News

West Coast Wildfires

By Abi Burt | Photos by Abi Burt

As many people know, wildfires in the year 2020 have been ferocious, breaking all previous records. Dozens of people have died, their homes and businesses burned to the ground. However, that happened all on the west coast, including states like California, Washington, and Oregon. On the east coast, there have been much fewer wildfires compared to the catastrophic fires on the west coast.

A major factor happens to be the effects of climate change. According to the Philly Voice, lack of rain, resulting in drought, leads to wildfires. The Philly Voice wrote, "wildfires will become more frequent and intense and even longer." The east does not suffer from drought as badly as the West Coast does; fires destroy acres of land with no rain to slow it down.

Another factor relates to the amount of forest area or brushy land. Fires have been starting in the west at places like forests or national parks, where trees and wood that burn easily fill acres of land. According to US Parks, the west coast has thirty-nine national parks, while the east coast only has fourteen. Fewer national parks exist on the east coast due to populous cities like New York and Boston having less open land available.

World Population Review states that thirty-nine million people live in California, in contrast to the eight million in New York. Some wildfires can be caused by human error. For example, a woman and her husband had a gender reveal party in California. They accidentally started a fire this year that burned thousands of acres. Some fires have happened because of a simple cigarette, another example of human error.

Fires still rage on the west coast of the country, while the east coast has avoided prolific wildfires this year. If planning to camp this fall, keep this in mind when practicing fire safety, and please limit gender reveal parties to pink or blue cake, and preferably no pyrotechnics.

How Renewable Energy Affects the World

By Isaiah Landry | Photo by Energy Information Administration

Consequences for renewable energy resources have been very limited, but they still need to be addressed. One of those consequences includes intermittency. According to EnergySage, "Though renewable energy resources are available around the world, many of these resources aren't available 24/7, year round. There can be unpredictable weather events that disrupt these technologies." Renewable energy resources can sometimes not last as long, because they solely depend on the environment itself. With intermittency, there also exists a problem in terms of establishing renewable energy facilities. Renewable energy resources, such as solar power and wind energy, require land which can decrease the amount of wildlife and can negatively affect their habitat.

Renewable energy also comes with many benefits, the first being it releases little to no harmful gases into the atmosphere, reducing the chances for climate change. According to The Union of Concerned Scientists, "Even when including 'life cycle' emissions of clean energy (ie, the emissions from each stage of a technology's life-manufacturing, installation, operation, decommissioning), the global warming emissions associated with renewable energy are minimal." Renewable energy also has a beneficial impact on employment rates. As stated by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), "The renewable energy sector, according to IRENA's estimates, employed a record 10.3 million people worldwide in 2017, driven by rising investments." The price of renewable energy resources have lowered greatly by 2019, with more than half of renewable energy achieving lower electricity costs than new coal.

Overall, renewable energy resources have lots of benefits, and most importantly, can reduce climate change and pollution. Many experts agree that the benefits of renewable energy outweigh the consequences and renewable energy would be very helpful for the environment.

COVID-19 Takes a Toll on Major Industries

By Kailyn Becker | Photo by Kailyn Becker

The coronavirus pandemic took a toll on several businesses, including gyms, cruise lines, airlines, restaurants, and countless others. According to Dayton Daily News, the shutdown of business resulted in hundreds of people losing their jobs, causing the unemployment rates to increase across major economies.

The coronavirus pandemic affected the airline industry the most. IATA initially stated that airplane passenger revenues could drop by $314 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19. With very little air travel happening, the airline industry lost $15.4 billion since the outbreak. According to a recent report from Moody's, the commercial airlines will continue to be devastated by the coronavirus pandemic for years to come. Although now airlines have started back up with 20-30% capacity, the industry may never fully recover.

Similar to the airline industry, according to the CDC, the cruise line industry creates a hotspot for coronavirus outbreaks due to travelers from all over the world being in close proximity to each other. Cruise lines have been making their recovery a bit faster, which has already caused some issues. An unnamed passenger aboard the Diamond Princess tested positive for COVID-19. The ship became quarantined immediately after its arrival in China, but with 3,711 passengers and crew members on board, more than 700 of the people on board became infected. For weeks, this made the ship the largest outbreak site in China.

Restaurants, gyms, and bars slowly begin to reopen. All of these industries have put new precautions in place in order to try and stop the spread of the virus. Gym owners struggled financially to remain open due to the inability to create revenue. Some may never be able to recover from the destruction COVID-19 caused. According to Spectrum Local News, the co-owner of the Rocket Fitness Gym in Lincolnton, NC, states that he has lost thousands of dollars per month during the mandated closing of gyms. Restaurants and bars slowly get back on their feet due to more and more people becoming eager to get out of their houses.

As a whole, the Coronavirus pandemic made a large impact on many businesses, so much so that some will never fully recover. With new precautions put in place in order to keep everyone safe, slowly but surely, life will begin to return to a new normal as soon as possible.

Will Your Vote Count?

The Aftermath of Catastrophic Hurricane Laura

By Dean Bruce | Photo by Dean Bruce

By Samantha Marsans | Photo by Samantha Marsans

For many, 2020 marked a turning point. Not only because a new decade began, but also because 2020 marked an election year. Countries all around the world hold votes for their new leaders, with many prospective candidates going out on the road, shaking hands, and pushing their policies. But in the end, it all comes down to the vote. What happens, however, when the authenticity of these votes comes into question?

Certainly many countries have to answer this question, including our own. In the middle of a year where more people struggle to venture out to crowded places than ever, the Trump administration made the controversial decision to cut funding for the US Postal Service. While the administration marks it as a benign decision, others believe that the administration fear that they will lose the election, and that cutting the USPS' funding will censor the votes of the opposition. Coupled with remarks from President Trump himself that mail-in ballots will be "substantially fraudulent", the safety of our election becomes more and more of a question mark with each funding cut and allegation of fraud.

Halfway around the world, in a country where elections have already occurred, a similar problem emerged. In Belarus, election results came out showing a landslide win for the incumbent leader, Alexander Lukishenko. The problem: no one seems to have voted for him, at least not on their own accord. Reports have been rampant about the incumbent administration's tampering with the election, from the detaining of a popular opposing candidate, to threats at the voting booths themselves. These results appear to have been the last straw, resulting in at least half a million Belarusian citizens taking to the streets to fight for their democracy, as well as numerous foreign countries discounting the election results and the Belarusian government.

Many believe that in-person voting will be the only way to feel truly confident that votes get counted. However, if that doesn't feel safe, in-person early voting begins on October 15 and runs through October 31. It will more than likely be less crowded, and still has similar reliability. In the end, eligible voters must go out and vote any way they can, and, hopefully, no tampering of any kind occurs.

Category 4 storm, Hurricane Laura, struck Louisiana on Sunday, August 20, battering the coast and leaving 16 dead in its wake. Hurricane Laura made landfall around 1 a.m. with sustained winds of 150 mph, devastating many southern Louisiana communities for miles. Once the hurricane downgraded to a tropical storm, the damage made to the streets of Luisiana could be clearly seen.

Dick Gremillion, the director for the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, told reporters that over 910,000 people lost power in their homes, and many businesses fear they may not recover due to the effects of Hurricane Laura. It has been estimated by public utility officials that thousands of Louisiana citizens will face weeks without power or water during the scorching days of summer. Many residents who evacuated came back to find severe damage.

The loss of houses and power seemed minimal in this ordeal, however. Up until recently, 16 deaths have been recorded, four in Texas. More than half of the fatalities can be attributed to the unsafe operation of generators, causing carbon monoxide poisoning. Sheriff Tony Mancuso said that his office had responded to more than 1,660 calls for help and had completed 66 rescue missions for people who had been trapped in their homes.

Jerry Ellison, a Birmingham, Alabama resident, almost became trapped in his home. During the storm, two large longleaf pine trees came crashing down in his yard. One tree had fallen into the road while the other crushed his neighbor's house. The neighbors, fortunately, had evacuated ahead of the storm, but if the tree had fallen a little more to the side, Ellison and his family would have been trapped in their house with a small chance of being saved intime.

"We're so lucky, it could have been a whole lot worse," said Ellison to a reporter.

FEMA, or the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has already taken action in response to the destruction across Louisiana. They deployed 800 personnel to support the response and recovery, including seven regional Incident Management Assistance Teams and four Urban Search and Rescue teams deployed to Louisiana. Their main goal, helping Louisiana citizens that have been deeply affected by the outcome of this hurricane, has been fairly effective.

FEMA sent their Disaster Medical Assistance Team to set up tents at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital to provide support in response to Hurricane Laura. These teams have been staffed with medical professionals who can help respond to medical needs in a disaster area. More than 10 hospitals in Louisiana lost power and had to transfer their patients to other states.

As the peak months of the season approach, meteorologists warn of more disturbances in the Atlantic, such as Hurricane Sally, most recently. The hurricane season continues until the end of November. In North Carolina, severe storms can happen anytime of the year; more frequently in March, April, and May. According to Lee Ringer, a North Carolina meteorologist, when severe storms make their way to NC, "It is best to seek shelter in a small, windowless, interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. A basement, interior hallway, closet, or windowless bathroom often provide the best protection."

Digital Activism

By Carlyn Calayan

It goes without saying that the fate of the world rests in the palms of every single person living in it. People shape their lives and the lives of others every day with their choices and decisions, and their very actions make the world go around. Among other activities, people use this power to better the world they live in and bring about change and reform. In a world ruled by technology, citizens now have the power to make impactful changes through the use of the internet and social media. In the past several decades, the rate of technological progress has moved at an increasingly rapid pace. With this progress came a new form of activism: digital activism.

Dr. Nishant Shah, the Research Director at the Centre for Internet and Society, defines "digital activism" as "a wide spectrum of activities, from activism that uses digital technologies to organize its participants, to online petitions and campaigns." This new wave of activism has challenged the existing relationships between the government, citizens, and society as a whole by introducing a new platform in which everyone has the same opportunity to have their views and concerns heard. Dr. Shah argues that digital activism encourages "the idea of political action and participation." In the past, older generations have had more interest in politics than their younger counterparts. However, with the rise of digital activism, there has been an upsurge of attentiveness and action from the younger generations, which have become more well-informed and bolder when it comes to sharing their views.

On March 24, 2018, students across the country participated in a national walkout and marched out of their schools to protest gun violence. Social media made it possible to quickly relay information and spread awareness on this demonstration to a larger audience. The hashtag, #MarchForOurLives, had been used 3.6 million times online and at least 2 million people in the United States participated in the protest, making it one of the largest protests in history, according to Newsweek.

By taking advantage of new technologies and using them as tools for activism to advance social progress and equality, citizens can be a part of movements they wish to follow. Ordinary citizens, young and old, can now easily address any injustice that they see in this world and create lasting change.

What We Can Learn From the Spanish Flu

By Ash Willis | Photo by Ash Willis

The 1918 flu, first noticed in Europe, moved country to country in a matter of months before it finally ended up in America. Contrary to the suggestion of the name, the flu did not originate in Spain, rather hitting Spain the hardest, and unlike other nations, Spain didn't black out the media coverage of the disease during a time of war. Spain, a neutral country, covered the war, but in this case, the country covered the disease from the start, causing many to believe it originated in Spain.

The type of people the Spanish flu affected set the disease apart from others of the time. Rather than hitting populations like the elderly and young children, the disease mostly infected young people. One of the biggest problems brought about by the disease remains the World War going on at the time, taking into consideration the age of many of the men enlisted. According to History.com, more US soldiers lost their lives to the flu than in combat.

First infecting Boston and New York, the disease soon spread across the country as military men traveled home. Because of the War many places in America suffered from a lack of medical staff, due to either enlistment or having come down with the flu themselves. City responses didn't inspire hope either. Philadelphia's public health director assured everyone that the soldiers infected simply had the seasonal flu, inspiring the city to continue on with the Liberty Loan Parade. 72 hours later 31 hospitals in Philadelphia completely filled, by the end of the week 2,600 people lay dead.

While Philadelphia's infection rate grew, other cities fought to flatten the curve. St. Louis had doctors on high alert for symptoms of the disease before a case had been reported. When the disease started to spread throughout the city schools immediately closed, all public gatherings banned, and those infected had volunteer nurses coming to their homes to treat them.. San Francisco's governor declared it the " patriotic duty of every American citizen " to wear a mask.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine.org, the first case of Covid-19, confirmed on January 20th, 2020, in the United States. Covid-19 began in a foreign country that jumped from country to country at alarming speed before arriving in the US. In NC all non essential businesses have been closed, all K-12 schools have been closed until at least May 15th at the time of writing, a statewide stay at home order has been put in place, and all gatherings of more than 10 people have been banned. However, NC was slow in putting an official stay-at-home- order in place.

Much can be taken from the events in 1918, in respect to how one should respond to a global pandemic such as Covid-19. When unfollowed, stay-at-home orders can't help stopping the spread of the disease, as was the case in Philadelphia after their parade.