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PROGRESS TOWARDS PREVENTION: HOW YOU CAN PREVENT WILDFIRES
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REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE: AUSTIN’S NEW ANTHEM
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THE BENEFITS OF CAMPING
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The Benefits of Camping
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Have S’More: Modern Twists On A Classic Snack
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Progress Towards Prevention: How You Can Prevent Wildfires
Tent-ation: New And Exciting Innovations In Tent Technology
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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Austin’s New Anthem
Meet The Editors Anna Fulton is a freshman at LASA and a true Austinite. She likes to watch sports and is a diehard UT Women’s Basketball and Dodgers fan. In her free time, Anna enjoys biking, singing, and playing basketball and baseball with her brother.
Jaxon Gonzales is 14 years old and has lived in the Austin area almost his whole life. In his free time, Jaxon enjoys camping, playing guitar and is on the LBJ cross country team.
Julius Estrada is a 14 year-old native of Austin. He enjoys watching Youtube and T.V. during his free time. He also likes playing football and video games and spending time with his family.
Letter From the Editors
D
ear Readers,
A lot of work from a lot of people went into putting together the magazine you hold in your hands. We’d especially like to thank our sponsor, the Liberal Arts and Science Academy, and our super rad advisor, Ms. Kate McGuire. In making this magazine, we embraced the essence of free spirit and found ourselves. While attempting to take photographs that encapsulated the beauty of nature, we re-learned how to see the charm in the little things and notice the tiny parts of our world that make us smile. The creation of SOL was a process of drawing inspiration and bringing it to life in the spreads joyfully emblazoned on its pages. A gorgeous sunset? That can be a color palette. A standalone tree overlooking the field of our school? There’s our cover. A plastic bag floating past the window of the E-zine classroom? That needs to stop, so let’s write a story that informs readers about the dangers of plastic to the Earth’s environment. We couldn’t have made this magazine without the ideas given to us by mother nature, so we’d also like to thank the Earth. The average American spends 90% of their life indoors. Our hope is that within these pages you will find the inspiration to get a breath of fresh air and savor the warmth of sunlight on your face. So turn the page and immerse yourself in the tidbits of nature we’ve laid out for you. Then get outside and stay bamboozled! From Anna, Jaxon, and Julius
Have S’More
Modern Twists On A Classic Snack By Jaxon Gonzales
The S’more is one of the most iconic and delicious American desserts of all time, but here are a few ways that you can make them even better with ingredients that you already have!
Strawberries Strawberries add a fun and exciting taste to your s’mores. Slice them, dice them, or even put them on whole if you want to add a new layer to your camping cuisine. Tip: use strawberries and peanut butter together.
Bananas If you want a more gentle flavor, bananas are the way to go. Putting them on your s’mores will increase their flavor while not overwhelming your palette. Tip: Nutella & Banana go perfect together on a s’more.
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Nutella In case you’re looking for a less fruity element, there’s always Nutella. Nutella is a nice complement to the crunchiness of the s’more and super easy to spread on your graham crackers.
Peanut Butter And, if it’s something slightly healthier that you want, look to peanut butter. Peanut butter offers so much versatility in and of itself because of all the varieties that it comes in.
The Essentials A S’more Just Isn’t a S’more Without These Three Essentials! Kraft Jet-Puffed Marshmallow
Hershey’s Chocolate
Honey Maid Graham Crackers
Images courtesy of Target, New York Times, and Walmart, respectively.
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As federal attention is being taken away from wildfires, how can ordinary people stop them before they start?
Wildfires burning in Bastrop, 2011. These fires were largely caused by drought, heat, and wind. Photo courtesy of Texas Agriculture.
Toward Kelsey Davis watches orange and red flames lick the sides of a massive trash mound as she drives past a rural subdivision on her way to work. The sun beats down on her front windshield, causing a ripple in the road far in front of her. Today is like any other day for Davis driving from her urban 10 |
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subdivision into Austin for work, passing many communities oblivious to fire danger and formulating a plan to educate these people before their homes go up in flames. Throughout Texas, communities are at high fire risk, largely due to
By: Anna Fulton global warming and increased drought. Kelly Slifka, an Austin-based meteorologist working for Spectrum News explained, “Heat, drought and fire risk are all tied together because once you have the heat, and especially dry heat, you lose a lot of moisture‌ everything starts to turn brown,
then it’s basically fuel for any kind of fire.” The effects of this phenomenon have been witnessed all across the western United States. This summer was the worst fire year on record in terms of acres burnt in California.
percent of land in Texas is privately owned… so we don’t have as m[any] Forest Service
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Heat, drought and fire risk are all tied together”
California is the obvious example of a state suffering from increased wildfires that has received extensive media coverage, but Texas is experiencing a similar pattern. In 2011, Texas had its worst fire resources as California. We do year on record, but 2018 has been have state and federal lands here, they’re just much smaller.” the second worst in terms of the number of fires. The ultimate goal of Part of the reason Texas may not organizations like the Texas Forest Service is to prevent fires get as much federal attention is because there isn’t as before they start. How does one much federal land.” Kelsey Davis, go about doing this? Although a Fire Mitigation and Prevention unfamiliar to many civilians, prescribed fire is one of the best Specialist for the Texas A&M tools to reduce fire risk. Wildfire Service, said. “97
“A prescribed fire is meticulously planned and conducted by humans on purpose to increase biodiversity, ‘reset’ an ecosystem, or lower the chance of a wildfire starting in that area by burning dead vegetation,” Jeffrey Adams, a Prescribed Burn Specialist at the Balcones Wildland Refuge, explained. It seems paradoxical to many; how could anyone fight fire with fire? “[A lot of people] just think that we’re killing everything,” Adams said. “That’s one of the… biggest misconceptions. Another one: Most people think all fire is bad.” Adams attended the University of Texas and was drawn into this line of work because in the process of getting his geography degree in environmental resources management, he “realized that fire was an underutilized tool… that needed to be brought back into the ecosystem.” Adams’ primary focus is pre paring for, orchestrating, and supervising prescribed fires. “When we do a prescribed fire, it’s just like a doctor writing prescriptions for medicine,” Adams explained. “We make sure we have the right weather conditions. We also use ignition techniques [which means] we’re doing it all by hand in portions.
Smokey the Bear’s motto has led to a common misconception that all fire is bad.
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labeled them as We have different ignition ‘indiscriminate’ and patterns: instead of going to the bottom of the hill and lighting on the bottom of the hill and just letting it race up… we light the Wildfires are top of the hill and burn in indiscriminate. They just strips coming down.”
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forest fires’ was associated with him for more than five decades. In 2001, the bear’s slogan changed to ‘Only you can prevent wildfires’ with emphasis on man-made fire.
they
Most U.S. residents automatically connect fire safety to Smokey, but Adams thinks this may not always be a good thing. He believes it is thanks to the cajoling of the iconic bear that many people are wary of prescribed burns.
can just take out everything and a lot of times it is intensities that we can’t control”
Adams stressed that control is the difference between a wildfire and a prescribed burn. “Wildfires are indiscriminate. They just they can just take out everything and a lot of times it is intensities that we can’t control”, Adams pointed out. To combat this risk, Adams notes that him and his team light “at the time we know the fire’s going to have our desired results… we can put fire on our terms.”The danger of wildfires, articulated by Adams when he
destructive, is widely known throughout the U.S., largely thanks to a furry forest friend with an iconic preventative catch phrase. Smokey the Bear is one of, if not the biggest, fire safety symbols in America. The motto ‘Only you can prevent
Donald Trump and his administration have made significant budget cuts to wildfire science research. Photo courtesy of Conservative Daily News.
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“Smokey the Bear and other sources have always taught people that all fire is bad and that’s not true,” Adams lamented. “[He] has had some benefits through time, but also put the message out there that all fire’s bad.” This opinion has led to the refusal of prescribed burns near settlements and unhealthy ecosystems. Fire is naturally occurring and necessary to maintain a healthy ecosystem, but as humans have settled in rural areas, fire has become a risk to property. For this reason, prescribed fires have seen major pushback from communities that don’t understand the vital role of fire and don’t want to risk their homes being accidentally set ablaze.
As a result, “you see a lot of forests out West… that haven’t had fire [and] now the trees are dying off and they’re not healthy forests,” Adams said. “So part of that Smokey the Bear message has made and supported unhealthy habits.”
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this is definitely a potential,” Slifka said. “Research obviously is an ongoing thing with weather. [You need upgrades to] the computers, satellites need upgrades.” Davis agrees about the necessity of keeping information accurate and up to date. “Wildfire research or research of any form is always needed and can always be updated,” Davis said.
Smokey the Bear and other sources have always taught people that all fire is bad and that’s not true” Recently, Smokey the Bear has taken on a fresh role: protesting President Donald Trump’s defunding of wildfire science and research at a time when wildfires are occurring and raging more frequently and intensely than ever before. Progressive liberals, park rangers, and wildfire scientists alike have given Smokey yet another new catch phrase: “Only YOU can prevent wildfires… Seriously. We’ve been defunded. It’s just you now.” These budget cuts are affecting organizations and fire safety programs, but Slifka warns they could also be seeing more long term consequences. “I’ve not seen the effects [of Trump’s budget cuts] yet… but
turned to outside funding and supplemental money to help them maintain their program so they can get their work done locally, and he said that without that transition their program would be suffering. With the federal government caring less and less about wildfires, much more of the responsibility of being firewise is resting on the public.
While 90 percent of all wildfires are human caused, However, her specific jobs as there are many things that a fire mitigation and preven- everyone can do to decrease fire tion specialist aren’t directly risk and the risk of houses being funded by federal reserves. burnt down. This includes “As a state agency we don’t implementing zeroscaping--so charge people for our services,” that rocks are against houses she explained. instead of flammable plants, putting out campfires correctly Contrary to Davis and Slifka, (douse, turn, douse), parking Adams’ line of work has already on gravel or short vegetation been directly affected by Trump’s to avoid wildfire from a hot budget cuts. “We’ve seen those car muffler, and keeping lawns results [of Trump cutting mowed short that are in close funding],” Adams noted. “What proximity to large areas of we’ve had to do is look for wildland. outside resources to accomplish [what we need to]. We get grant Texas is having an increase in money from different wildfires as droughts get worse organizations such as the and temperatures increase. National Wildlife Federation Luckily for everyone, people like and National Foundation for Davis are looking out for Texas’ Wildlife. They recently gave us public. They are a $250,000 grant to do work on formulating plans for how to monarch butterflies. We also help specific communities derecently took on all the crease fire risk, however, taking prescribed fire at Fort Hood some small steps independently Military base.” to be more firewise and fire safe could prevent people’s property Adams and his team have from going up in flames. 2018 FALL
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TENT-ATION Who knew there were so many different types of tents? Take a look at some of these tempting tents that can drastically improve your camping experience! By Anna Fulton
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(1) 2-Second (1) 2-Second Tent If the long and ardorous process of setting up tents is what turns you away from going camping, never fear! This tent takes 2 seconds to set up and is super easy to put together. It doesn’t even leave time for you to be discouraged! The 2-Second Decatholon tent was originally marketed towards those partaking in decatholons, but anyone can buy one!
(3) Solar Tent Have you ever wished that you could charge your phone, plug in a heater, or call friends inside your tent? If so, this solar-powered tent will transform your camping experience. Topped with a solar-paneled roof, this tent will soak up the sun while you’re off exploring, and….voila! Never again will you have to lug packages of D-batteries around!
(5) Floating
(2) Insulation Station Camping in the mountains is beautiful, but the frigid temperatures turns many people away. Don’t miss out on a breathtaking chance to enjoy the fresh mountain air--take along this cozy, insulated tent and be snug as a bug in a rug! Built with multiple layers of reinforced cork, this tent blocks out wind and chill, making for a more comfortable experience with the outdoors.
(4) Heimplanet Trekking on Mount Everest? Tornado season on the prairie? You won’t blow away if you’re tucked into this extreme weather tent. With its flexible support poles and durable design, it can withstand envrionmental conditions
Do you hate bugs and sleeping on the hard ground, but still want to enjoy some time sleeping under the stars? This “floating” tent is for you. Besides keeping you up and away from creepy crawlies and unforgiving rock, it’ll keep you cool and provide stellar views! 2018 FALL
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Reduce Reuse Austin’s Recycle New Anthem By Jaxon Gonzales
The three R’s take the spotlight as cities across the nation begin their quest towards zero waste.
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ou may not think much of it, but every single plastic water bottle, plastic straw and plastic bag you have ever used still exists on the Earth today. Whether it’s piled in a landfill, stuck in a tree, or, worst of all, floating in the ocean, many plastics will never biodegrade, and many of them end up killing marine life such as turtles and fish. “People just have this ‘oh it’s gone feeling,” said Susanne Harm of Austin Resource Recovery. “It’s not gone, it’s still here. Pretty soon it’s going to be floating past your window if we
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don’t stop.” In the past few years, activists, politicians and citizens alike have been making changes to promote the three R’s: reducing, reusing and recycling. Due to the disastrous effects of plastic pollution, several organizations such as Keep America Beautiful and Texas Campaign for the Environment have made it their top priority to curb the impact of plastic on our environment through the use of educational programs and campaigns. Along with being responsible for the residential
recycling and composting program in Austin, Austin Resource Recovery specializes in providing services and events to promote being green. One of their most popular programs is what they call their “Fix-It Clinic” where people from all around Austin can bring in their broken clothing, electronics, stuffed animals and more to learn how to repair it. One of the most striking statistics about the gravity of our issue with plastic is solely the amount that we find in the ocean. Every year, eight million tons of plastic are thrown into
Austin Resource Recovery, the department in charge of Austin’s zero waste initiative, uses blue and green bins like the ones pictured above to pick up trash, recycle, and compost.
the ocean, be it deliberately or by accident. This roughly adds up to five grocery bags full of plastic for every foot of coastline in the world. While it may seem as though the problem is getting better, worldwide plastic production is still on the rise every year. Major cities like Austin are hoping to change that. Currently, Austin
is at a 43 percent diversion rate, meaning that of all material that could be diverted from the landfill, only 43 percent is being properly disposed of. “We still see things like paper being thrown into the landfill trash,” said Harm. “Some people don’t know apparently that things like clothing cannot be recycled so
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You can actually make a very tangible impact on your environment
those are not being put on the curb as they should be. There’s just a lot of wood and other organic material in the landfill.” But Austin is not alone in its goal. Other cities, even states, around the country have begun a similar movements to reduce their waste and are the pioneers in the conquest for zero waste. San Francisco and New York City, two of the biggest municipalities in the country, have also begun waste initiatives and have reached 85 percent and 15 percent diversion, respectively. The considerable difference that can be seen 2018 FALL
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between these two cities is the result of laws. “It’s different there,” said Harm. “They have a law. If you put trash in your recycling bin or vice versa, you get a fine. If they find anything in your curbside compost that is considered contamination like glass for example, you will get a fine. So it is a law there whereas here it’s completely voluntary. So it’s kind of a different world… we do a lot of you know reduce, reuse, and then when it comes to recycling it’s all about education.” Gaby Benitez, an environmental educator for Keep Austin Beautiful, would
agree. She said that although it may seem like the majority of misconceptions are about recycling, what most people actually get confused about is making a difference. One of the most common misconceptions is that it can be too hard to make a difference in your community. “Because often times I think we think of how much
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trash there is out there, and... sometimes people can feel somewhat overwhelmed by that but the reality is that… it’s something that if we actually take the time to do a cleanup or maybe change our habits around what we’re using you can actually make a very tangible impact on your environment… and that’s something that we really try to teach is to empower with that knowledge that they can make a difference even if they feel like they’re just
PREVENTING POLLUTION realLy COMES DOWN TO INDIVIDUAL CHANGES
Among other things, experts recommend trying reusable straws, reusable water borttles, and bamboo toothbrushes to curb plastic use. 18 |
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Although some have been repealed, recent plastic bag bans have drastially reduced the number of plastic bags found in our environment, such as the one pictured above.
working on a small scale.” Keep Austin Beautiful is a non-profit organization in Austin whose mission is to give anybody and everybody the resources to make their community more beautiful. Apart from leading several youth and adult education programs, KAB also hosts several cleanups around the area in places such as Lady Bird Lake or Lake Travis. But most experts say that even though recycling is great for our environment, if we really want to make a difference we have to pay attention to the beginning of the three R’s: reducing and reusing.
As for easy ways to reduce and reuse, Benitez suggests starting several habits: not using plastic straws, bringing your own coffee cups instead of using a disposable one, buying reusable plastic bags and buying in bulk to use less packaging. David Greer of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, TCEQ for short, said something similar. According to a recent study, Texas only has around 50 years of landfill space left, making the recent changes all the more important. Even if it’s something as simple as bringing your own water bottle instead of using
plastic bottles, what you do matters. A great example of this are the recent plastic bag bans that were lifted in Austin. Although the city is no longer allowed to enforce a ban, grocery stores, shops, and most individuals have decided to continue enforcing it themselves, and it seems to be working. “What I think that we are really starting to see is that preventing plastic pollution really does come down to individual changes,” Greer said. “We’re starting to see that the choices that one person makes really do make a difference.” 2018 FALL
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Benefits of camping How getting outdoors can do great things for your health!
By Julius Estrada
Fresh Air Get out of stuffy and polluted air! While camping, you are surrounded by trees, which produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Goodbye, air pollution; hello, improved blood pressure, better digestion, and boosted immune system! Plus, high levels of oxygen release serotonin, which lowers your stress level and makes you feel happy.
Sleep
Another reason camping is awesome for your health is because of the great sleep you get while you are in the outdoors. After a long day spent hiking, biking, and exercising in general, sleep is not only beneficial, but necessary to keep your body on track. And, one of the reasons people feel like they sleep much better while camping is because of the yellow light given off by a campfire. Yellow light increases the amount of melatonin, a chemical that controls the sleep cycle, in your body which in turn helps you sleep better.
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Sunshine Spending time outside means fun in the sun! Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorous, which strengthens your bones and teeth, and sunlight is bursting with warm, happy, vitamin D goodness! Sunlight also boosts serotonin levels, which, as Don’t forget about that awesome tan!
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