solstice mag issue 2
DESCRIPTION
Conservation, Wolves and Fair TradeTRANSCRIPT
solst ice
FALL2 0 1 2
slaves for chocolate • a brief history of american conservationism • wolves among humans • biomes • diy hallow’s eve • buying power
To our dear readers.In creating a fair, just and healthy world, one cannot look only at environmentalism. That is the theme behind our second issue of Solstice Magazine. With you we explore wolves and our relationships with them, document what it took to make places like Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks, and expose how something so sweet-chocolate-isn’t that sweet at all. But as always, this isn’t the limit to Solstice. We have DIY projects to open your eyes to nature and get wild with recycled Halloween costumes. Photographs of Yellowstone, and, of course, unique graphics. Bees, biomes and buying power follow. Our goal at Solstice: not just to open eyes but to inspire action as well.
For feedback, send us an email at [email protected]
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi
414
1516
Gallery
Fair Trade
DIY
News
Wolves in America
p. 6
Slaves for Chocolatep. 10 A (very brief)
history of Americaʼs Original Conservation Movement
p. 17
Photography by Liz Newman
Solstice
Gal
lery
Wolves
By Stella Pfahler
A while ago, wolves
were understood and
acknowledged by the native
people living in North
America. They walked with
the wolves and thought of
them as brothers. That all
changed when the Europeans
came. These people invaded
the land, and showed no
respect to the wolves and
native people whatsoever.
These new settlers were
violent and destructive
towards wildlife. They
taught their children to
hate wolves, planting seeds
of doubt in their minds. The
seeds sprouted into lies
about the creatures they
should have cared for and
respected.
Lies and myths
generated fear in the
settlers. Some of these
stories date back to
Medieval Europe, during the
werewolf trials. In this
period of time, any disabled
people, foreigners who
looked different, or any
outcast from the particular
village could be accused of
“serving the Devil” and
performing witchcraft.
Beliefs like these were
driven by the Catholic
Church. The bishop, Pope, or
any noble that lived nearby
had the power to condemn
someone to a slow and
painful death: to be burned
at the stake.
Even before these
trials, there were
grudges against
wolves. In the tenth
century, nobles put a
price on wolf heads to
encourage the new
bounty hunters and
They would wire their
jaws together
civilians to kill
as many wolves
as they could.
This practice
carries on
today, where it
still continues in
some areas. Bounty hunting's
highest point was at the
turn of the twentieth
century. Between 1883 and
1918, eighty thousand wolves
were killed in Montana
alone. Wolves would be shot,
poisoned, trapped, and
tortured. People would wire
wolves' jaws together so
that they starved. Even
worse, the wolves would be
tied to a stake and torn
apart by the bounty hunter's
dogs. Wolf pups were
sometimes dragged from their
dens, away from their
mothers, to be beaten and
shot. Although these
gestures did not wipe out
wolves completely, it
devastated their numbers.
Before Europeans settled in
America, there were about
two million wolves. Five
hundred years later, there
were between 500 and 1,600.
Most people did
these things because they
were angry and scared. When
wolves killed livestock,
people got angry because the
animals were their money,
and how they made way in the
world. When a wolf killed an
animal from the flock or
herd, people would see what
wolves can do. That's when
they would get scared. These
people needed (and need!) to
understand that wolves
aren't trying to do harm,
they are just trying to
survive. People often say
that wolves are savage
animals. They say that
wolves kill for fun and have
no mercy. These things are
not true. Wolves have a
complex pack system, the
opposite of what people
think. They kill their prey
for food, not for pleasure.
The only recorded attacks
were of wolves that were
performing self-defense,
had rabies, or were being
provoked by humans. Even
so, people are somehow
immune to these truths.
Humans seem to want these
complex animals
to be
bloodthirsty
killers. This is
true for other
predators, too.
Foxes, coyotes,
and bears are
also mistreated,
although wolves
got the worst of
it. Hopefully,
people will start
to understand
what wolves
really are-an
essential part of
North America’s ecosystem.
Mission: WolfNot everyone is prejudiced against wolves. In fact, a lot of people are trying to help them. You can to. A great organization to look into is Mission: Wolf (missionwolf.com). Although they focus on wolves, M:W attempts to address a range of environmental issues through education. In fact, they also have horses. Mission: Wolf is located in Colorado, where their resident wolves have plenty of space.
How to DonateGo online to missionwolf.com where you can find a list of supplies they need or make donation.To send a donation directly, address it toMission WolfPO box 1211Westcliffe, CO81252
Leo, a resident at Mission: Wolf
SLAVES
FOR
CHOCOLATE
SLAVES
Ah, chocolate, food of the gods. When
it was first introduced to Europe, only
the noble could afford it. Today, you
can buy it cheap at any corner store.
And this Halloween, a lot of people
will. But how is it that cheap?
Thereʼs a long story behind that little
bar of chocolate, and it starts in
plantations. Many of them are in the
Ivory Coast, a country in West Africa
which, 10 years ago, was divided by
civil war. 40% of cacao, the main
ingredient in chocolate, is grown
there. Workers tend cacao trees, then
harvest, dry and sell the beans to
middle men, who sell them to bigger
middle man, who sell them to your
favorite chocolate companies, who,
with the help of factories turn them
into your favorite chocolate bars.
Theyʼre distributed to stores where
you buy them and unwrap and take a
bite of luscious goodness. Which
would be great, only thatʼs not the full
story, and the the real one isnʼt quite
as sweet.
Thereʼs a lot of pressure for that bar to
be cheap, and like it or not, that
pressure comes from us. The
consumers. So instead of charging us
the real price for a bar of chocolate,
everybody in the line of production
has to figure out how to cut costs.
Most of this falls to the plantations,
who often arenʼt exactly scrupulous
about it. First, they use slash and burn
to clear land so they can plant more
cacao trees, destroying forests and
animal habitats in itʼs wake. Slash and
Burn is what it sounds like, sadly;
once beautiful forests slashed and
burned until they are no more. When
Cacao trees are in their natural
environment, a rainforest, they happily
coexist and receive badly need shade
from taller trees, as well as nutrients.
When they are in heavily crowded
plantations, on the other hand, they
require pesticides to stay ʻhealthy.ʼ
However, thatʼs not cheap enough to
please the middle men, more middle
men, chocolate companies and you,
so they turn to something else: slave
labor. Imagine working on a Cacao
plantation: carrying back breaking
loads, working with machettis,
practically every single day. Now
imagine doing it without pay. If you
didnʼt do it well enough, ʻmisbehavedʼ
or were caught escaping, you would
be subject to severe whippings. Awful
at any age, but the worst part is, these
are children and teens as young as
seven, lured away from their homes in
countries like Ghana and Burkina
Faso with lucrative offers, then
smuggled across borders and
trafficked into the Ivory Coast. How
are the children lured? Well, countries
like Burkina Faso donʼt produce much;
they mostly import products from other
countries. Because of this, a good
deal of the country is very poor, and to
children, a stranger giving a job offer
with good pay is a great deal, not one
to be suspicious of.
Once at the
plantations,
the children
are worked
practically
(and in some
cases literally) to death until theyʼve
outlived their usefulness. While still
young adults, they will suffer affects
from the pesticides theyʼve worked
with, sans protection, and experience
extreme back pain from the heavy
loads theyʼve carried, not to mention
scars from brutal beatings.
And the truth is, most of these teens
have never tried chocolate. The have
been robbed of their childhoods and
families, and their families have been
robbed of their children. The have
been thrust into a country where they
do not know the language, forced to
Most of these teens havenever even
tried chocolate.
work from dawn to dusk so we can
have our chocolate bars. Sadly, all
chocolate companies, large and small,
know this is happening, but giants like
Hersheyʼs and Nestles stand by
because they know they can get away
with it.
Many plantations to not employ these
techniques, but once all of the beans
are mixed together, there is no way of
telling. Luckily, there is a certification
system called fair trade which certifies
brands that use only beans from
responsible cacao plantations. These
brands give back to the communities
they buy from, and have much more
of a connection to the farmers.
However, fair trade chocolate is much
more expensive, because everyone
involved is being paid a living wage.
Many people and human rights
organizations are pressuring major
brands like Hersheyʼs to go fair trade,
hoping it will create a domino affect
among other chocolate companies. So
far they have had some victories, but
there is still a long way to go before
chocolate can truly be sweet again.
By Marie Hogan
Fair Trade may be more expensive, but it’s higher quality too(and usually organic). However, beware of “fair trade washing,” and look for signs, not claims. There are three main certifications:TransFair USA(or just Fair Trade Certified), Fair Trade Federation, and IMO(fair for life). Fair Trade Federation is generally for Clothing and other items, not food, though it does certify some chocolate brands. Of the two specifically for agriculture, Trans Fair USA is generally considered to have stricter, more thorough regulations and requirements that ensure farmer’s needs are never left by the way side.
Buying Power
Plastic Bag skirts are perfect for Halloween, not because they’re great costumes, but because this is the time of year when you are free to be creative about dress. Not only is this a creative project that makes a statement(which hopefully, in turn, will create an action), but it also acts as a running tally of exactly how many plastic bags you collect over time.
What you’ll need:A whole bunch of plastic bags(you’ll need more than you think)An old tieIron and Ironing boardOutdoor areaStick-on Velcro
Once you have enough plastic bags, begin ironing them together, outside(I hate to say it, but ironing plastic in an enclosed breathing area can cause brain damage). You’ll need to layer several together in order to make “fabric”, so have fun thinking about what designs you want to showcase on the skirt. Once you have ironed all of your plastic bags into panels, let them cool down and get out the sewing machine. This is the perfect time to design your skirt-look through the panels to find useable ones, then pick out those you like. Think of it as a patchwork, because it is. Once you know what you want your skirt to look like, go to the sewing machine and begin sewing the panels together according to plan. Se a cut-up old tie along the top. This will serve as your belt. Connect the two sides and sew 3/4 of the way up, then add the velcro.
Plastic Bag Skirts
DIY
As fall comes, it’s a beautiful time to study plant, animal and weather change, especially in you live in very seasonal place. The transition from summer to winter is a large one and often there are so many changes going on in our own lives, we often don’t have time to notice and specifically point out ones concerning nature. But if you do, well, then, a whole new world is open. Centuries ago, nature books were used to record herbs and medicines as one went along as a sort of textbook of their time. They were kept in the family and slowly accumulated more and more information. Today, as we know so much more about science and have discovered so many more species, along with many of their properties, nature books do not serve the same purpose as they did in originally did. However, the citizen science movement is growing, so this is the perfect time to re-imagine what nature books can be. For a modern and environmental twist, observe the pollution in your city and how it affects plant and animal life. Then, share your findings online so others curious about the area can find the information they need. Once you have a nature book and dip your toes into the ocean of citizen science, there’s a whole world of possibilities open to you.
The Environment in the newsPlans for drilling in the arctic have been halted for the rest of the year after it was learned that shell’s spill cleanup technology had been damaged. There was strong opposition from environmental activists on sides, with concerns about how spills would be cleaned up. In fact, over the summer, two Greenpeace activists stationed themselves by the operation to prevent plans from going ahead and were hit full force by water canons.
Nature Books
Maybe you fancy Yosemite turned into
a reservoir? All of these ideas sound
preposterous, but they might have
become tragic realities had no one
stood up for our landmarks in their
hour of need. And no one would have,
mind you, save for them. Our
conservationists have time and again
stood up for the nature we consider
just another benefit of our country
today.
The American respect and love of the
land has been present on this
continent since Native American tribes
worshipped many forces of nature as
gods and did all that was in their
Yellowstone Lake, Wyoming
Can you imagine America without
its forests? How about what the Grand Canyon would look like as
the nationʼs deepest theme park?
In Brief: A History of the Foundations of the American Conservationist Movement.
power to protect their land when
Europeans invaded, resulting in
numerous disputes and battles
between the Native Americans and
settlers that inadvertently both showed
many Native Americans they had to
fight like they had never fought before
for what they believed was rightfully
theirs, and caused the settlers to
wonder at these people who were
willing to give up their lives for what as
far as (the settlers) were concerned
was just a bit of land, land which
seemed to be the only thing they had
in abundance. But what land! Visitors
would later return home dazzled with
its beauty, telling their spouses and
children of this great frontier that
would present both new land and a
new hope for many Europeans looking
in vain for a better life. As word of that
coveted better life being achieved in
America spread like wildfire, the
settlers came in droves, wiping out
expanses of forest for their towns as
easily as the diseases they brought
with them wiped out entire Native
American tribes. America was more
than a new frontier. It was a new crop
of land for the newcomers to do as
they wished with. Over a hundred
years, three hideously bloody wars,
and a Declaration of Independence
later, The conservationist movement
had gained momentum, but by then it
had something far more inhibiting: an
opposition. By now, America had
begun to have a need for
deforestation, over-harvesting, and
mass-producing to meet the demand
for a rapidly growing populace, and so
turned to industrialization to solve the
countryʼs problems for it. However, at
this time no on knew the ecological
horrors which could result from
industrialization-nor did they know, in
their innocence, of the path to
ecological disaster they were even
then laying the cobblestones for.
Soon, however, Americans would
begin to find themselves with the
aftereffects of industry pushed to a
breakneck pace to accommodate
demand: poverty and filth running
rampant, people living in terrible
conditions, and entire ecosystems
being destroyed at an alarming rate.
Concern was growing that it was
unsafe. Some people, however, were
increasingly concerned not at their
own plight, plight though it was, but at
the plight of the natural resources (the
fact that “natural resources” is an
accepted word even to this day is
testimony to the extent we as
americans and english speakers
believed that nature was ours to use
as we saw fit) which were dwindling
away as america became ever
stronger. However, it wasnʼt until the
early to mid 19th century when the
articles of, among others, a young
John Muir gained nationwide attention
that people began to truly appreciate
the nature which, if somewhat
lessened than it may have been when
their parents or grandparents came
here, still surrounded many who lived
in this relatively new nation. And after
countless persuasive articles and
pleas for change, Andrew Jackson
and the 22nd Congress made the first
(if unofficial) national park out of Hot
Springs, Arkansas. A great victory
won, but an end to the fight it was not.
In the years that have come and
passed since that fateful day, many
new challenges have risen, and it will
be up to us and our descendants to
continue the long, steadfast march
toward a free earth. For our ancestors,
for our children.
By Siena Starbird