Amazon Fires

Prasheetha Karthikayen

Features Editoreatures Editor

Emma Schoors

News Editorews Editor

Serving as the second o! cial Republican presidential nominee running against Donald Trump in the 2020 primaries following Bill Weld’s April announcement, Joe Walsh is merely an escape for Republicans in toxic shock from the Trump presidency. " ough Republicans who are not fond of the current president deserve a more stable alternative, Walsh is made of the same # imsy material as Trump. " e 2016 race had Walsh tweeting, “If Trump loses, I’m grabbing my musket. You in?” but his support for Trump seemingly ended a$ er Trump’s 2018 Helsinki meeting with Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, when Trump sided with Russia over the FBI on the subject of election meddling. Walsh now calls Trump “a racial arsonist who encourages bigotry and xenophobia to rouse his base.” Ironic, considering Walsh launched his campaign with an apology for his many racist, unsubstantiated attacks against former President Barack Obama. “Obama encourages illegals to vote,” Walsh wrote in 2016. He also continually fueled the claim that Obama is a Muslim, tweeting in 2016 “I think Obama is a Muslim”, and telling MSNBC in 2013 that our enemy is “Young Muslim men.”

Walsh also infamously said in 2017 “I’m sick and tired of the Sandy Hook parents. " ey’re partisan and political.” In another tweet, he added, “Sandy Hook parents: Your 15 minutes is up,” a reference to the concept of # ushing events out for a few minutes of popularity.

Clarissa Shin/Prowler

On Sept. 7, 2019, Walsh hypocritically tweeted “(Trump) watches TV and tweets attacks on American citizens. " at’s all he does.” Considering Walsh’s current legacy is that of an angry man with fast thumbs and a phone nearby, someone else tweeting too much should be the least of his problems.

Walsh mirrors Trump in nearly every aspect pre-presidency. Yet Never Trumpers, a group of Republicans whose sole intentions were to keep Trump from getting elected, endorse this carbon copy. While it is valid and increasingly common to disagree with the Trump presidency as a Republican, the validity of endorsing a person who is morally and ethically similar to Trump is questionable at best, and hypocritical at worst.

Manas Khatore

Entertainment Editorntertainment Editor

America has always had a fascination with red meat. Whether it be at a Fourth of July barbecue or an upscale restaurant, Americans are some of the largest consumers of red meat in the world, with the average American eating about 50 pounds a year. I cannot even count the number of people who go to In-N-Out to sink their teeth into a double-double cheeseburger.

Not surprisingly, U.S. beef consumption is four times higher than the world average, and this diet is not planning to change anytime soon. However, eating red meat has severe consequences for the planet and is a major contributor to climate change. Eating less red meat is essential to curbing this issue. ! ere is a strong link between red meat production and greenhouse gases, which trap heat in the Earth’s atmosphere. According to World Resources Institute, beef production emits 20 times more greenhouse gas releases per gram of protein than common plant products. ! ese emissions are in the form of methane, from manure and “cow burps,” and nitrous oxide, from chemical fertilizers and cow waste on pastures. To put it into perspective, the suggested fertilizer application on a ranch is about 115 pounds per acre. ! at’s more than the weight of an adult giant octopus. Per acre.

Red meat is extremely resource-intensive to produce. Cows require ample land and water and have lower reproduction rates than poultry, meaning that more resources are needed to produce the same amount of meat. To satisfy the growing population and a high demand for red meat in developing countries, more land needs to be converted into farmland for livestock. ! is results in deforestation, which emits carbon dioxide into the air. In this way, red meat and its e" ect on the planet is cyclical.

So, what can people do to limit their impact on the planet? ! e best answer is to stop or cut down on red meat consumption. Many believe that vegetarian and vegan options are expensive and boring, but this could not be farther from the truth. Foods such as beans and pasta are extremely cheap and can be made into a variety of delicious meals. Additionally, in Newbury Park, our own proximity to Los Angeles gives us a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan

restaurants to choose from. For meat lovers, switching over to organically sourced white meat is another great option.

As a society, we need to take steps to prevent climate change from worsening. While buying metal straws is great, we need to take initiative and do the bigger things as well. Changing a diet or lifestyle may seem di# cult, but we cannot sacri$ ce the greater good of the planet. Beef-The red meat industry is a large contributor to today’s preoccupying climate change issue. In order to limit their impact on the planet, consumers are encouraged to buy vegetarian or white meat options. Jessica Zhou/Prowler

Rahul D’Souza

Chief Photographerhief Photographer

" e Amazon Rainforest produces more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen, contains more than half the species of plants, animals and insects on Earth, and now it is on % re. In reality, it is on % re every year, but this year has seen a 93 percent increase in % res from last year.

According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Amazon is naturally % reresistant, even during the dry season. Most of the % res have likely been started by humans, either by accident or purposely. " ey report that, since January, 100,000 % res have started in the Amazon, recently burning at a rate of almost two soccer % elds every minute. " is spike has been caused by recent deforestation programs led by Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro. Most of the % res start a$ er an area has been cleared of all trees for development for cattle grazers and soybean growers, leaving small, dry fuel behind. Bolsonaro has faced national criticism for his actions with the G7 even o& ering % nancial aid, which Bolsonaro’s special communications o! ce promptly rejected, claiming that

Brazil was not a colony in need of their help.

However, to satisfy the large European powers, he committed the army to help % ght the % res. He also signed a national decree that prevented forest blazing for 60 days. Multiple world leaders do not believe that Bolsonaro will do enough to % x the problem. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, is skeptical of whether or not these measures will work and has been trying to assemble world leaders to intervene. Bolsonaro has responded stating that other nations have threatened Brazil’s sovereignty. Macron and Bolsonaro have been locked in squabbles through the media for some time now. " e concerns for the forest are not only short term though. Many of the animals have nowhere to go to escape the # ames, and scientists fear that the % re is killing species of trees as well, which could lead to extinction. " e forest will regrow, as all forests do, but it may never be the same again. It has been discovered that burnt trees in the Amazon contain 25 percent less carbon than before. On top of that, it may take over 100 years to regrow, 100 years that scientists say our planet doesn’t

Alyssa Boedigheimer/Prowler

have. " e Woolsey Fire in California last year burned 97,000 acres and 1,600 buildings over 13 days and 295,000 people were evacuated. In comparison, the Amazon % res have burned over 640 million acres and there have been over 70,000 % res since January. Satellite images show the smoke covering half of Brazil. " e state of Amazonas has declared a climate emergency.