The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade

The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade

The Student News Site of Sunny Hills High School

The Accolade

Current Event: Wednesday, March 13
Current Event: Wednesday, March 13
Pricilla Escobedo and Chris Lee March 14, 2024
Current Event: Tuesday, March 12
Current Event: Tuesday, March 12
Pricilla Escobedo and Chris Lee March 14, 2024
Sophomore Sophia Gentile (left) and junior Maya Kew-Layton practice sprinting uphill on Lancer Way toward the parking lot by the Performing Arts Center during sixth period on Monday, March 4.
GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD PREVIEW: Lady Lancers hope to win championship for their last season in the Freeway League
Seowon Han, Spotlight Editor & Business Manager • March 13, 2024
Junior Evan Sereg (left) listens to senior Nicolas Galven play his guitar during lunch in the quad on Thursday, March 7.
Photos of the Week (3/4-3/8)
Chloe Kang, Sue Kang, Asaph Li, and Noah Lee March 13, 2024

King for a day: We need to work to put out these fires

An+artists+interpretation+of+the+writer+and+his+comments+on+the+environment.
Jacqueline Chang
An artist’s interpretation of the writer and his comments on the environment.

This is the fifth and final part of a series of stories written by five of Accolade‘s top editors as if they were to be “Kings for a day” — all of which originally appeared in the “Photo Finish” special section, which focused on the upcoming Nov. 3 general election in our Oct. 30 print issue. The full issue can be read here. One story will be posted per day until Election Day on Nov. 3. 

They’ve lost everything.

Their homes, their possessions, their lives — everything they’ve worked to attain has degraded to nothing more than fuel to feed the orange sky. 

No rain is coming to save them; instead, the gray ash that falls from above taunts those affected and futhers the pollution and health hazards for everyone — as if the deadly fires, crumbling buildings and toxic smoke were not enough. 

In the past six weeks, tens of thousands of people have fallen victim to the flames that scorched over 5 million acres of land in the West Coast, and killed over 30 people. 

Something needs to change.

Thus, if I were King for a Day, I’d decree: we must pass the necessary legislation to prevent our planet from getting any worse. 

We must instate quotas and regulations that limit the pollution emitted by big businesses. In 2018, The Guardian reported that 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions. These regulations would stop these businesses from continuing to add fuel to the fire. 

We must collaborate with other countries to solve this global issue. In 2017, our president stated his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement — a coalition of almost 200 countries that have agreed to stall global warming and improve countries’ abilities to deal with climate change. By exiting the agreement, we’re preventing other countries from bettering themselves. Again, this isn’t just about us — this is a global issue.  

Our environmental issues are only continuing to get worse; the fires we see now are just the beginning. We may not see the full effects of our actions during our lifetimes, but we must think about the future — the world we leave behind. 

Finally, we must implement, within our education system, a curriculum to inform our youth of the consequences they and the rest of the world will face if they continue to follow our example. These are the people who will inherit the earth; if we educate them now, they can begin to establish good habits in their daily lives that will lead to significant change over time. When they eventually become our lawmakers, they’ll have a good enough understanding of our climate to make the best possible decisions.  

I, for one, would like my kids to see blue when they look up at the sky.

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Tyler Pak, Editor-in-Chief
Ever since he joined the Journalism 1 program in his freshman year, senior Tyler Pak knew that he had found his passion. Fast forward three years and Pak is now spending his senior year serving as the editor-in-chief for The Accolade. Pak has also served as a news editor, assistant sports editor and staff reporter. Over the summer of 2020, Pak also served as an intern for The Stanford Daily and GovSight. If Pak isn't working on a story, you can find him singing along to musicals, eating food or playing basketball.
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