Buy tickets for Danielle Wood on 4/22/2022 7:30 PM, CAMPBELL HALL . As the director of the cutting-edge Space Enabled research group at MIT’s Media Lab, Danielle Wood applies designs enabled by space research to projects that advance social good here on Earth. Presented by UC Santa Barbara Arts & Lectures.
— Read on artsandlectures.ucsb.edu/Details.aspx
The Problems with Cities in America
by Nicolas Simon,
Issues with Fish Consumption in the World
By Nicolas Simon, Belgium
Whale Watching in the Santa Barbara Channel
By Lena, Germany
Elon Musk And the Planet’s End
Beatrice from France
The earth was formed 4.5 billion years ago. It is the third planet from the sun. Now the number of humans living on earth average 7.5 billion. That means that 7.5 billion brains could figure out a viable solution to quit our planet before. But how can we? Elon Musk is possibly an example.
Most of us have known that our sun will explode in 4.5 billion years and will destroy our planet, but there are a lot of other possibilities that could kill us that are not very well known.
As you can see in this documentary, the end of our planet could happen from a nuclear holocaust, a genetically engineered disease, a resource depletion, a huge disaster caused by a physical and scientific experiment, a deadly asteroid impact, methane bursts from the seabed, the creation of a black hole by the scientists or at least a super-volcanic eruption.
Elon Musk is one of the most famous entrepreneurs and engineers on this earth. He is the founder of and very involved in SpaceX, Tesla Inc, Neuralink, the Boring Company, OpenAI and Paypal. He definitely has no limits.
This man is motivated by goals in his life. He wishes to establish a human colony on Mars in order to reduce the risk of the human extinction. Also, he is trying to fight against the global warming through sustainable energy production.
At least this man understood the human mission which is to keep humanity alive.
Elon Musk not only has dreams, he is also a businessman. Why is he so famous nowadays? Elon Musk knows how create value and how to invest each dollar earned again into another company. He creates business value cycles in order to reach his goals. He is a great example to follow.
To conclude, I think we do need more creative and determined people like Elon Musk. This real example gives inspiration to others and fits well with the very famous quote from Oscar Wilde, “always aim for the moon to reach the stars.”
The Franceschi Park and its History
Naomie Gauchat, Switzerland
Next year, I will return in Santa Barbara with my family to show them the most beautiful place that I have never seen; The Franceschi Park. This park was once the home of famed botanist F. Franceschi. I discovered this place with my SPIN class ”I LOVE SB”. The purpose of this class was to discover the city, and it worked.
The park is located above the city. By car, it is only ten minutes from Downtown or one hour by walking. The location is pretty easy to find. There are direction signs along the way so you can not get lost. It has a panoramic view of the city and it provides a tranquil horticultural resource. A lot of people go there to relax themselves, do sports, walking their dog or just enjoy the view. In addition to the view of the city, you also have an ocean view. On sunny days, you can easily distinguish the different islands, like : Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, San Miguel Island and Anacapa Island. Those four islands are quite far from the waterfront, more than 3 hours by boat.
Further into the park, you can observe a house. It was the house of M. Franco Franceschi. This house was used for botanical study and plant cultivation. This one became a botanical nursery for their experiments in plant propagation. Between 1894 and 1913, Franceschi imported over 900 species. He planted an enormous variety of native and non-native trees, like oak, camphor, cinnamon, avocado, banana, candlenut, and many species of citrus and palms. Many kinds of seeds were also grown on this area. Finally, through Franceschi’s efforts, almost 200 new plant species were introduced to California.
Unfortunately, F. Franceschi died in 1924 and M. Freeman inherited the house as well as the property. He was a huge fan of Franceschi’s work. Through his efforts, the property was enlarged and the house remodeled in a Mediterranean style. Freeman donated it to the city of Santa Barbara. That is why now everybody can go there. But the problem is that the city of Santa Barbara did not do the necessary renovations and maintenance and the house has fallen apart. For that reason the city of Santa Barbara decided two weeks ago to demolish the house and to rebuild something else.
California Road Trip Trough Big Sur
Adele Fadier, France
Does the idea of a California road trip makes you dream? From Santa Barbara to Monterey you will discover all the best spots of the Pacific Coast, driving on Highway 1.
The California Coast is one of the most scenic coastal drives in the world. By this way you can discover all the California’s amazing natural life. Obviously, when you drive alongside the ocean you are going to see incredible places and views. That’s the upside of a road trip-you can stop everywhere you want. So, now I will show you the most famous spots of this Highway 1.
After leaving Santa Barbara, your first official stop will be in San Simeon. In fact, this city located on California’s Central Coast offers drivers many reasons to stop and stay a while. San Simeon is home to 17,000 different animals, offering many opportunities to commune with wildlife and especially the elephant seals. Thousands of these sea mammals can be viewed sun bathing on a sandy beach or having a jolly good time in the water. The second famous place to visit in San Simeon is the Hearst Castle. It’s a National Historic Landmark which was a residence for newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst between 1919 and 1947. Actually many people come to visit this castle because of its amazing Roman architecture.
Then, you can continue on the road until you reach Sand Dollar Beach, which is the largest unbroken stretch of sand in Big Sur and is considered to be one of the best surfing spots in Big Sur. Visitors said Sand Dollar Beach is a beautiful and relaxing spot to lay out or have a picnic. The beach is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and it costs $10 to park your car, but another thing that is important to know is that swimming at Sand Dollar Beach is considered dangerous – so be careful.
22.1 miles later you will arrive to Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. A main feature of the park is McWay Falls, which drops over a cliff of 80 feet (24 meters) into the Pacific Ocean. In the same area you will find the Henry Miller Memorial Library, a nonprofit arts center, bookstore, and performance venue, championing the late writer, artist, and Big Sur resident Henry Miller and other creative individuals living in or near Big Sur. But that’s not all, in this place you can also find the Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park and the Pfeiffer Beach. This state park is massive with several hiking trails, picnic grounds and watering holes where you can see picnickers swimming with joy. About the Pfeiffer Beach, I strongly recommend coming in just before sunrise so that you can have the beach all to yourself. Moreover, it’s an amazing place to take pictures of the sunset or sunrise thanks to the impressive rocks situated in front of the beach.
In the same area, there is Partington Cove which is a beautiful hike to take in Big Sur. As you make your way through a tunnel, you will start to see the beginning of one of the most beautiful coves you will ever see – the water is so clear you can see the kelp and what seems to be the ocean floor below.
A few kilometers further you can find Point Sur Lighthouse. That’s the only complete light station open to the public in California and it offers you an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean.
Then, you can continue your road until one of the most famous spot of the Big Sur, the Bixby Creek Bridge. It’s also one of the most photographed bridges in California due to its aesthetic design. It’s like a gate away to Big Sur.
Now we arrive at the last area of this road trip, Monterey County, but don’t worry there are still many beautiful places to discover.
First, Garrapata State Park, an unknown Big Sur jewel – it’s a treasure to those who have discovered it. Garrapata State Park’s unpopulated hiking trails provide access to both the beautiful Big Sur coastline and the breathtaking Santa Lucia Mountains. So, you can’t miss it!
After this, you can go to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. This place is outstanding for sightseeing, photography, painting, nature study, picnicking, scuba diving, and jogging. The offshore area forms one of the richest underwater habitats in the world popular with divers. Wildlife includes seals, sea lions, sea otters and migrating gray whales. In this reserve you ought to go to China Cove and Gibson Beach, two amazing places to enjoy the view and the wildlife.
Then, we will arrive at the penultimate city of this road trip called Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carmel is known for its natural scenery and rich artistic history. Here you can visit all the pretty streets of the city and the famous Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo.
Finally, we will arrive at Monterey, the last place of this road trip. This is one of the most beautiful coastal cities of California. It was originally the state capital of California but today it is best known for its beautiful coastline, its world-class aquarium and from the many John Steinbeck novels set there.
As a conclusion, Big Sur will offer you an amazing road trip to discover the California central coast trough the Highway 1. Do not hesitate to stop whenever you want to enjoy the view or the atmosphere of a place. Let appreciate the nature and the wildlife without human intervention. So enjoy it, but be respectful of all the places you will visit. Another important thing to know is that you have to work on your itinerary before you go. Sometimes, some parts of the Highway can be closed for any reasons, so it’s better to be informed in time.
You can find below a video of a road trip in Big Sur with some places to sleep and to eat.
Enjoy your trip!
World Wildlife Fund Takes Stock
Maxime Vautrelle, France
World Wildlife Fund released a report about wildlife’s situation since the last forty years, and the situation is critical. Including climate change and habitat loss, the planet have declined 60 percent of this population wildlife, most due to human activity.
60 percent in 40 years. As Carter Roberts, president and chief executive officer of WWF-US, said “This report sounds a warning shot across our bow. Natural systems essential to our survival — forests, oceans, and rivers — remain in decline,” this report is a real warning for the future of the planet. Also he claimed that we have to change our habits because this planet is our home and we need it. For example, 20 percent of the Amazon disappeared and that continue. The biggest decline is creatures that live in fresh water, the decline has estimated at 83 percent drop.
“Humanity and the way we feed, fuel, and finance our societies and economies is pushing nature and the services that power and sustain us to the brink,” said the report about the causes of the human activity on the nature. The consequences has been measured and the globe has lost about half their shallow-water corals in the last 30 years.
Earth’s temperature increase of 2 degrees in 2100
Ken Norris, director of science at the Zoological Society of London, who provided the data for the report, said that the statistics are “scary,” but it doesn’t mean we should give up and exactly the opposite. The report calls people, businesses and governments to do together a “global deal for nature” to preserve diversity of wildlife on the planet. Therewith, the director general Marco Lambertini of WWF explain “we have two main problems (…) First the greatest, is the cultural challenge. For too long we have taken nature for granted, and this needs to stop. The second is economic. We can no longer ignore the impact of current unsustainable production models and wasteful lifestyles.”
Meanwhile, another report released from IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) about the urgent situation. Currently, our greenhouse gas emissions are warming up the earth. They estimated will reach 2 degrees Celsius at the end of this century. Exceeded two degrees is the limit, after that, the actual consequences we have noticed on the environment, will be amplified. Extinctions are likely to increase dramatically, and the majority of world’s corals (including on the Great Barrier Reef) will disappear.
To conclude, we have to change our habits, daily routines and make the environment our first priority. That’s a big actual problem which should solves others as economics or socials. The Earth is in global danger and neither political leader from a world power seems to be focused on this problem.
What’s Happening with the Pipeline Project in Canada?
Maxime Vautrelle, France
It is a big disappointment for the Canadian government. At the end of August, the justice stopped the construction of The TransMountain expansion.
One of the biggest projects in Canada, the TransMountain is compromised. The goal was the transportation of energy (petrol, oil, gas…) across Canada and the north of the United States of America. Actually, a pipeline makes the transportation from Chicago (with different ways) to Edmonton in the county of Alberta (Canada). This one is called Embridge Alberta Clipper. Also, the other biggest one is the Express and Platte from Pakota (near Chicago) to Hardisty (Alberta County).
The Federal Court of Appeal cancelled the executive order to continue the project on the 30th of August. For the institution, the Canadian government has missed these obligations. They should consulted the native populations before approving the project, and they didn’t in November 2016.
The Appeals Court is thinking about the consequences on the environment for the expansion. If the TransMoutain is built he should do the transportation from Edmonton to Vancouver, and the Canadian president, Justin Trudeau, accepted the project of Kinder Morgan (the investment company) in despite this cost (Ten billion dollars).
In the ‘First Nations’ camp it’s a victory. The balance sheet of the jugdment said, the ONE (Office National of Energy) has been a big mistake in the evaluations of this office can’t be use for the expansion. The public interest and the environment impact was disregarded altough the economic impact on the region : The weekly capacity of the TransMoutain’s transportation could be 300,000 barrels to 900,000 barrels. The numbers of the tankers will be 34 against 5 actually.
Finally, the negociations between the different institutions should continue until an agreement, but the project raise so many problems. Actually it’s a public project bought by Trudeau’s administration, and many people in politic had criticized this spending. Greenpeace in head, the ecologic organisation asked the government to take these billions and spend it in favor of the renewable energies.
This case is pushing Justin Trudeau and this administration in the turmoil and it will be difficult for the President to find a positive issue. With the expansion of TranMountain the internationale figure of the Canada and his ‘green-values’, and the weakness of Justin Trudeau confront in the institutions, the Canadian government lives these worst hours.
Animals Facing Extinction
by Malena Julia Banjavcic, Switzerland
Help. What does help mean? Who needs help? And what help do they need? What can we do to help? These are questions we should ask ourselves every day. We are not alone in this world, even if it sometimes feels like it. There are people, who need help, but also animals. And we all need to start to ask ourselves how to make a change, because there are animals facing extinction and their time is running out.
So what does it mean when animals are in real danger facing extinction?
Plants and animals which are facing extinction are called Endangered Species. Particularly, it says that these species are very likely to become extinct in nearer time. Of course, there are reasons in nature why animals become endangered, but for the most part we, humans, are the reason. Evidence of this is provided by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). According to it, we are now losing animal species at more than 1,000 times the normal rate. In 2012, the IUCN featured 3,079 animals and 2,655 plants as endangered worldwide. Whereas back in 1998, the figures were 1,102 animals and 1,197 plants. People often don’t even know that animals, which are well known, are critically endangered. Examples of species which are facing extinction are the Amur Leopard (pic. 1), the Bornean Orangutan (pic. 2) or the Malayan Tiger (pic. 3).
(pic. 1) 
(pic. 2) 
(pic. 3)
If nothing changes, we put ourselves in danger, too. The world is a whole, big ecosystem. Ecosystems depend on healthy plants and animals. Without them an ecosystem is not even possible; they are the foundation. When one of the species becomes endangered, the whole system slowly starts to fall apart. So every loss of a species triggers the next. Just like animals and plants, we, humans, also depend on healthy ecosystems like forests, oceans or grasslands. So we’re risking our health and environment when we don’t do anything about the contamination.
We, humans, cause the extinction of a lot of species only by living, but this can be changed. We have to live together with the animals. I once heard someone saying “it’s not our world, we just borrowed it” and I think that is the truth.
I think something important to do is to educate. We need to teach people and especially children about what is happening right now. If people do not know about the problem, they can’t do anything, but it’s also the job of our governments. How do people still sell furs and skins of all these endangered animals without being punished for it? Another thing which helps, is ,of course, the support for several organisations which work on this problem. Support can mean financial for those, who either don’t have the time or the will to go to the affected places where help is needed, but volunteer work is also support. Not only do you help, but you also experience beautiful countries and learn something about our world, the different cultures and also about yourself. “Work” doesn’t always mean it’s not fun.
It’s not that difficult to change something, so why isn’t there a change going on? – Ask yourself.
sources:
- https://faunalytics.org/endangered/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwrszdBRDWARIsAEEYhrdw31M8OWsEchW233z02sL1IFJq_RtySMcMF1aLOoN3BHwP1cI3B9AaAtnREALw_wcB
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species#IUCN_Red_List
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/directory?direction=desc&sort=extinction_status
- http://www.endangered.org/importance-of-the-endangered-species-act/
efsantabarbaranews.com 