November 21, 2008 - Vol. 37 Issue 5
Editorial: Saving environment worth time,
effort
By Callie Umholtz, so.
for the editorial board
In recent years, it seems as if the economy and world have been
going to the dumps. Every day the world is being polluted and trashed.
Some people have begun to join the effort in trying to save the planet. Others,
however, have not recognized the damage caused and the need to be environmentally
friendly.
People these days avoid “going green” because the products, such
as hybrid cars and biodegradable bottles, are very expensive, and they do
not have enough time to put into saving the environment.
Cartoon by Crystal Crays.
Click on cartoon for larger view.
However, paying that extra dollar can help improve the Earth. Companies are even making cleaners with bottles that can be kept and refilled with environmentally friendly cleaner mix. These products do not contain ingredients that harm the earth and are hard to get rid of. They work as well as the other, less friendly products, while still being biodegradable and environmentally safe.
There are people who do want to make an effort to save the environment.
Little by little, they will be able to accomplish this, along with everyone’s
help.
Individuals can help the environment by using less gas and electricity. This
may be hard at first, but it is possible. Car pooling and turning off lights
when no one is in the room are easy ways to save energy.
Some people feel that their schedules are too full to “go green”.
However, just taking a few moments to recycle some of the trash around the
house can help.
In the long run, helping to save the environment is worth it.
Today’s environment will gradually become worse in the future. So, instead
of doing nothing to save the world, everyone should put forth the necessary
effort.
Pro: Small changes in lifestyles benefit
both environment, future generations
By Alexis Hosack, jr.
Feature Editor
In a world that is gradually going to waste, students are faced
with a question that cannot be ignored: What can Americans do about it?
While some can easily dismiss this issue, people have to take time out of
their busy lives to consider the burden being put on future generations. They
are the ones who will have to pay for the outright carelessness being shown.
Who says that going green has to be expensive? Many methods of saving the
environment actually save money that would otherwise be wasted.
Doing careless things, such as cruising and leaving lights on,
that use energy we do not need causes natural gas to be burned. In turn, greenhouse
gases are produced that cause global warming.
To reduce the amount of electricity being used, people could unplug cell phone
chargers when they are not in use, turn off lights, and shut down computers.
Using less electricity would also be rewarded by a lower electric bill.
While driving is a necessity at times, many people drive merely for entertainment
and not to go anywhere in particular. If people are bored, they can easily
amuse themselves by doing something other than cruising. Also, walking one
block to get to school, work, or Pizza Hut would not hurt anyone.
While many alternate solutions are available, the best way for students to
lend a hand in saving the dying environment is to conserve energy and stop
being careless about energy and gas usage.
Con: Saving world is
costly, overwhelming with few immediate results
By Valerie Weilert
Opinion Editor
For some people, “going green” seems too overwhelming,
and rightly so. It involves buying expensive products, constantly recycling,
and doing everything to repair an environment that is already way beyond
repair.
While individual actions are noble, they may not even have any lasting effect
on the environment. Is one person recycling one pop can really going to
save the world?
A lot of damage has already been done, so attempting to save the world this
late is almost completely useless.
Another obstacle in “going green” is time. These
days, people are bombarded with blog posts, newspaper articles, and television
shows about “greening their lives.” Many people probably do
not have time to read and research all of this information, let alone utilize
it.
Seeing others disregard eco-conscious solutions also makes it difficult
for people to “go green” themselves. Taking ones own path is
never an easy task.
Money is another and maybe one of the most common things keeping people
from “going green.” “Green” cleaning products, bottles,
and grocery bags are more expensive than their “non-green” counterparts,
and not worth the extra money.
Being environmentally friendly takes too much money, energy, effort and
time. Especially when most of our efforts may not even affect our lives
personally, let alone save the world.
Thanksgiving: stress-free, good time
By Bailey Myers
Editor-in-cheif
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for a number of reasons.
First, there is nothing that I have to do to prepare for this holiday. There
is no costume to pick out, no difficult family members to buy presents for,
and more importantly, not having to pick out a green outfit to avoid some
very painful pinches. All I have to do is show up at my grandma’s house
ready to eat.
After finally making it through the obstacle course of hugs from aunts, uncles
and cousins, I successfully arrive at the kitchen. This never lasts long as
I am usually shooed back into the living room by my very busy grandma. Then
I am forced to suffer through an embarrassing Chief’s game while the
haunting aroma of the turkey fills my nostrils.
Click for larger view.
When it is finally time to eat, I carefully plan out my plate.
Turkey over here – half light meat, half dark – stuffing beside
that; green bean casserole goes on the other side of the turkey with some
chicken and noodles beside it. While carefully avoiding the mysterious cranberry
sauce, I place a deviled egg beside the noodles with some corn beside it.
Then, if there is room, mashed potatoes and gravy go in the middle of the
plate.
The next step is my second reason for loving Thanksgiving: eating. This “stuffing
of my face” is what I like to consider my way of thanking the pilgrims,
Indians and also my grandma.
The third reason I love Thanksgiving is family. While eating, my family always
catches up on the latest news about each other. Even after we are finished
eating we always talk, laugh and joke around with each other. It is a great
time to catch up with family members that I have not seen in awhile.
All of these things combined make for a great, stress-free day that can be
centered around just having a good time. Thanksgiving is way better than any
other holiday!
Cub Voices
Can students make a difference by going green?
 |
 |
| Kristin Castle, sr."Yes, if everybody does their part.” | Danner Naff, jr."Yes,
we have the ability to improve the environment.” |
 |
 |
| Jarred Barr, so.“No, Humboldt is too small to do any good.” | Jacki Huse, fr."Yes, if we’re going to go green, we need to do it now.” |
 |
|
Hailey Schoendaller, English teacher."Yes, each person doing their part can make a signif icant change in the environment.” |
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