisions now, if I do something is it even worth it? If I’m going shopping for something, I have to be conscious of hey, how does this affect the environment? Does this increase pollution? Does this increase carbon emissions? Is it green? Is it locally sourced? How does it affect the climate?” A study by GlobeScan found that 59 percent of children in Generation Z have a strong desire to change their lifestyles to be more environmentally friendly. Many report that this stems from a fear of the future con” ditions of Earth’s climate. “We know [climate change] is going to come to haunt us in the future and that previous generations haven’t taken enough action to combat it,” Mishra said. “Especially for Generation Z and future generations, we’re going to have to take immediate actions towards ending climate change. Seeing my peers not align with me on these views about issues that are so important to me, and should be so important to other people, definitely impacts my mental health in a negative way.”

According to the Pew Research Center, Generation Z and Millennials are more active when discussing climate change. Consequently, many younger Americans are more likely to be affected by eco-anxiety: a recent study published in Lancet Planetary Health reported that 45 percent of 16 to 25 year olds are negatively affected by climate-related anxiety. From the same study, 46 percent of young Americans believe that “humanity is doomed.”

“Just the fear of floods and droughts and horrible disasters that can happen, and are happening, in increasing amounts,” Stachura said. “You don’t know what’s going to happen next. There’s kind of a depression, there’s so little you can actually do about it. You feel helpless. I feel helpless.”

ACTIVISM AND CAREERS

With all these adverse effects being perpetuated by climate change, many adolescents are attempting to re-take control of Earth’s climate. A survey by the United Nations (UN) found that 89 percent of youths think young people will help mitigate the effects of climate change. But with this hope has also caused some to resent the lack of response from the government.

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg said in her famed speech to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit. “And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you.”

In 2019, over four million people in 163 countries attended Climate strikes all around the world. This year, on Sept. 24, thousands of people in over 1,400 locations protested climate change once again. With youth voices constantly gaining more traction, many adolescents have taken stronger roles in activism.

“I think that climate activism, as well as human-rights activism, is very important,” Stachura said. “Environmental rights, human rights, they’re both in tandem. Everyone has a right to sustainable, safe homes and to work in sustainable, safe environments and not have to live under the fear of pollution, fires, or losing their homes from flooding.” This increase in activism and interest in the environment among younger generations has influenced career paths in the future as well. Environmental science and protection technician careers are projected to see an 11 percent growth over the next 10 years, a faster rate than average. Some other environmentally-oriented careers, such as wind turbine technicians or solar panel installers, are seeing career growth rates of upward of 50-70 percent, some of the highest available. “I have definitely considered going into environmental science or environmental engineering in college,” Mishra said. “I think one of the biggest things I’ve done, and what other people can do, is just to educate ourselves. This summer I attended an Austin’s Youth Force Initiatives course called Project Learning Tree. It focuses on the importance of trees to our world, and how we can use trees to combat really important issues like climate There is an uncertainty that I won’t have a good life in my future. That affects me and change. Learning about what’s happening in the environment and knowing what’s true is ultimately going to allow us to make better decisions in our lives to combat climate change.” my decisions now, if I do something is it even worth it?

Jake Stachura

Junior

POLICY CHANGES

The most popular way Americans are attempting to fight climate change is through legislative action. This policymaking most often targets large corporations, since these industrial powers contribute the most to climate change. A report conducted by the Carbon Disclosure Project found that 100 companies around the world make up 71 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions.

“I would love for Congress and for our government to make industry responsible for what they’re putting out there,” Beatty said. “Battery companies create batteries, they package them, and they pollute while doing ” it. They then expect the consumer to be responsible for their trash. Industry has actually made consumers feel guilty for their trash. The fact of the matter is, the person who produced it should be responsible for it.”

There have been many different types of proposals that aim to limit the effects of climate change. While Texas doesn’t have a state-wide plan, recently President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill has gained traction. This plan, if passed, would benefit the environment by allocating money to combat severe weather and pouring money into more sustainable transportation projects.

“The Biden presidency is trying to do things to combat climate change but I know many environmentalists would argue that it’s not enough,” Mishra said. “I think that with Biden there has been a lot of improvement from [former president Donald] Trump, especially because he has joined the Paris Agreement again. Also, Biden is trying to pass an infrastructure bill that addresses climate change. That doesn’t mean that we don’t have a long way to go, there are still a lot of advancements that need to be made within this society and within our beliefs.”

More drastic legislative movements, like the Green New Deal, have gained traction lately as well. This congressional resolution, introduced by Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Edward J. Markey, seeks to tackle the systemic issues that allow climate change to persist. The Green New Deal is a much more progressive set of policies that would likely take trillions of dollars to execute and aim to be completed by 2035.

“I would really like to see a carbon tax,” Stachura said. “I think the Green New Deal is a great set of policies for climate change in the future and I would really like to see senators and representatives push it more and more to expand upon our very minimal-existing climate regulation.” On a larger, global scale, the UN recently announced that there are over $400 billion worth of private and public investments in renewable energy development and installation. However, many are debating about where the United States fits within the global sustainability discourse. “Even though we are going to be limiting oil production in the United States, we need to limit oil production in other countries,” Mishra said. “I mean, if we’re sponsoring oil production in Europe, Saudi Arabia, and other places where oil is extremely mass-produced, we’re still indirectly contributing to the issue. That’s going to be hard because oil has been ingrained in the United States economy. We need to maintain jobs and workforces in a way that benefits the environment.” In 2020, The U.S. Energy and Employment Report found that around 1,148,900 people work in fuel industries in the United States. Proposals like the Green New Deal assert that workforces can be maintained through a transition of non-renewable energy workers to renewable energy positions. Regardless, the UN Environmental Program states that in order for global warming to stay below a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase, all greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by 7.6 percent every year until 2030. “I think a key message here is that it is still possible to forestall most of the most dire impacts, but it really requires unprecedented, transformational change,” UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change vice chair Ko Barrett said in an interview with NPR. “But the idea that there still is a pathway forward I think is a point that should give us some hope.”

FUTURE OUTLOOK

Many governments do have plans in place to tackle climate change. Biden has set a greenhouse gas reduction target for the year 2030 and plans for net zero emissions by 2050. Whether these plans are effective or not, Stachura argues there are things every person can do to combat climate change.

In order for us to “I just think everyone should be really have a great informed about impact against climate change, it climate change because knowing is half the needs to be a group effort. battle,” Stachura said. “We can’t make good policies about climate change

Alonna Beatty if we don’t understand

Environmental Science climate change.” Teacher A study conducted by ” researchers at San José University found that if 16 percent high school students in more affluent conditions were to be educated about climate change, carbon dioxide emissions could be lessened by around 19 gigatons by 2050. Other small actions, such as turning off unneeded lights, air-drying clothing, or taking shorter showers, could reduce one’s carbon footprint by hundreds of pounds of emissions per year. Besides just individual actions, Beatty emphasizes the need for a holistic approach when addressing climate change. “In order for us to really have a great impact against climate change, it needs to be a group effort,” Beatty said. “It needs to be an effort from the individual, but it also needs to trickle up into the changes that need to be made in our infrastructure and our civilization as a whole so that we can reduce our ecological footprint.”

CURRENTLY: recent climate events in the past year YOUTH OPINION: student polling data

Pacific Northwest Heatwave

In July, this region faced record high temperatures: upwards of 15 to 25 degrees above normal. This heatwave would’ve been 150 times rarer before the start of human-caused global warming.

SOURCES: NOAA Climate.gov, Washington Post

Lake Mead and Colorado River Droughts

Increasingly severe droughts are becoming more common in the Southwest due to climate change. Lake Mead hasn’t been full since 1983, and is projected to empty further.

ART BY Anna Holme

SOURCES: The Environmental Defense Fund, CBS News Hurricane Ida

Due to climate change, the number of severe hurricanes has doubled since 1980. Ida killed around 82 people in eight states.

SOURCE: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Coral Bleaching in Hawaii Texas “Snowpocalypse”

In February, Texas faced an extreme freeze, killing 210 people. Climate change disrupts polar vortexs, the cause of this extreme cold. strongly disagree= disagree= neutral= agree= strongly agree=

Humans are the main cause of climate change.

2% 5% 11% 40% 42%

I try to limit my negative impact on the environment.

8% 7% 22% 50% 13%

The U.S. government is doing enough to combat the effects of climate change.

42% 39% 13% 3% 3%

Climate change should be a high priority for the U.S. government. How worried are you about the effects of climate change?

10 = Incredibly worried

8 = Median response for Bowie students

6% 3% 9% 35%

What is one word you would use to describe how you feel about climate change?

47%

Worried Unsure Scared Frustrated Sad Angry Anxious

Real Bad

1 = Not worried at all

Athletes Assert

Major League Baseball post season preview

Sam Vane Dispatch Reporter

October is around the corner meaning… Playoffs! After a wild season filled with surprise and disappointment ten MLB teams will duke it out for a World Series championship.

The Astros are the team to beat this year in the AL. Orchestrated by the trio of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, and Alex Bregman, the Astros have had some stars shine this year, especially left hander Kyle Tucker who is hitting .293 with 25 Home runs and 81 RBI’s.

The team up north, the Blue Jays aren’t as nice as Canada is put out to be. The Jays run by Vladmir Guerrero Jr., Marcus Semien, and Bo Bichette have been dominating the competition. Their pitching isn’t too shabby either as Robbie Ray leads the AL in strikeouts. If they continue to hit well they could be playing in November.

The lesser known team in Chicago has been the better one, as the White Soxs hold a steady lead in the AL Central. The White Soxs weren’t expected to be more than a wild card team but with the breakout play of starting pitchers Lance Lynn and Carlos Rodon along with returning stars Tim Anderson and Liam Hendricks playing great, this formula has led the White Soxs to a division lead and maybe a World Series title.

The Rays were a bit of a surprise this season, as they don’t have one real superstar like most other teams have. Led by the young Randy Arozarena along with Brandon Lowe and mid-season acquisition Nelson Cruz. The Rays have the best record in the AL and are poised to make a long postseason run this October.

The Giant surprise of this year the San Francisco Giants have been on a tear this season. A resurgent by their old big three of Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Brandon Belt. The mid-season acquisition of Kris Bryant certainly helped as he filled the much needed hole at 3rd base.

The reigning champ L.A. Dodgers have only gotten better. At the deadline they added star pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner and still have their three headed monster of Cody Bellinger, Mookie Betts, and Corey Seager. They also aren’t lacking in the pitcher department as they still have the studs Kershaw and Walker Buehler.

The Brewers are good. They have the pitching and their “Brew Crew” isn’t a pushover either. But their pitching is the best in the league; they have a five headed snake consisting of three starters (Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta) and two relievers (Devin Williams and Josh Hader). All these guys are the reason the brewers were a surprise team this season.

Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact:

Email:

bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203

Athletes commit to D1 schools

Students receive offers from prestigious colleges to continue their sports

Riley Payne Sports Editor

Sweat, blood and tears aren’t unusual for these prestigious athletes. There’s an immense number of high school athletes who dream of playing at this fierce level. Here at Bowie there’s a selective few who’ve earned the opportunity to play Division I sports throughout college.

Senior volleyball player Katherine Crosley has committed to Tulane University, senior football player Diego Tello, who has decided to play at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and junior baseball player Ben Merriman who has chosen to play at Texas State University. Their choice will further their sports and education at a high level.

“I am looking forward to playing for a successful volleyball team and being around players who are motivated and really want to get better,” Crosley said. “I think that energy is really contagious and will push me to be the best I can be.

The quality of academics student athletes will receive at college is another aspect of being a Division I athlete.

“When I was looking at what colleges I was interested in, I had a list of requirements that were super important to me: academics, location, size, and program,” Crosley said. “After learning about Tulane I realized it checked every box for me. I was born in New Orleans and my entire

ON THE RUN: Senior quarterback Diego Tello escapes the rush against the Austin High Maroons in the 2020 season. This year, Tello is out of playing due to a collarbone injury. PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga

LECTURES IN PRACTICE: New tennis head coach Craig Powell instructs junior Nicolas Ospina during morning practice. The team returned to practice after last week’s 11-0 loss to Westwood High School. PHOTO BY Sage Epstein

family lives there, so I’m excited to be closer to my family. My dad graduated from Tulane, my uncle played football there, and my grandpa was a professor there, so it’s exciting to keep it in the family.”

The competitive nature of select sports prepares ath” letes for college to be able to join a new team with players they’ve never met before and pursue the goal of winning.

“I think that playing club volleyball has really helped me to prepare for the college level,” Crosley said. “Club volleyball brings a new level of intensity that you can’t get at the high school level. I think that mentally will definitely be a big transition for me, especially being away from home.”

Playing at the highest level of college athletics provides an opportunity for high school athletes to showcase their skills.

“Entering high school my main goal was to just improve my skills and figure out if this is something I want to continue into college,” Crosley said. “I achieved this goal by putting in work on and off the court in order to realize I really wanted to play in college.”

The mental aspect of changing playing fields from high school to college athletics is almost as important as the physical for Tello.

“I think work ethic is what will help me at the next level,” Tello said. “Every day I will have to strive to get better and continue to learn.”

Athletes always have goals and a certain mindset to stay locked in. Merriman had focused on improving his game in every area he could work on to get attention from a school.

“It wasn’t an immediate choice to commit to Texas State, since I was very young and I wanted to see how things played out,” Merriman said. “I made the decision because I love the culture at the university and the coaching staff has treated me great.” Each individual student athlete will learn in both the classroom and at practice. These will be things student’s will have to juggle while being

I think work ethic is what will help me in college. “My dream would be to have a better at the next level. Everyday I will have to strive to get better and perception about the game of baseball itself and also learn how to deal with continue to learn. adversity and grow from it,” Merriman said.

Diego Tello Commits have ”Varsity Quarterback lots of new challenges to face joining a new team. Each student athlete will be facing the challenge of working with a new team, coach, and are while maintaining their studies. “I’m looking forward to being able to play with the experienced ball players and being able to learn from them,” Merriman said. “I also want to do whatever I can to help this team win lots of ball games.” Bowie head baseball Coach Sam Degeila has been coaching Ben Merriman and former Division I athletes throughout his coaching career. “Ben’s a good hearted kid that any coach would be happy to have 26 of him on the team,” Degeila said. “Ben’s been a quiet guy that’s starting to come out of the shell”, but he’s a competitor. His competitiveness translates on the field being a silent leader. He leads the team by example.” Being a coach for so long, Degeila has seen the change of the mental focus of athletes once they commit to a college. “Several times as a head coach I’ve seen these committed players and sometimes even seniors, and then they check out and stop working as hard,” Degeila said.”Every player has a role and it needs to be filled no matter who they are or what they’ve done.”

New tennis coach leads team through season

Marcelo Canepa Dispatch Reporter

After the end of the 20202021 school year, former tennis coach James Dammann announced his retirement from coaching at Bowie. Soon after, the school announced that Craig Powell, who teaches Texas History at Paredes Middle School would be the new tennis coach.

Dammann, much loved by the team, had been coaching tennis for nine years before he resigned. After a commitment of that length, Dammann’s departure from the program was not an easy choice for him.

“I was getting some pre-cancer on my skin, getting treated,” Dammann said. “I was just super dark tan and I would get dehydrated all the time no matter how much water I drank, it got to be a little much.”

Dammann, who teaches biology at Bowie did not think his commitment to the team would last too long. He had only intended to coach the tennis team until his daughter graduated in 2017, however the team kept him coming back.

“As a coach we always had great kids,” Dammann said. “We’ve always had a really good time as a whole team feeling about it, solid, click family vibes.”

Dammann now reminisces on his time on tennis, on the court and off the court. Despite the loss of the team itself, the leave isn’t all bad.

“It feels good, but I missed the kids from the team,” Dammann said. “It’s nice to not have to be out in the sun when it’s 130 degrees, and be home late at night dehydrated like a raisin.”

Soon after, the school announced to the tennis team Powell would be the new coach. Powell coached middle school tennis for 19 years before he made the switch to high school.

“They came to me during football camp and asked me if I would be interested,” Powell said. “I said yes.”

Coaching for a new school does not come without its challenges and adjustments. From having to learn where matches are held, to figuring out team rosters, Powell has his hands full.

“There is paper work and lack of equipment.” Powell said. “Becoming acquainted with the new school and its systems is a challenge.”

Navigating through his new occupation has not hindered his enthusiasm. Powell very much enjoys being the coach for Bowie Tennis.

“It’s always busy and it’s always rough,” Powell said. “But it’s worth it.”

When a new coach joins, the players must adjust as well. Some of these adjustments are more apparent to seasoned members of the team.

“Dammann had a lot of pre-established traditions with the team,” senior varsity player Cristina Canepa said “This year was a little more unpredictable with the new coach since we had to relearn things and we had to rework things differently than how they were the past 10 years.”

In all aspects of the team the players have had to change their tradition for the switch in leadership. This includes new schedules, change in tryouts.

“A difference this year is our practice schedule,” Canepa said. “This isn’t necessarily the coach’s fault, but we don’t have a class period anymore so we lost our tennis period so we had to start playing in the mornings and after school.”

Despite the adjustments the players agree that Powell very much is able to pull the team together during matches. From his experience Powell is able to give effective pep talks and advice

“You can tell he has a sports background and I think that the way he speaks and the advice he gives after matches is very helpful,” Canepa said. “He definitely helps you with the mental side of the sport.”

New players are experience for the first time how that communication and mental support can make all the difference in the team’s bond. For Powell it goes beyond that.

“He brings the team together in practices by talking with everyone on what we are doing and having us know each and everyone on our team,” freshman varsity player Tristan Stine said. “In the matches he is great and cheers us on. He is constantly walking around and watching every person on the team.”

Powell, after so many years of coaching tennis, has coached many students. However, these tennis players will hold a special place in his heart for many years to come.

“There are times when tennis kids are the players you wouldn’t find in any other sport,” Powell said. “It’s something I enjoy.”