Patricia Raymond, age 8
Lahontan Elementary School

The Effect of Trees on our Earth.

If we didn't have trees we wouldn't have oxygen. Without trees no life would exist on earth. Trees provide shade. Without trees we wouldn't have the beautiful colors in the fall. Tress provide us with paper, it also provides lumber to build our homes. Trees make firewood to keep us warm.

The rain forest of the world are the most important trees on the earth. When companies cut down trees in the rain forest they change the world's climate. We need to conserve our forest and our wetlands for our future generations.

Every time someone cuts down a tree they need to plant a new tree. Trees are our main way to stop erosion. The logging companies use to cut all trees in an area, but they have learned to not cut a complete forest because it causes erosion. They reseed and plant trees.

Trees provide homes and food for wildlife. One of Mother Natures way of taking care of the earth is wildfires. Apple trees and orange trees and all other fruit trees are very important to our survival on earth. In Australia, Eucalyptus trees provide food for Koala Bears and it is the only thing they eat.

When you dispose of chemicals and oils, you have to be responsible and make sure they are in a safe place, or they will destroy our forest and our waterways.

My family practices safe environmental customs. We plant a tree on Arbor Day. We grow vegetables and flowers each spring.

I hope you like my essay.

Thank-you, Patricia Raymond

Shelby Blakey, age 9
Numa Elementary

Earth Day is important because it's the one day in the year (well for some people) that we get to spend appreciating the earth. Some people celebrate the earth everyday by recycling and planting trees and plants. A clean environment helps the earth and people stay healthy. People need to drink clean water, breathe clean air, and eat food that grows in clean soil. People can get sick if the environment is dirty.

The environment gets dirty by cars and factories filling the air with smog. Smog can make it hard for people and plants to breathe.

It's good to recycle because garbage pollutes the water and soil, making plants and animals not grow well because of the garbage.

Gaylord Nelson started Earth Day in 1970. He wanted to save the environment. Mr. Nelson taught people about the things that hurt our land, water, and air. Today, we celebrate Earth Day every year in the month of April. This holiday reminds us to take good care of our environment. Like other holidays, Earth Day can be a time for celebrations. Some towns have festivals with music, rides and parades.

The only thing most people don't know is that the earth is still not as clean it it could be. The smog and garbage have not gone away. So on Earth Day, children and adults around the world do things to help the environment.

Earth Day isn't the only day you can help the environment, you can help every day!

Kailyn Zielke, age 11
Lahontan Elementary School

Earth Day Dilemmas

We need to be more aware of the dangerous pollution that occurs everyday in our community from cars. littering. cleaners, waste and much more. We need to help with this horrible situation. Many people don't pay attention to what they do or even think about how it will affect our environmental future. You may think that you are happy with all of the technology we have, but did you know that at least 1/2 of our technology pollutes the air we breathe? Polluted air affects not only humans and animals but also rivers, and our oceans, just to name a few. While we pollute the air, we affect all living things!

There are many people who think this situation is impossible to fix. These people are called futilitarians; they believe it's impossible to fix the damage that we have created. I believe we can fix this damage if we're very conscious about our daily activities and decisions. We all need to work together; this will make us more triumphant. There are many crucial things that we can do to help Mother Nature, and our future generations.

We can do many things to help the years of tomorrow significantly today! Simply recycling will reduce the amount of pollution we omit into the atmosphere everyday. Many tasks are humongous. If we all joined together doing a little at at a time, we will make a lasting impact.

Here are some ways to help Mother Nature: More people are becoming aware of this easy trick; simply fill an empty gallon jug with water and place it in the back of your toilet. Every time the toilet is flushed, you will save a gallon of water! Another common way to help is by using your grocery bags over and over! It's also possible for us to recycle acid batteries, plastic and paper grocery bags, building materials, and everyday cardboard. Other recyclable items include, but are not limited to: electronic equipment, lead, magazines, phonebooks and newspapers, along with paper, metal, oil aluminum, glass and plastic. Here are some things that are recyclable, but are generally forgotten about: paint, tires, white goods, wood, and surprisingly even yard waste! Recycling these commonly used items along with encouraging your friends, families, neighbors, co-workers and acquaintances to join in; together we will help to extraordinarily change the amount of pollution emitted into our air! After awhile, others will start to join in. Because your neighbor knows people you don't. Word of mouth is the very best way to advertise! Even if that advertisement is to help to save our earth! You can set ground and change the world, one step at a time.

By getting your friends and family involved, we will have a wider and greater impact! Another possibility is to write a letter to your Mayor, Governor, House Representative, Senator, and even our President, explaining what he/she could contribute to the world wide recycling effort. Be sure to include both your common and uncommon suggestions, as to what he/she could do. Everyday things like riding buses, riding bikes and having recycle and trash bins put everywhere possible are some additional suggestions you could politely refer to. Many people think we are not heard. This is not true. We are being heard in a very loud voice and because of this we are growing with leaps and bounds! Our former Vice President even made a movie depicting our battles, "An Inconvenient Truth." Someone once said that, "you won't be heard, if you don't speak." So speak loud and clear, each and everyday to anyone who will listen!

Let's talk about our driving habits - we drive everywhere. We drive to the corner store, to the post office; we even drive to our workday lunch. Believe it or not, your car can pollute the entire town, as if it were a mouth swallowing the world. The vehicle industry is one of the worst when it comes to contributing everyday pollutants. This is due to the vehicles use of natural gases and energy. We can easily reduce this by simply walking at lunch to get that sandwich you wanted. Take a brisk family walk to the corner store or even take a break during your workday to walk to the post office. Consider purchasing a hybrid car, you many even qualify for a tax break.

Another huge problem we are facing is the construction of homes and businesses. The construction industry is destroying the trees that help us breathe, at an alarming rate. We can help this problem by purchasing houses and businesses that are environmentally friendly. They use recycled lumber and include a multitude of environmentally friendly appliances. With a purchase such as this, there may be a tax break included. Planting trees helps to reduce our pollution, plant some with your family and friends.

Just a reminder for you shopaholics: try to purchase products that include post consumer recycled paper, plastic and glass products. Remember, every little bit helps when it comes to saving our environment!

Celebrating Earth Day is a great way to educate the public of our very real pollution problem. It helps to encourage the public to make environmentally wise decisions. So get involved and encourage everyone you know to get involved too.

Please take this problem seriously; you can help a great deal if you are persistent. Remember the world is in our hands!!! So try everyday to improve your habits, doing so will help to protect our irreplaceable and vital environment!

Anything and everything makes a huge difference!

Shiva Rajagopal, age 14
Churchill County Jr. High School

There are many things that are important to us in today's world, but one thing we often take for granted is the world itself. We often forget that without Earth and its resources, there would be no people, no plants, nothing. The Earth deserves a day of honor, just like Martin Luther King Jr. Day, St. Patrick's Day, or Valentine's Day. Earth needs celebrating as a thank-you for sustaining life. There's only one Earth, and I know that we are lucky to have it.

Earth Day has been observed for 37 years this April and has helped raise awareness of the environment and the fragility of the planet we call home. More and more people are incorporating eco-friendly methods in their lifestyles, but soon, this will be too little, too late. Everybody should care about what happens to our planet, because there is only one Earth that we can live on, and it's worth saving. Most people can't imagine how many different species of flora and fauna call Earth home. Everybody needs air, light, food and water to survive, but we have not safeguarded the resources that provide us with these essentials. Mankind has polluted Earth gradually over the past 1000 years and aggressively over the last century, for reasons like short-term gain, greed, carelessness or indifference. It is our responsibility to save the only planet we have ever and its magnificent diversity of life. If we don't, research proves that we might lose 25% of Earth's species in the next 30 years.

Since life began on Earth, there has been one imperative rule for everyone: adapt or die. Living creatures have always been able to adjust to changing climates because the change has been slower. Climatic changes have always been cyclic and have allowed time for species to adapt and survive. However, a new problem has arisen in the past 10-20 years called global warming. A major contributing factor to global warming is increased combustion of fossil fuels and the resulting emission of harmful gases. Global warming accelerates climate change, leading to the loss of species that cannot adapt quickly enough to survive. We have already lost some animals such as the Golden Toad in Costa Rica to global warming. Global warming is the release of carbon into the atmosphere, causing a greenhouse effect and warming the planet steadily. Research proves that if we don't do something about global warming, our oceans will rise by over three feet, due to the glaciers melting into the sea. Low-lying land masses are especially susceptible, leading to extinction for the extant species.

There are many things that we can do to safeguard our planet. If we can find ways to save energy, pollution can be decreased since there won't be as many pollutants entering the ecosystem. We can do this in many ways, large and small. Practices such as buying energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances, turning off lights and building energy efficient homes or recycling are all small steps that lead to giant strides in conservation. We can all help by carpooling or using solar or human powered vehicles whenever possible. We can also walk or use mass transit to get to our destinations. We can also use the power of our voices and our vote to make a difference, like writing to Congress or voting for elected officials who care about the earth, through their actions, not just their rhetoric. If a lot of people do little things, the impact and results will be bigger than anyone realizes.

We should try to harness more energy from natural, renewable resources like solar, wind, tidal or geothermal energy. If we were to gather all of the energy the sun gives off in a day, we could satisfy the energy needs of the human race going for over 15 years. There are all kinds of bio-friendly alternatives that we can use to save Earth, like soil conservation, use of natural fertilizers, preservation of natural habitats, water conservation and protection of endangered plant and animal species. There are also other practices like shutting off computers when we're not using them or dressing appropriately for the weather instead of making a thermostat do the work. Earth is going downhill, and we need to save it before it goes so far that it is irreversible.

In the future, Earth Day can be observed everyday by saving energy. If everyone in the world did at least one energy-efficient thing everyday, the quality of life on Earth would improve dramatically. We only have one Earth, and it's worth fighting for and preserving. We need to save the Earth from ourselves, so that it can be there for living things that don't have a voice but need a planet to call home. If we took only memories and left only footprints on this planet we call home, future generations would not need to worry about being homeless in the biggest sense of the word. Needing to observe and take Earth Day in its fullest sense should be a call to action, not an option.

Max Tschannen, age 16
Churchill County High School

Earth Is Our Home

Why take care of beautiful and motherly Earth. Well, first of all, it's the only home we've got, and we're quickly destroying the life supporting aspects of it. Have you ever taken a walk at night when the silver stars shine incredibly bright and the air is like a cool lemonade on a hot afternoon? Have you ever walked down a dingy street, ferocious fumes filling your nostrils and lungs? Which would you prefer? We are responsible for not only ourselves, but also the vulnerable and dependent animals of our planet. Keeping its air clean, its trees in forests, and its water unpolluted is only one of the many chores on the list of keeping Earth healthy.

I have always loved nature. As a little boy, my parents always took me hiking, camping, and skiing. I've seen menacing mountains wearing caps of snow that glint in the cold sun. I've witnessed peaceful lakes, mirrors in the ground, that cleanse the soul. To see any such beautiful place destroyed for the expansion of a dirty city would be terrible to bear.

Last month I was privileged to take a two-week vacation to China. What I saw there was enough to make an environmentalist cry. China is home to some of the most beautiful and serene scenery I have ever seen. It is also home to some of the most devastatingly tragic scenery; once crystal clear rivers are now black and filled with people's garbage and sewage, air is filled with the smog of their polluting factories and vehicles, and trees alongside mountains are being leveled to expand their already crammed cities. The local Chinese told us that they had a popular saying that went, "If the rivers are clear, then inspection is near."

Air pollution is a problem that will only get worse the more time goes by, and with a dirtier world, the rates of birth and developing deficiencies will also rise correspondingly. Asthma, heart failure, and brain deformations are just some of the many linked health problems to an unclean habitat. Among the list also sits the deadly cancer.

A tainted habitat not only hurts humans, but it also bites deep at the animal population of our world. I remember I was motor crossing through the creviced mountains in the desert when I cam upon a sleek mountain lion. The beast was lean and when he moved you could see the concentrated taunt cords ripple under his golden coat. I remember thinking how much of a rare and special event it was that I was lucky enough to see one in the wild. Especially since the wild was, and still is, growing even more rare with the rising pollution and human population. I looked around and beside the puma I saw broken bottles glittering in the desert sun, old rusted cans, and other worthless tossed garbage. Should any animal step on any of these sharp items, it would be unable to hunt or avoid being hunted until it healed, a.k.a. unavoidable death.

Cleaning the air is a difficult process. Trees naturally clean the air, so possibly if we planted more trees than we cut, then the Earth's revitalization would be on its way back to pristine. Cleaning the ocean is another mandatory job. In international waters, ships from every nation can do drop waste into the depths. The ocean is the foundation of our water cycle. The ocean is also a big part of the Earth's chain, destroy more than half of the chain and the entire chain of life is shattered.

We live off of each other, like a math equation. If one side is 0, then so it must be with the other.

Mahal S. Moon, age 8
West End Elementary

Why Is It Important To Get An Education

Through education you can improve the world. Education builds your knowledge. Knowledge increases enthusiasm. Enthusiasm leads to discoveries.

Here are some of the great inventions people have made with the help of their education. Whoever invented the microscope helps us discover new things every day. The person who thought up the oven used his/her education to help us cook more easily. The creator of the pencil helps us communicate every time we write with a pencil and paper. The first manufacturer of the car helps us get to places we need to go to faster. And last but not least, my favorite inventor, the great Ben Franklin! Ben believed that it was important for everyone to have a good education. Because of his belief in education and constant desire to learn he produced terrific things that make the world a better place to be. Ben established the first library in Philadelphia, invented bifocal eyeglasses, came up with a rocking chair that churned butter, and discovered electricity. Since his discovery of electricity, life has been much more enjoyable for humans.

Every person, big or small, can be like Ben Franklin by using his/her education and a determined attitude. I believe that if I try hard and use my good education that I can reach my goals I set for myself. Anyone can.

In the future, I hope to become an artist. To reach this goal I will need to use my education. Through my art I can make the world more beautiful. This is why I know it is important for everyone to get an education; because everyone can improve this world.

Amanda Gallop, age 9
Logos Christian Academy

Why It's Important to Get An Education

Some people don't think that it is important to get an education, but I do! Here's why: To begin with, even if you're good at something, getting an education makes you even better! For instance, if you wanted to be a farmer, and you didn't know math, you would have a very challenging time.

If you wanted to be an architect, you should study things like Roman architecture to learn about arches and pillars because people still like them in their houses.

Education can even be exciting and intriguing when you've embarked on an adventure to the places you're learning about. For example, this summer I went to Boston, Massachusetts with my family. I had heard about the Revolutionary War from books, but I actually stood where all these historical events happened. I even got to see Paul Revere's house! That made me want to learn more.

Sometimes, I wish that I could stay home and play all day instead of going to school. One time, I told my Mom that I didn't want to go to school. Then, she told me that in some countries, girls didn't get the privilege to going to school. Instead, they have to work all day long, and only boys get to go to school. The girls stay home and take care of animals and carry firewood. That doesn't seem fair at all!

If you look at it that way, I would much rather go to school and learn about math and science and literature, and pick a career that is out of the ordinary and takes me places!

Monica Mills, age 11
Northside Elementary

Why Is It Important To Get An Education

The other morning, when I was lying in bed, my alarm started beeping at me to get up, but I ignored it. I was tired. I didn't want to go to school, and when my mother came in to see where I was, I told her so.

"Why not?" she questioned. "Getting an education is very important. Without an education, you won't ever get anywhere in life. Do you want to spend your adult life alone and singe, making burgers and shakes for educated people, seeing how happy they are, day after day after day, and wishing you could be like them?"

"Well, when you put is that way...?" I hopped out of bed.

My mother's early monologue kept me thinking all day. I didn't want to end up working at a drive thru. I wanted to do something with my life. So as soon as I arrived home in the afternoon, I jumped on the computer and started a little note-to-self:

NOTE TO SELF: WORK HARD IN SCHOOL; GETTING AN EDUCATION IS MUCHO IMPORTANT!!!!

My mom was right. Getting an education is important. It is harder to get a very good job without one, and being educated helps you out in life. Knowing how and when to do things is a vital skill in life. Knowing what things mean and what they include is just as important. When problems occur, knowing how to solve them is something you just want to know how to do. It's important.

Getting an education not only fills your head with important thoughts, information, and questions, but it also builds an outline for your life. If you are educated, the subject that you like most, and the subject that you are best at could combine to help you find the career that is best for you. If you get a decent education, it will serve as a building block for the rest of your life.

It's also very important to be thankful for your educational opportunities. Some kids at your age have never been even slightly educated, and even more never will. You have a better chance at life than them, so don't waste it. Don't create a bad outline for your life. Don't construct a crumbling building block. Make good use of your educational opportunities, and don't throw them away.

Both of my parents have a very good education. They both stayed in school, and went to college for several years. My mom is now a second grade teacher, and my father is an engineer. Getting an education has paid off for both of them. I hope that some day it will pay off for me, too.

After this very thoughtful day in my life, I have been inspired to work harder in my studies. I want to get a good education, and I now know that I'm lucky to have such an opportunity, so I am going to use it well. Getting an education is extremely important, and now we both know so.

Kristina Bernardo, age 14
Churchill County High School

Everyone has the right to an education. I believe it is the doorway to the success we will achieve later on in our lives. "The future is yours" is a famous saying by John Hancock, but I believe that the future can be achieved mainly through education. Not many people realize that education gets you farther in life than talent alone. Education brings a sense of satisfaction to kids and teenagers, it opens up many opportunities to a successful life after college, and education promotes a wide variety of literacy.

Many students love to "show off" their academic talent to their community through educational programs. For example, a wide variety of kids and teenagers compete in an annual spelling bee against their own classmates. From personal experience, just qualifying for the spelling bee brings a great sense of personal satisfaction. A simple grade can also make someone's day a little brighter than usual. Many students, especially teenagers, tend to worry and stress about a grade in a certain class or about what they got on a science test. Having a good education makes it easier because knowing the answers to the test brings a great sense of confidence to the child's mind. As a domino effect, getting a good grade on a test brings a good grade to the class. Once that happens stress is relieved from the student's shoulders and they become satisfied with their personal achievements.

Another reason why education is so important is the fact that it opens up many opportunities to a successful life after college. From just receiving a high school diploma, there are more successful job opportunities unlike the outcome people would get if they didn't finish high school. Finishing high school and continuing onto college can open a lot of doors to success, such as becoming a doctor, a lawyer, and even the owner of a large industry. Getting that well of an education can get you very far in life. Finishing college gives you more opportunities at a well paying job. Again, reaching a college level education can lead to a positive domino effect. Finishing college can get you to a great job, the higher up you get on that job leads to higher pay, and by the time you want to retire, you'll have more money saved up than a person who never finished high school.

One more positive outcome of receiving a good education is the fact that education promotes a wide variety of literacy. Without going through school, everyone would be limited to what they can say. We'd be stuck talking like a child just learning new things that happen in the world. Education brings us a wider vocabulary which enhances the thinking process. For example, a generation- we've all of the word, but think that it's being of the same age group as our peers. The truth is, a generation is held for 33 years. Not many people know that, but as we go farther through our education, it is taught to us which enhanced our learning process. Learning the true definition of a single word already expands our knowledge. A majority of the words we see while reading a book may not have been understood if we never went through school learning the meanings behind everything.

While expanding our knowledge of literature, education brings us many good points in life. If we don't continue our education, we would never understand what truly goes on in our life. In my opinion, education is our personal gateway to success. Without going through the key points in learning, we won't be able to gather up enough information to obtain that success. Our teachers lead the way to the rest of our lives; we just need to take our life experiences, learn from it, and work our ways to success.

Jessica Smith, age 16
Churchill County High School

RESPECT THE KNOWLEDGE

For many people that live in the United States, to receive an education is not important. To many people, it's only another course in their day to attend school. School is only a place where they are forced to go. I have noticed that we're lucky to have such a great opportunity to educate ourselves, and to make livings for ourselves with what we have learned. We, as the United States of America are widely known for freedom, power, of the people and government, and for our education system. If we did not have a well developed education system or well educated people, imagine what our country would be like. I've realized that my eleven years of learning has developed who I am, what I think, and my character, all through the importance of an education.

The people of Fallon, NV are very fortunate to have such a close community, in which learning is not so much a chore but a fun experience to expand our minds. Fallon has used this to our advantage because of our highly trained staff of teachers. Some places may not have these sorts of benefits as we do. The parts of the world which contain poverty do not receive what some consider very important; an education. Though I used to consider going to school an inconvenience, I have reconsidered the fact that at least there is a school to attend. At least I have the intelligence to know that everyday that I learn something, in the future I will be able to bring that knowledge to someone else less fortunate.

We should also reflect back on the fact that education has come farther and has surely become powerful in society. Nothing would be the same if education was not part of society. Take for example our government. The politicians who help make sure that peace is kept and that the people are in agreement with their governmental decisions. These people can do so because of a well educated background and their learning of good decision making skills. For everyone, an education should be important, considering that if our government lacked this, where would we be today?

Even though I have talked a lot about the importance of having an education for everyone else, I haven't discussed the great impact is has on my life. I wish to exceed the standards. I want to get into the best college and graduate with honors. Then I hope that all of what I have learned will help to get the best job there is to find. Getting a job is a very important component in my life, as in everybody's. If there is no job, there's no money; which means no food, no house, no car! Receiving a job is all based on what I have been taught; my knowledge has made me who I am today. If I had no education, then I would not be sitting here writing this essay today. Obviously, education has developed what I think, because of the points I have brought up as to the importance of an education. Learning about what affects other people and what's happening in our country, and around the world, creates my character. I care about these things: about how we can get involved and help our community; how I can help save a species, recycling, and helping fight cancer, I care. I believe with all my heart that if I didn't have a basic knowledge about these events from school, and I hadn't paid attention, I wouldn't care. We need more people to care about getting an education.

Please consider the following: we live and breathe, we live and learn; we fall, we get up; and we're born, we grow. We grow into people of opinions. Opinions of which will consume our thoughts. My thought is yet my strongest opinion. In is an opinion that I have learned then thought about numerous times, over and over again. Love yourself, and love others. Love the fact that we are capable of learning and receiving an education. If I could touch the world with one great thought! Respect the knowledge.

Chelsea Hejny, age 17
Churchill County High School

The Importance of Education

With each passing year the standards are being raised and competition in the work place is becoming more fierce. We are living in a world today where average is easily beaten and going above and beyond is expected. This is why the importance of getting an education is so vital for a successful and stable future.

As a senior at Churchill County High School I know very well to make the most of my time while I am still receiving my education free of cost. Like most students, I too forget how fortunate I am to have teachers that stress the value to education and to have dedicated staff members that I can look to for guidance. I also know that after high school furthering is of the utmost importance in order to secure a stable future for myself and family. During my junior year in my English class, we discussed what our definition of the "American dream" was. The response varied, but somehow all meant the same thing. The class response was that the "American dream" is simply growing up to be successful and happy. What I am trying to enforce is that, to be both successful and happy, an education is one of the main factors in living as such. A person's education is a solid foundation for everything else if life. Without that solid foundation even the littlest things are daunting and stressful.

Getting an education opens doors to countless opportunities. This allows for a higher quality of life, enabling a person to paint his or her picture perfect "American dream." There is always another person working hard, if not harder to get a leg up on his or her competition and everyone is striving to beat out the other; therefore a person must not waste time being unfocused and uneducated. Education provides the needed jump start in the right direction in fulfilling the ambitious goals a person will set and accomplish within a duration of time. The time put into learning reaps endless benefits and has absolutely no room for regret. Every ounce of time and energy put into getting educated is guaranteed to be worth it. Whether applying the information and skills to an occupation or molding the minds of the youth, there is no such thing as wasted knowledge. The more people decide to further their educations; the better the community, country, and even world will be.

Education should definitely not be taken lightly because the impact that it has on the youth today affects the future that we live in tomorrow. The world is dependent on moving forward and breaking through impossible barriers; but more so, the world is dependent upon education, learning, and the knowledge that is applied to making great strides that are beneficial to everyone. Each and every person in this county is given the keys to buckle up, turn on the engine, and move forward, but it is where and how fast the person wants to go that must be decided for themselves.