“We’re the first generation to feel the impacts of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it.” - Jay Inslee
“I don’t want your hope. I want you to panic… and act as if the house was on fire.” - Greta Thunberg We have eight years to stop the impacts of climate change. After that, a chain reaction will be set off that we can’t stop, and no one will be left unaffected. The severity of this event will be that of a sixth great extinction. Already everyday hundreds of species go extinct. We don’t know the exact numbers, but in the end does it really matter? They’re dying, and our species is responsible. We have brought this upon ourselves. Our fathers, our forefathers, our ancestors using coal powered machines for the first time have gradually brought this about and we have only perpetuated this cycle. Only we can stop it, but to do this we have to invoke radical change in a mere eight years. We are out of time to argue and dawdle. The crisis is here, act. So what is Corvallis doing about this? They have several environmental policies, including the Corvallis Climate Action Plan, the Corvallis Single-Use Plastic Carryout Bags Ordinance, the Endangered Species Act Response Plan, and some stuff related to solar electric generation. They have five main sustainability goals set (one of which has to do with social sustainability, so we won’t go over that): to create more sustainable facilities, more sustainable purchasing, lessen the carbon footprint of our vehicles, and to reduce waste. Some of these goals have gone well, for example, emissions of greenhouse gasses used in city operations went down 32% from where they were in 1990, which goes 22% beyond their goal for 2020. Additionally, the amount of water consumed in city operations went down 43% from where they were in 2007, which goes 13% over what was expected for 2020. Sadly this is the only good part to report; the other three goals weren’t met: emissions from vehicles have gone up 13.7% since 2004, and landfill waste has gone up 11% since 2009. Sustainable purchasing has also done poorly, with greenhouse gas emissions going up a very small amount, but not reducing at all. To learn more about Corvallis’ policies: visit corvallisoregon.gov To learn more about Oregon’s policies: visit oregon.gov To learn more about the science behind this: visit websites of organizations like National Geographic and the World Wildlife Foundation To do something about this: march, donate or volunteer for environmental causes, and educate yourselves and your peers. - Kristen Scarborough
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I believe… I believe that we just won! Homecoming weekend was an exciting way to end September here at CV. On Friday, September 27th, our football team played an exciting homecoming game against Central High School. The theme was Raider Out, and the Raiders were rowdy as ever as they chanted and cheered in this years's spirit shirts with help from our mystery mascot! Homecoming court looked amazing on the field during halftime as the king and queen were announced and crowned. Our 2019 homecoming king is Trevor Adams and our homecoming queen is Nell Kirby. We ended the night with a 33-14 victory against Central! That next Saturday night, CV had a High School Musical themed homecoming. Dressed in red and white, CV and CHS students (cause we’re all in this together) danced the night away. This homecoming weekend was a great kickoff to an amazing and exciting year to come!
- Hope Humphreys and Sophia Fraser Book of The Month: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo This book is poignant and powerful all at once; it is the coming of age story of a girl living in New York City, who refuses to let her voice be muffled by the world around her. Well written, intense and compelling, the story of a young poet in today's society is something everyone should read. Filled with life and emotions true to any teen, this is a book almost anyone could enjoy. Quotes of the Month: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien “Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone…just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” - The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald “Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” - To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee - Kate Voltz
On Friday, September 20th, hundreds of students from both Crescent Valley and Corvallis High School left classes to march for climate action. The climate strike was part of a global day of strikes, with teenagers around the world marching for a better future with a healthy climate.
In Corvallis, students from CV got on buses or drove to CHS, where the strike was to begin. From the front of the school, students walked to the football field, where three student speakers and a scientist from OSU talked about their vision of the future and their opinions. Among the students were Avery Hsieh, Nathan Vega, and Iris Miller-Sherman, all of whom talked about climate change as a pressing problem - but not one that is unavoidable. Miller-Sherman, a Crescent Valley student, described the many environmental protections that have been rolled back by the current presidential administration, and outlined ways students can get involved: “Even if we cannot vote yet, we can engage with our elected officials by calling, writing, emailing and going to town halls. It is their job to hear all their constituents, no matter how old. As soon as we can, we must register to vote, and continue to be educated voting citizens in every election, not just federal. And most importantly, we must demand good science, listen to scientists, and make sure the science is heard.” After the student speakers had finished, other students leaders led a ‘live in, die in,’ wherein students begin to sit or lie down in silence; this was to demonstrate the future without any action on climate change. The march to city hall then began; students held signs and chanted as they made their way through neighborhood streets toward downtown. Some of those cries included call backs led by other students: ‘Show me what democracy looks like!’ ‘This is what democracy looks like!’ and ‘What do we want?’ ‘Climate justice!’ ‘When do we want it?’ ‘Now!’ Occasionally a car would drive by and honk in support, drawing cheers from the marchers. As the crowd drew closer to downtown, everyone crowded onto the sidewalks, waiting for traffic to pass as they shouted chants and hoisted signs. Students arrived to listen to the mayor, Biff Traber, speak about climate change and the city’s actions, and then students speakers read their speeches again to the wider community, having to pause for cheers from the crowd. Afterwards, students laid down or sat around city hall silently for a moment. The strike was over by around 2pm on Friday. Students scattered to their various means of transportation as their signs were laid in a pile or held to their sides. That night, another protest was held before the football game at CHS. Corvallis was not alone in hearing the voices of teens call for climate action. Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of teenagers and children marched. Greta Thunberg, the famous 16-year-old environmentalist leader, said of it, “Some people say we should study to become climate scientists or politicians, so that we can, in the future, solve the climate crisis. But by then, it will be too late. We need to do this now.” She is set to speak to the United Nations assembly on Monday, where they will discuss climate change. One of the organizers of the strike in Corvallis was Bianca Curtin, Sustainability Coordinator for CV’s Core Council and leader of the Political Activism Club at CV. Of the strike, she said, "I've never seen an event like this so fabulously and entirely run by young people. We are so often underestimated... All the Raiders that made it to the event blew me away with their passion and persistence... I have never been more proud to be a Raider. I'd say moving forward as a school, continuing to be involved in activism, we have to be innovative. I know how many brilliant minds and passionate souls we have at CV. We need to bring those qualities together, put ourselves out there, and get work started... We are so very capable of change, huge change, it's just a matter of asking a friend for help, and believing in your cause." - Kate Voltz |