LUNE magazine
the climate issue Issue 16
issue 16 editor-in-chief deborah kwon
co- content editors srilekha cherukuvada, rahul jain
writers uma ribeiro, lara pena
visuals diana dalton, kimia fariborz, beatrice josĂŠ, celia le, ria mehra, nagisa sugiyama, michelle ta, zeynep toprakbasti cover art zeynep toprakbasti
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Lune Magazine is a monthly periodical, established in 2017, and is dedicated to using journalism and art as a means of social justice advocacy. It is run by a staff of editors, writers, artists, and photographers aged 13 to 21. You can also read content on our website at lunemagazine.com.
the climate emergency issue
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Diana Dalton
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Corporations have turned the responsibility of creating a greener planet over to common people, despite being responsible for 71% of global carbon emissions. A mere 100 companies are destroying the world bit by bit for profit. To avoid consequences, these corporations have shifted the blame for climate change onto everyday people and we are buying it.
Nagisa Sugiyama
by Lara Pena The waiting game keeps everyone on edge. Everyone casts glances from side to side, sweeping to check who will break the ice to start the chain reaction. I will admit that I am still a low-lying sheep while the ongoing fight for our planet is raging. Several solutions come to mind when I brainstormed micro-solutions, solutions that may not fill the whole ocean, but will add a drop of water to the bucket. These solutions include the ever famous metal straws and Hydro Flasks, which contribute to helping out in their own little ways. Here are a few more ways that you can use to stop your environmental community from using resources that can be allotted elsewhere. 1. Have your receipts or mail emailed to you! If you're anything like me, I just end up throwing my receipt out once I get the chance. This is an easier way to view your documents and to make sure your files can be accessed if needed. You can argue that what will be printed out is already wasted paper, and therefore, wasted trees. The reduction of paper from having your receipts emailed to you will add
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up. If you have the opportunity to become a little bit more environmentally healthy, go for it! 2. Reusable resources? Keep going! Striving to become a more resourceful person is a main goal of mine. Refillable water bottles are a huge way to combat against single-use plastics. In addition to that, you'll also save money on buying cases of plastic water bottles when you can just refill your bottle. 3. Making donations to reputable foundations is a way to help other parts of the nation or the world, if you have the privilege to give financially. There are several foundations for many causes! Some environmental foundations you may want to check out are The Conservation Fund, Environmental Defense Action Fund, Waterkeeper Alliance, and World Resources Institute. Of course the list does not end there, but find a credible foundation to support online or even in person! Don't wait. If you have the resources to help the environment, move with haste and be part of the solution.
Celia Le
Drowning, or Ă”-phĂŞ-li-a: An appropriation of the Ophelia tropes and the theme of International Year of Water to portray the effect of climate change.
Why wait?
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Ria Mehra Mother Earth. This piece shows the embodiment of the damage we have done to Earth as a human. She is broken, bruised, and bleeding to signify the drastic effects that climate change has had on our beautiful planet.
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Zeynep Toprakbasti
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Kimia Fariborz
Youth activist Autumn Peltier
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Indigenous activists continue to fight for mother earth by Uma Ribeiro Brazil’s current president, Jair Bolsonaro, (who seems to mirror US President Donald Trump in numerous ways with his misogyny and bigotry) has openly made explicit comments expressing his irrational hatred for indigenous people. Bolsonaro refused to accept any aid for the forest fires occurring in the Amazon region of Brazil, which is home to hundreds of indigenous tribes, and has repeatedly stated that reports of the Amazonian fires are only over exaggerations. This childish reaction from Brazil’s “leader” is based on complete inaccuracies, and while indigenous residents of the Amazon try to continue their daily lives, the inaction of the government contributes to the deterioration of their environment. Occurrences of forest fires within the region have been common in past dry seasons, but this year in particular, the fires were particularly terrible, destroying huge stretches of land in extremely short amounts of time. Is it a coincidence that the fires reached a dangerous peak while Bolsonaro is in office? No, not in the slightest. In fact, his environmental policies are characterized by a narrow focus on short-term economic development to benefit ruralistas, wealthy landowners who are among his staunchest supporters. Bolsonaro and Trump follow the same recipe for environmental recklessness; A disdain for scientific facts, disrespect for dissenting voices, a short-sided focus on sustainable economic goals, and the weakening of regulatory agencies. Bolsonaro does not care if indigenous tribes are hurt in the process, but rather seems like it is one of his main motivations behind his complete carelessness towards the region, making genocidal remarks, as reported by Survival International, “In 2019, we're going to rip up Raposa Serra do Sol [Indigenous Territory in Roraima, northern Brazil]. We’re going to give all the ranchers guns.” One among many tribes that have felt the effects of the government’s policies is the Waiãpi group in Northeastern Brazil, who have lost to invaders land that they had tended to and relied on for generations. The people of the Waiãpi tribe peacefully cared for their environment which cared for them as well. However, their peace has been disrupted by cruel and unnecessary policies put in place by the government. In July, a Waiãpi chief was murdered by invaders, and indigenous women and children were assaulted, as is common in other tribes as well. However, indigenous people are not afraid of these recent events, and continue to fight to protect their land and to protect and preserve our planet. Native American and Indigenous activism has been overlooked not only in the United States, but in
many other regions of the world, such as South and Central America, as indigenous tribes have recognized the importance, beauty, and need of a clean and healthy environment since day one. Now, climate change has finally been the forefront of activism, especially among younger generations, with teens like Greta Thunberg holding the weight of the climate movement on their shoulders, indigenous tribes have been leading completely sustainable lives which aid and give back to the environment for hundreds of years. Recognizing young activists and hearing their voices is one of the many steps in moving forward in tackling issues such as climate change, but we must not shy away from indigenous teen activists, as they are at the heart of the movement just as Native people are the true heart and core of any country. Artemisa Barbosa Ribeiro (more commonly known as Artemisa Xakriabá), an indigenous teenager of the Xakriabá tribe in Brazil, gave a speech at the climate march in New York in September, in which she called out the murderous policies initiated by the Brazilian government. Artemisa included powerful statements in her speech. “There is no difference between an indigenous young female activist like myself and a young female activist like Greta. Our future is connected by the same threads of the climate crisis...The Amazon agonizes over [Bolsonaro’s] policies that intensify deforestation and drought” she said. Reminding us that climate change is affecting land across the world, Artemisa finished by stating, “beyond the Amazon, there are the forests of Indonesia, Africa, North America...We the Indigenous peoples are the children of nature, so we fight for our mother Earth...we are being persecuted, threatened, murdered, only for protecting our own territories.” Trump’s refusal to recognize, let alone address, the issues of global warming and environmental destruction is so similar to the behavior of Bolsonaro, it’s scary. White men with racist, nationalist policies are doing nothing to prevent climate change, but are rather implementing ideas that are harmful to the environment and to those who are the true preservers of the planet. The Amazon rainforest is hurt from the devastating fires while its Native peoples continue to care for it and try to repair it, even with the onslaught of invaders. While government officials are turning their backs on our planet, teenagers from all across the globe take to streets and podiums, fighting for a future. Among them, young indigenous activists are a force to be reckoned with; after all, their people have suffered the effects of colonialist greed since the first European invaders set foot on their land centuries ago.
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climate change takes compilated, photographed by Michelle Ta “Hello, My name is Danielle Mulder. I am 19 years old. Currently, I live in Milwaukee, but I am new to city life. I lived in a small town my whole life and decided that college was the time to move into a fasterpaced life. I love where I live now and have never felt more independent and confident in myself. However, despite my newfound love for the hustle and bustle of the city, nothing restores my happiness more than the outdoors. My heart belongs to hiking, camping, and the wind blowing through the trees. Climate change scares me, and I do not know how to say it more simply. For the past couple of years, my new year’s resolution has been not to use any plastic bags. While I have not been entirely successful, I do feel accomplished when I remember to take my own bags to the store or when I just carry all my groceries in my hands. And that’s what I think is most important. Climate change is devastating -- our oxygen supply is depleting and the glaciers are melting...and the effects of these phenomena are unpredictable and rapidly approaching, but I believe that small individual changes and improvements in consumption are important, such as not using plastic bags, using less plastic straws and avoiding plastic water bottles. With a country as big and influential as ours, a small effort can make a big difference.”
“Hey! I’m Laura and I’m a sophomore at my local community college as well as an oncampus student worker. My plan is to transfer to a four-year university and major in Latin American Studies. We are able to help the environment yet we don’t. It takes more than just sharing a post on Instagram with a hashtag. If our generation wants to help the environment, we will need to do something about it. It is our responsibility to get up and go out. There are multiple ways we can stop harming the environment, but in order to do so, we have to take action and not expect others to do it for us.”
pictured: Jayna Marie, Danielle Mulder
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“Creative culture inspires my friendships and makes me strive to continue my creative culture in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Most of my family is from Germany and Hungary where my great grandparents were immigrants from. I think there needs to be more light shined upon climate change. Our planet is being neglected! We need to set up our world for future generations to flourish. I think we all [should] emphasize love [so] we can show that for our environment. To reduce waste, I buy reusable products, especially with modeling. I like to reusable makeup wipes to contribute to having a cleaner environment I try to pick up as much garbage on beaches or out in public. “ Jayna Marie
Beatrice JosĂŠ
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ISSUE 16