A Call to Action
By Stephen Dessel and Barbara Zemskova

Recently, there was an article on the front page of The Washington Post concerning the number of species that recent presidential administrations have placed on the endangered species list. Under the Endangered Species Act, a species can be classified as vulnerable, threatened, or endangered, endangered meaning that there is the strongest likelihood of it going extinct. At George H. W. Bush’s request, 52 species were classified as endangered or threatened, and at Bill Clinton’s request, there were 81. During this current administration, there were a total of…zero.

This has been a common pattern over the past seven years for the Bush administration. They put impending environmental concerns on the backburner in favor of big businesses, which is great for rich, taxpaying citizens. However, this could be problematic in the long run. We are on the verge of a sixth major extinction event, which is unique in that it is the first to be caused by a living organism. It might be too late to fix future ecological problems if conservative governmental policies are not changed. Using an environmental model called HIPPO, we will look at present ecological issues.

1. Habitat Destruction:
• Problem: Species are losing their habitat due to clear-cutting of forests and conversion of grassland into crop fields. Ever since the Agricultural Revolution, people began settling down in one place and transforming natural landscape into agricultural land, roads, housing developments, and cities. Although some areas are designated as parkland, some parks are designed so poorly that their shape yields too much edge habitat. For instance, a park shaped like a crescent moon has a large amount of land close to its edge, while one shaped like a circle has more interior space.
• Solution: The best way to stop habitat destruction is to limit human population growth and urbanization, following “Smart Growth” strategies (see Population).
• Example: Leesburg in Fairfax County, Virginia is undergoing rapid urban growth. Its landscape, which is lacking natural habitat, contrasts with the Agricultural Reserve in Montgomery County.
2. Invasive Species:
• Problem: Invasive species threaten native organisms because they take over native habitat, due to lack of predators and competition. Although humans have been transporting non-native species for thousands of years, the rate of movement has dramatically increased because of new transportation developments. Introduction of invasive species can be purposeful (aesthetic or economic value) or accidental (attached to ships, packages, soil, shoes).
• Solution: In order to eliminate invasive species, people can catch and kill these organisms. Also, nurseries must discontinue the selling of non-native, invasive nursery plants, such as English ivy, bamboo, and purple loosestrife. Another method is to introduce its natural predators. However, these predators can cause more problems by becoming invasive species as well.
• Example: The snakehead fish was originally imported as an aquarium fish from China. However, several organisms escaped and now live in natural bodies of water. The snakehead fish feeds on native species of frogs, fish, and turtles, and transmits foreign parasites.
3. Pollution
• Problem: Several factors contribute to air, water, and soil pollution. Combustion of fossil fuels releases harmful gases, including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides. Not only do these gases contribute to the greenhouse effect and formation of photochemical smog, but they also cause acid rain that destroys some aquatic ecosystems. Pesticides affect immune, nervous, and reproductive systems of organisms, including humans.
• Solution: Scientists must find efficient alternative energy sources for our transportation that are renewable, and limit carbon dioxide emissions from industrial buildings. Humans are much too dependent on petroleum and coal, which pollute the environment and only exist in a limited amount. Harnessing energy from other sources, such as the sun, water, and wind, emits less carbon dioxide and is infinitely renewable. On a smaller scale, individuals can drive less, use environmentally friendly appliances, and even plant trees.
• Example: Mirant coal power plant in Dickerson, MD releases two tons of carbon dioxide for every ton of coal that is burnt. Particulates and greenhouse gas emissions significantly contribute to air pollution, especially because carbon dioxide emissions are difficult to capture. Other coal plants also put water back into waterways that is ten to twelve degrees warmer than it originally was. Such thermal pollution is harmful for aquatic ecosystems because the organisms cannot adjust to the rising water temperature.
4. Population (Human):
• Problem: Human population has already exceeded six billion, and it is projected to reach eight to ten billion by 2050. If humans continue to consume resources at the current rate, there will be a significant lack of food, water, and space, especially in the developing nations. Urbanization can lead to destruction of natural habitats, soil erosion, and pollution.
• Solution: The best way to limit overpopulation is to encourage effective family planning, especially in less developed countries. In order for family planning to be effective, a family must consider its financial status and the devastating impact of a large family on the environment. Family planning often does not occur in developing nations because of a lack of women’s rights and sheer ignorance. We must educate the poor in countries with rapidly increasing populations.
• Example: Montgomery County is an area experiencing rapid population growth; its population is currently around one million. New housing developments have emerged in remote areas of the county, such as Clarksburg, Damascus, and Poolesville.
5. Overharvesting:
• Problem: Technological advances improved fishing fleets and hunting equipment, allowing humans to harvest more than they need. In addition, fishermen often catch some unintended species that are stuck in the large nets. Occasionally, only some parts of the caught individuals are used, effectively wasting the life of an organism.
• Solution: The government can monitor fishing and hunting by enacting a more stringent licensing system. It can also hire more park rangers to prevent illegal poaching.
• Example: Crabbers in the Chesapeake Bay area are now required to obtain a license in order to crab. This regulation resulted from a considerable decrease in the crab population in the Bay due to overfishing.

Shark fins are a delicacy in Chinese cuisine. Because shark meat itself is not valuable, fishermen cut off the fins and the tails, throwing the rest of the body overboard.
To a teenager living in the United States, a potential environmental catastrophe may seem light years away. However, the need to change our ways has indeed never been more apparent. Many prominent politicians in government lack foresight; they only seem to enact policies designed to be beneficial right now. It is necessary not only to reduce one’s own impact on the environment, but also to convince the politicians that we need to change as a society.

There is great concern that our procrastination in solving environmental problems may prove fatal. However, if every person on the planet does some small action for the wellbeing of the natural world, then the future of the environment will be a brighter one.
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Still Awaiting Green School Recognition
By Stephen Dessel and Barbara Zemskova

For over a dozen years, Poolesville High School has been famous for its Global Ecology Studies Program, which “endow[s] students with a sense of environmental citizenship, responsibility and appreciation.” Despite Global’s environmentally conscious ideals, PHS is ironically not a certified green school by the Maryland Green School Awards program. The certification process has been difficult because the Awards program wants more students at PHS to be involved in activities that benefit the environment.

MAEOE (Maryland Association for Environmental Outdoor Education), which sponsors the Green Schools program, was founded in 1977. It was originally a small single office in Washington, D.C., but over the past three decades, its efforts have spread to 22 countries. Green Schools essentially promotes teaching of energy saving tips in school and creating energy awareness both in school and in the local community. An average green school will typically save about five to fifteen percent on its energy costs, and the saved money supports other educational activities within the school.

Mere recognition is not the only benefit of green school certification. Green Schools encourages integration of environmental awareness in the curriculum. It provides lesson plans, activity books, and tools to measure energy consumption, such as light meters, infrared thermometers, and watt meters. Poolesville High School is a whole school magnet, which is composed of three different magnet programs and  the Independent Student Program. Therefore, these tools will be especially useful for labs in the Math, Science, and Computer Science and Global Ecology houses, particularly in the wake of the construction of a new two-story science wing beginning this summer.

For their senior project, Laura Gilfrich and Katie Stamm are attempting to get PHS certified by this program. Their objective is to demonstrate that everyone at the school is engaged in environmentally related activities, which is a requirement of being a green school. They are collecting as many pictures, news articles, calendars, and brochures from field trips as possible, which prove how the school is helping the environment. Gilfrich expects the certification to impact the construction of a new school because “the architects will keep in mind that [PHS] is a green school” while designing the building.

Gilfrich and Stamm will send these materials, along with a summary of all “green” activities, to the Green Schools program prior to April 15, 2008. They hope to hear back from the committee by May. However, the amount of time it takes the committee to respond depends on the number of applications because it sends a personal letter to each school with its opinions and suggestions.

Gilfrich and Stamm stress the fact that everybody’s participation is vital to the certification process. Anyone wishing to aid this essential project can contribute information and pictures from optional field trips, such as backpacking, Fox and Smith Islands, senior trips, and lectures about protecting the natural world. Students and staff members should submit these materials to Laura Gilfrich, Katie Stamm, or Mrs. Joyce Bailey, head of GESP. They will greatly appreciate any information that could ultimately make this project a success.
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Students Teaching Other Students
By Stephen Dessel and Barbara Zemskova

     
An objective environmental education for all of its students is an important goal of the Global Ecology Studies Program. However, the learning should by no means be limited by the walls of Poolesville High School. If more people are made aware of the impending environmental problems of the future, then there is a greater chance of solving them.

The main purpose of senior projects is to allow Global students to use the knowledge that they have accumulated over the course of four years to benefit the environment. Project Wild enables students to indirectly help the environment by educating young children about major ecological concerns. The most popular choice of senior projects in the entire Global Program, Project Wild is a student to student teaching course. High school students from PHS travel to various elementary schools, middle schools, and clubs, spreading the message of GESP.

Sruthi Domalapally and Shelly Kapoor took part in Project Wild and taught about poverty. While at first glance this may not seem to be directly related to the environment, it actually has a significant impact on human actions. Poor people are not concerned with giving what little money they have on assisting the growing environmental movement. Instead, they tend to use the natural world to meet their personal needs for food and shelter. For example, farmers in less developed countries destroy forests to create new agricultural land rather than farming sustainably, which they may not have the knowledge or capitol to do.

Although this is an extremely complicated issue, especially for young children living in highly developed Montgomery County, Domalapally was delighted to see that they eventually “opened up and shared their thoughts and opinions about the strong  topic.” The teachers of Project Wild have the freedom to choose any topic that is of utmost importance to them. For instance, Rebecca Berger and Sarah Minkoff taught about rising deer populations, plastic products, and the pollution of the Chesapeake Bay. Becca Ricketts taught about loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction.

It is a misconception that anyone who completes Project Wild wishes to pursue a career in education. In fact, out of all students contacted by The Green Pen, only one person plans to become a teacher. Most often, people who take part in Project Wild simply like working with children. Domalapally hopes to visit an underdeveloped nation and help children who live in poverty.

In order to participate in Project Wild, students must take part in an all-day training workshop in which they receive two books of lessons and practice their teaching techniques. To complete Project Wild, they must teach two modified lessons from the books and create a third original lesson. Seniors who go on the Canaan Valley trip practice performing their lessons with their peers. Those students who do not go on the trip have a chance to practice in class.

Most everybody who chooses to do this senior project finds their experiences incredibly rewarding. To get the most fun out of completing it, Minkoff recommends doing it with a partner. However, Berger warns that it is certainly “not for students who think it is just an easy A.” For those wishing to complete a senior project that is enjoyable, interactive, and environmentally beneficial, Project Wild is the perfect choice. The teaching possibilities are truly limitless!

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GESP Needs to Change Established Ways
By Stephen Dessel and Barbara Zemskova

For years, the Global Ecology Studies Program was the only program at Poolesville High School for academically talented students, essentially its crown jewel. Because of its longevity, the methods for running the program had become well established. However, with the introduction of the Humanities and Math Science (SMCS) houses, some inevitable complications have arisen within GESP.

The most visible change in Global is the block scheduling. The blocking system already existed at PHS before the establishment of the magnet programs. However, since the beginning of the last academic year, PHS implemented a different type of blocking based on the SMCS model at Blair High School. When SMCS was integrated into the whole school magnet at PHS, block scheduling was incorporated into Global as well. Blocking allows a teacher to pull students out of one Global class in favor of having a double-period of his class. Teachers use it for interactive lessons, such as lengthy research projects and labs. Students have more class time to conduct research, and teachers do not have to waste their valuable time setting up labs on multiple days.

This model has been very successful for the freshman class, but it has been somewhat ineffective for the sophomores. Despite its positive intentions, block scheduling has led to confusion for the tenth graders. While some teachers are using it effectively, it is a challenge for others because they cannot adapt to the new system. According to Mr. Tim Short, it is especially challenging for the tenth grade teachers this year because they have not had prior exposure to it. Teachers who are unfamiliar with blocking sometimes cannot decide how extensively they should use it. If every teacher blocks his classes about the same number of times, then blocking is used effectively. On the other hand, if only one teacher blocks, then it becomes a burden for everyone. The teacher who often blocks has to teach seven classes per day, eliminating his planning periods. Other teachers, whose classes are cut due to blocking, have difficulties finishing the curriculum. Mr. Jon Rogers believes that “blocking is not effective for Global [because] it is just [meeting with students] twice a day.”

In order to eradicate this problem, Global classes should be more interdisciplinary so that teachers can collaborate on long-term projects. For instance, when we were sophomores, we completed a project that merged both governmental and biological aspects of building a monument. The project entailed designing an ecologically sustainable monument on the National Mall that paid tribute to unheralded historic figure. If Mr. Short pulled his students out of their biology class periods to complete such a project, they would still be using their scientific knowledge even though they are not in biology.

Next school year, Mrs. Joyce Bailey, head of GESP, plans on reestablishing the original blocking model for the tenth grade team. It will allow students to have their global classes clustered together either in the morning or in the afternoon. As a result, they will not miss any non-global academic classes on half-day field trips.

There are additional changes imposed by the whole school magnet program. Although the extended period day is not meant to impact the Global students, it affects the availability of their teachers after school. Teachers and students feel frustrated because it is difficult to arrange a proper meeting time for academic assistance without compromising their private time. However, the extended period day also offers an opportunity to extend field trips because the late buses leave at 4:15. Mr. Short believes that such possibility “could be explored because teachers can combine multiple activities into the same field trip.” For instance, students could visit both the Natural History and Native American museums within the same day.

It is wonderful that PHS is now the only whole school magnet in Montgomery County and that students will be graduating with a magnet diploma. However, GESP must properly adjust in order to be a fully successful magnet program.
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