TheLever
ClimateChange:OurPlanet'sCrisisWeCan'tIgnore
BaileeCosby,StaffWriter
Whatifthesmallchoiceswemakeeverydaysuchashowwestudy,whatweuse,andhowmuchenergyweconsumeis shapingthefutureofourplanetevenmorethanwerealize?
Climatechangeisnolongeradistantconcept,itishappeningnow,anditseffectsarebecominghardertoignore.Rising globaltemperatures,strongerstorms,longerdroughts,andmeltingicecapsareallsignsofourplanetbeingunderextreme stress.AccordingtotheIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,Earth’saveragetemperaturehasalreadyincreasedby about1.1degreecelsiussincethelate19thcenturyduetohumanactivities,especiallytheburningoffossilfuels. Theconsequencesareserious.TheNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdministration(NASA)saysthatrecentyearshave beenthehottesteverrecorded.Astemperaturesrise,glaciersandpolaricecontinuetomelt,contributingtorisingsea levelsthatthreatencommunitiesthatarecoastal.Wildlifeisalsostrugglingtoadapt,withmanyspeciesfacingextinction astheirhabitatschangeordisappear.
“SometimesIfeelliketheworldisgoingtoendandpeopledon’tevencare,”GabrianaSimms(Sophomore)sayswhen askedabouttheseoutgoingissues.
Onefactorthatoftengoescompletelyunnoticedindiscussionsaboutclimatechangeisourgrowinguseofdigital technology.Fromstreamingvideostostoringfilesonline,theinternetdependsonamassiveamountofdatacentersthat requirelargeamountsofelectricity.TheInternationalEnergyAgencyestimatesthatdatacenterscurrentlyuseabout1–1.5%oftheworld’selectricityanddemandisincreasingastechnologybecomesmoreadvanced. "Ifeelimpendingdoom."Gabrianafinished.
Thisdoesn’tmeantechnologyisharmfulbyitself.Actually,itcanbepartofthesolution.Advancedsystemsarehelping scientiststrackclimatepatterns,improveenergyefficiency,anddeveloprenewableenergysourceslikesolarandwind power.However,it’simportanttorecognizethatincreasedrelianceondigitaltoolsalsocomeswithextremeenvironmental costs.
Wehavemoreinfluencethanwemightthink.Simpleactionssuchasreducingenergyuse,beingmindfulofhowoftenwe relyonenergyintensivetools,andstayinginformed,canmakeadifference.Moreimportantly,developingourown understandingofissueslikeclimatechangeallowsustothinkdeeplyandmakeinformeddecisionsinthefuture. Climatechangeisaglobalchallenge,butitstartswithindividualawareness.Thechoiceswemaketodaywillshapethe worldweliveinfortherestofourlives.Nowthequestionstillremains,arewereadytotaketheresponsibilityof potentiallyruiningourplanet?
TheExtinctionoftheAmurLeopard
JordynCoulter,StaffWriter
Asofthisyear,2026,therearearound130AmurLeopardsleft,withinRussiaandChina.InChina,thereareonly80 individuals,andinRussiathereareatleastabout30to40Amurleopards.WhyshouldPalmerstudentscareaboutthe AmurLeopardandtheextinction?
Mrs.Sutela,abiologyteacheratPalmerHighSchool,says,“Theyareincrediblecreaturesthatareabletosurviveeven nowwhenhumansmakeitdifficult.”
Palmerstudentsshouldcareabouttheamurleopardbecausethey'rethetoppredatorsintheirlandscape,sotheyplaya verycrucialpartinkeepingtherightbalanceofspeciesinthearea.
AccordingtoMrs.Sutela,“They’reatoppredator;theykeepalltheotherorganismsinchecklike,populations.’’ Thelossofthespeciesalsoaffectsthehealthoftheforestsandwiderenvironment,thatalsoprovideslocalwildlifeand peoplewithfood,water,andotherresources.
Becausetheamurleopardeatdeer,theypreventdeerfromovergrazing.Overgrazingcausesplantlifetodie,thetrees havedifficultybeinggrown,andeliminatestheshelterforsmalleranimals.Overgrazingcanevenincreasetheseverityof flooding.
Biodiversityisalsoaproblem,becausethereislessbreedingleopardsleadingtoinbreedingandhealthproblems. Inbreedinghappenswhenmaleleopardsmatewiththeirmothers,sisters,andaunts.
Poachingisillegallycapturingandkillingleopards.Leopardsarekilledandcapturedbecauseofthedemandfor taxidermy.Mrs.Sutelasays,“It'simportanttoknowhowtheirhabitathaschangedovertime,andhowgrowinghuman populationsaffectsthem.”
It'simportanttoraiseawarenessabouttheamurleopardMrs.Sutelasays,“Theyshouldbeconservedandnothunted. Teachingpeopleaboutthemisthebiggestwaytosavethem.It'sapositivesignthattheirpopulationisincreasingagain andmightrecover.”
EndangeredSeaTurtles
LailahLeeLizama,JadynFargas
Nearlyallseventypesofseaturtlesareclassifiedasthreatenedorendangered,withsomeliketheKemp’sRidleyand Hawksbill,listedascriticallyendangered.
“Despitemultiple,consistent,andinsomecasesincreasingclimatethreats,conservationeffortstoprotectnesting femalesandtheireggs,andthosetoreduceharvestpressure,havebeensuccessfulinmanyplacesaroundtheworld,” saysMs.Tobey,aPalmerscienceteacher.
Theyfacesevererisksfromhumanactivities,includingplasticpollution,bycatchinfactories,poaching,andclimate changeaffectnestingbeaches.Some,liketheGreenSeaturtle,haveshownpopulationrecovery,butthisdoesn’tmean allspeciesareableto.
Thisiswhyhumansneedtotakeactionbeforetheyareallgone.
Ms.Tobeyadvises,"Chooseecofriendlyalternatives,andwatchyourpollution."
TheKemp’sRidleyisthemostendangeredtypeofseaturtlewithonly1of1,000hatchlingsmakingittoadulthood.Asa criticallyendangeredspecies,theirpopulationhasdeclinedby88–92%overthepast67years,drivenbythreatslike fishinggearentanglement,cold-stunning,andhabitat.Recentestimatessuggestaround7,000to 9,000nestingfemales,asignificantincreasefromtheirlowpointinthe1980s,butstillfar belowhistoricnumbers,withconservationeffortsfocusingonprotectingtheirlimitedGulf ofMexiconestinggrounds.
