4th of July Fireworks: Are They Harmful to the Environment or Not?

Did you guys enjoy Independence Day? Well, I did. In fact, some of my friends and neighbors went to some fireworks last night, and they were really amazing. Yet, we couldn't help wondering if the smoke left behind from the colorful display was harmful to the environment. So, we did a little research. It turns out that the 4th of July fireworks only contribute 0.01% of anthropogenic atmospheric pollution for that day! In other words, those explosive firecrackers are really only 1/100 of human-caused air pollution of that day. However, this is on a global level. In local areas, fireworks can cause a temporary increase of air pollution by up to a whopping 42%! Exposure to fine particles like the ones found in smoke and haze can lead to coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, heart attacks, stroke, and early death, and the elderly and children are the most vulnerable. There are many others out there who are studying the 4th of July effects on global warming, and Forbes and Live Science have some easy-to-understand articles that still go in depth to the topic (http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2016/07/04/how-do-4th-of-july-fireworks-impact-the-environment/#36e8e8196ddf, http://www.livescience.com/51408-july-4-air-pollution-fireworks.html).  Definitely try to go to your local city's fireworks instead of a home show, because a) the pollution for 1 big show is less compared to 1000 tiny home fireworks, b) these fireworks would most likely be bigger and more extravagant, and c) the experience is worth it. In conclusion, fireworks may not be the best for the environment, but the effects aren't that major. Enjoy your summer!

The Summer Solstice and the Strawberry Moon

Potage! Today is officially the first day of summer, or the summer solstice, but that's not all; today coincides with the Strawberry Moon, which is a full moon which told Native Americans when to plant their strawberries. This pairing hasn't occurred since 1967, and it won't again until 2062, so we're very privileged to have this opportunity now. If you haven't already seen, Google has a Google Doodle acknowledging this occasion, and it really explains the whole phenomena.



Today's Google Doodle


Well, that's it for now; have a great summer!!!!!! 🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃



~Tanisha
If you share our goals of reducing human impact on climate change, sign up for an interview at SCRATCHies so that YOU can help the WORLD.

Introducing....Katherine Lin

Soup! (Notice, Julia, NOT SOOP. SOUP. S-O-U-P. SOUP! )

To our most amazing fans, (AKA followers), I'd like to apologize on behalf of the SCRATCHies Team for interrupting your vacation (Comment below where you are/are going to go this summer! We love reading your comments! ;))

Science Camp!!

Hey 6th Graders: am I the only one, or is everyone else ready for science camp?! I'm so excited; did you pack already or were you procrastinating? Well, we just can't wait for the nature hikes, can we? 😉 Have fun!

-Me (& the Team) 🍂

Special Earth Day Contest!

I can hardly believe it, but today is the day we have all been waiting for - Earth Day 2016! In honor of this wonderful holiday, the SCRATCHies Team is hosting an all-new LOGO CONTEST:

'Eccentric Emblems' Contest Description and Rules:

Description/Brief Overview: The SCRATCHies Team proudly hosts our special Earth Day 2016 logo contest, Eccentric Emblems. Earth Day is a day of celebration, gratitude, and everything nice about our world. The contest is meant to be a fun way of showing our thanks for Mother Earth. In this event, artsy contestants will design a potential logo for SCRATCHies. This is a grand undertaking, as we WILL actually use the winning student's emblem, or logo, design. Don't really feel like doing Habitat Means Home or just feel up to a creative challenge? Read our rules and get that quirky pencil sketching!

Rules: 

• Design can be on any blank paper. Paper can be any color suitable for your logo design.(Binder paper not allowed unless you ask; watercolor paper, copy paper, construction paper, cardstock, etc. all acceptable)
• Design must be at least 3 by 5 inches, at most 9 by 12 inches.
• All mediums acceptable - watercolor, colored pencils, crayons, chalk/oil pastel, oil paint, or even just a graphite pencil sketch. However, pencil sketch must not be a scribble. (We don't need an amazing masterpiece: we just want your creative ideas.)
• Design must contain the words 'SCRATCHies Incorporated' (SCRATCHies Inc. is fine, too)
• Design highly recommended to be about the environment. (If adding animals, do not just add one animal - either put multiple animals or none.)
• Design must be appropriate and suitable for our purpose - NO memes, inappropriate language, Illuminati, or anti-environment additions

Deadlines:

• Completed logo design must be submitted to Julia Zhan or Tanisha Srivatsa by Wednesday, June 8th
• Prizes:

• FIRST PLACE: The first place winner gets a prize, a certificate of achievement, and a surprise prize. (We will specify what the prize is soon.)
• SECOND PLACE: The second place winner would get a certificate of achievement and a prize. Depending on the number of participants, the SCRATCHies Team may or may not give out 2nd, 3rd place awards.
• THIRD PLACE: The third place winner would get a certificate of achievement and a prize. (Again, prizes will be specified later.)

Google Forms Applications

Hey guys! I'm going to ask you a favor, and I really hope you'll help us out and do this. Whenever someone fills out an application form to SCRATCHies, Julia and I spend OUR time reading YOUR applications, and we schedule a recess out of OUR time to interview YOU. Unfortunately, 36% of the  job applications we receive are incorrectly filled out, and often intentionally! Now, since we're spending so much of OUR time helping you to get into our NPO, the least you could do is fill out the forms correctly.

Hey guys! I just wanted to remind you that TODAY, YES, that's T-O-D-A-Y, is the 27th anniversary of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill in Prince Williamm Sound, Alaska, and spilt 42 MILLION liters of oil in the ocean!!!! Remember our boycott and DON'T BUY FROM EXXON MOBILE!!! Thanks a lot, and have a nice spring break!

International Day of Forests!!

Hey guys! It's Monday, and instead of another edition of SCRATCHies Weekly, you'll be hearing me talk! Well, I guess it's more like you reading what I write. But I digress. Anyway, today is the International Day of Forests, so I've prepared for you a post all about forests!

FUN FACTS ABOUT FORESTS

• Broadleaf forests are, well it's in the name, but if you were wondering, broadleaf forests are forests made up of trees that have, you guessed it, broad leaves
• Forests near the Ozarks, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are broadleaf forests
• The trees in coniferous forests don't have leaves; they have thin narrow needles.
• Tropical rain forests are hot, humid places usually found near the equator.
• The world's biggest rain forests surround the Amazon River and the Congo River in Africa.
• Cloud forests are often covered in low-level clouds and fog, and are usually found in mountainous areas.
• Boreal forests are found in colder climates. 
• In some regions, evergreen trees can withstand coldness 24/7
• Boreal forests are also called the taiga.
• Forests cover approximately 31% of the Earth!
• Plants and animals live more in forests than in any other part of the world!
• More than 25% of medicine comes from forests.
• The world's oldest non-clonal (natural) tree is a recently discovered and is from the White Mountains here in California!
• We are losing forests at a rate of 48 football fields per minutes!! That's equal to 853.28 square feet per minute! :(
• The Amazon, the planet's largest rain forest, lost at least 17% of its forest cover in the last 50 years due to human activity- mainly from deforestation.

SOME INTERESTING FOREST-RELATED WEBSITES TO VISIT:

The World Wildlife Organization

Conservation of Forests (VIDEO!!)

SPRING!

Heralding and welcoming with all of our hearts...

THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING!

AKA THE VERNAL EQUINOX!!!

In fact, *forget about Christmas and its famous song, The Twelve Days of Christmas - instead, we shall sing...

On the first day of spriiing, Mother Earth gave to me... ________________.

Notice how I left the ending of the sentence blank. You know why? It's because I don't know what amazing and special gift(s) Mother Earth gave to you. So think about it. Our planet had to have given you something, and that something could be noticeable OR subtle. Either way, just rack your brain for a couple seconds and mentally fill in that blank. Then, please type what your something was or is below in the comments section. And remember that ITS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING! We all should be thankful. Bye! I feel like singing!

On the first day of spriiing, Mother Earth gave to me... a bright blue sky, endless fluffy clouds, no Chinese homework, the good mood I am in right now, a glimmering turquoise pool that I am looking at, pretty yellow sourgrass (common yellow woodsorrel) flowers, a cute 'first day of spring 2016' google doodle design, and myself yah-aah-aah-yah-aah-yaaaaaaaaaah achoo! 

*Don't get me wrong, Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. It's just that now's not the time for Chrismas carols - it's time for the long-awaited first day of spring.

ABOUT WILLIAM ZHAN

I. AM. zee villiam villy villy mmmmmmmmehhhhvilliamvvvvvvvv bvvvv

SCRATCHies Weekly Issue #1

Announcing the new....

SCRATCHies Weekly

Our SCRATCHies Weekly author William "Zilly" Zhan will be issuing a new SCRATCHies Weekly every Monday. SCRATCHies Weekly will feature a short article about SCRATCHies and the environment and how we can improve it. The second page will have our SCRATCHies Fun section, with our weekly questions and sometimes a little extra bonus fun! Answers to the questions will be situated at the bottom right corner of the issue. Breaking news about changes or other tidbits of information will also be stated in SCRATCHies Weekly. 

Thanks,

William "Zilly" Zhan

To check whether your answer is correct or not, highlight the green shape in the bottom left corner with your cursor, and the answers will magically appear. Voila!*

*Amazing state -of-art technology designed, created, and provided to you by yours truly.

Be sure to comment below about what you thought the answers to the questions were BEFORE CHECKING them.

*** Please do not violate my request and post and/or edit your post after you have checked your answers. Violators WILL be persecuted! Remember the honor system!***
_________________________________________________________________________________

SCRATCHies Fun Section

The Fun Question Difficulty Level (the greater the number, the harder): 1   2   3   4   5

The spiny anteater and the platypus are part of the                

group of mammals called...?                                     

Heart-Shaped Leaves!

A) Placental

B) Monotreme
C) Aficionado

D) Plants

Bonus Question

Is polar bear fur white?

A) Yes

B) No

C) IDK (choose me!)

D) Sometimes

Answers: 

Fun Question: A

Bonus Question: B

CMO's Here (ABOUT SAMMIE HUANG)

Hey peeps! (I would have said people but I wanna make my hi's more casual)! Sorry for like the superly bad title. I know. It sounds like I'm some creepy dude trying to be the hero. Well too bad cause I'm not. I'm the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer). And yes I also know that 3/4 of you people out there know what CMO means. Just move on. Anyway. I'm sure none of you people out there know who I am. My name is Sammie Huang. Ugh. Ever get the feeling that saying, typing, or thinking your own name is embarrassing and weird? Ya well I get that every single time I say, type, and think. So gross. By the way (I don't like using texting language a lot unless it's brb) I go by the name Grumpy Cat (Grumpy Cat adowabo!!!!!!!!! adowabo = adorable just said in a cuter way) on the name thingy on the right side of this website (cough cough Tanisha making my name public to people around the world and yes I know that I did that too people). Anyway I just basically make advertisements and stuff. Fun right (not being sarcastic)? So I'm in Mr. Kurtz's class just so you know. Bye people. See you someday I guess.

Sincerely,

Grumpy Cat

New Members #5!!

Hi! It's me AGAIN, Tanisha! Sorry if I'm overly posting today, but there's a bunch of AMAZING things happening today.

BREAKING NEWS!!

As of like 27 seconds ago, the VERY FIRST EDITION of SCRATCHies Weekly has been published! YAY!! Now go check it.
If you forgot how to do that, see my earlier post.

Bye!!!!!

Application Forms

The link to the applications form: http://goo.gl/forms/XQvbSqSWFp

Hello, fellow SCRATCHies enthusiasts! At this point in time, you must be wondering what that link above is, right? If I'm right, then I'm SO psychic. Anyway, the link is for the new applications form to apply for SCRATCHies. Here at SCRATCHies, we've decided that a lot of the interview time is spent getting to know the interviewee's personality and credentials, so we're cutting down interview times to one recess. In order to do that, though, we've decided that you should fill out an applications form. And besides, why should we waste OUR recesses interviewing someone who isn't that interested in our company? So, if you're planning to sign up for an interview and feel that you can take the responsibility, fill out this form!

A New Feature

Starting now, the SCRATCHies blog will now have a feature down at the bottom that lets you subscribe to the SCRATCHies blog, so you can get all those updates you wanted to know about. Sign up today!! Plus, I've added a "Featured Post" section where you can see the most important articles to read.

New Members #4!!

Welcome, Arianna and Megh, to the SCRATCHies Team! You two are the proud holders of the first spots for lite employees! Now you get the fun and eco-friendliness WITHOUT too much of the responsibility. Congrats!

Super Bowl!

Julia: Ok, it's that time of year! The time of year for Super Bowl 50 (It was supposed to be Super Bowl L, but it seems weird, and you know what it stands for in football - Lost! And that doesn't seem very, um, PROMISING. Anyway, what comes with this special event? . . . . . . THE FOOD! In case you didn't know, Super Bowl's official foods are hot chicken wings and/or nachos with a dip like salsa. If you like any or all of these treats, Super Bowl is a great time to chow down while watching the big game! Levi's Stadium is jam-packed with the ecologically-friendly technology that all Earth enthusiasts, like you, would love! So come on and have fun!

Stuff to Know: 

• Official Super Bowl Food: Spicy Chicken Wings, Nachos w/ dip
• Super Bowl Start Time on TV: February 7, 2016, 3:25 PM
• Levi's Stadium is the most eco-friendly stadium in the US! :)
• This year's teams: Carolina Panthers vs. Denver Broncos

PS - If you are vegetarian/vegan, no worries - just eat the chips! :D

Tanisha: So, the Super Bowl MMXVI , I mean 50, because apparently MMXVI isn't good enough. But then again, it is long. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. MMXVI. OK. It is kinda long. But anyway, these are some more facts to know about the Super Bowl. Welcome to...

More Stuff to Know

• Peyton Manning, the quarterback of the Broncos, has a neck injury
• From 1969, when New York Jets and the Baltimore Colts played, we started using Roman numerals, until last year, when the New England Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks, (as I predicted)
• The Super Bowl is, after Thanksgiving, the time of year when us Americans gorge ourselves most
• In 1960, a Super Bowl advert time would cost ONLY $37,500 (Now it costs approximately $5 million. Gone are the days when you thought ads were "no biggie"
• This year, get gaga over Lady Gaga, who'll be singing our national anthem. (You'd better watch this, it's going to be GOOD)
• Before the start of the season, the odds of a Panthers/Broncos matchup was 1:184
• Peyton Manning's going to be the oldest quarterback EVER to play in the Super Bowl, at 39, unless he faces a gruesome death pre-Super Bowl, but let's be positive here
• 111 million people watched the Super Bowl in 2011, making it the most watched TV program in the illustrious history of the US
• I've run out of random facts to tell you.

And for those of you who would like to point out my "flaw" and say that MMXVI doesn't make sense, it's because it stands for 2016, not 50; in fact, L stands for 50, but it's hard to nicely decorate an L, no?

New Member #3!!

Hey, fellow SCRATCHies enthusiasts! I have some good news for you! Anish Bhupalam was hired, as the chief operations officer, yesterday! That's about all for now..
Oh, and join the Chadbourne Eco Club!!🙃🙃

Follow-Up to Julia's Post

Well, so, in our last post earlier today, Julia listed some of the MANY reasons why you should sign up to join SCRATCHies, and so, I'm going to tell you how to sign up for an interview and test time with us.

(1) Go to Room 27 during one of the 10:35 recesses on a Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

(2) Find my desk. It's the one with all the Post-It notes on it.

(3) Ask me if you can sign up for SCRATCHies.

(4) Kindly request me to give you the interview signup sheets.

(5) Sign up for an available interview time.

IF YOU PASS THE INTERVIEW:



(1) Go to Room 27 during one of the 10:35 recesses on a Monday, Wednesday, or Thursday.

(2) Find my desk. It's the one with all the Post-It notes on it.

(3) Ask me for Julia and ask her if you can sign up for a SCRATCHies test.

(4) Kindly request her to give you the test signup sheets.

(5) Sign up for an available test time.

(6) Take the test.

(7) If you fail: Take a (1) retest.

IF YOU PASS THE TEST:

(1) Congratulate yourself on getting into SCRATCHies! Contact Julia and I for your assigned job.


And remember, don't think passing the test is impossible, because people have done it!

Why Join SCRATCHies Inc.

Some of you might be wondering, "Why should I join SCRATCHies Inc?" or "What is the point of joining SCRATCHies?" Well, that long thought of question will finally be answered right here. So if you have any doubts, read this.
By the way, if you want to be a specialty staff, you need to take an interview and the SCRATCHies test. If you want to join but want minimal responsibility, just take the interview to become a regular, or lite personnel. Anyway...

Why You Should Join SCRATCHies Inc.

• If you love nature, the environment, being eco-friendly, animals or plants, etc. you should join - you will be helping all of them!

• If you want to be part of an active company, then join!

• If you want a brain challenge (SCRATCHies test) or if you want to be interviewed, join!

• If you want to become part of our elite group of staff members, be promoted to "moderator" and/or joined in the community Love Our Planet, then join as a specialty staff!

• If you want the job without the responsibility, join as a lite personnel!

• It you want to have fun, join SCRATCHies!

FYI, this is not an advertisement. We are totally fine if you do not join, but, then again, if you do, you'll be helping Earth, and that is great.

Boycotting ExxonMobil

ExxonMobil is a huge oil company with a HORRIBLE reputation because of its anti-eco-friendly ways. You will not believe how many bad things it is doing to Mother Earth. For example, did you know that it funds COMPLETELY FALSE ORGANIZATIONS trying to deny global warming??!! And it is spending millions! In addition, it is the only oil company that flat-out refuses to finance renewable energy! OMG! These are just a few of their countless ecological faults. Please go to http://exxposeexxon.com/ to learn more. Even though the font there is super small, read it all - it contains a bunch of information you have to know about how ExxonMobil is being absolutely bad. Also, the information is great impress-your-friends-with-your-knowledge material. Thank you so much for supporting Exxpose Exxon in their beautiful, noteworthy attempt to stop ExxonMobil's cruel ways! Also, make sure to completely boycott all ExxonMobil's products. NO OIL! DON'T USE THEIR GASOLINE! Thanks once again!

PS: You probably don't need to worry about using ExxonMobil's gasoline because the company's stations and stores are mostly in the East Coast. However, if you have relatives/friends living there, please notify them!

New Member #2!!

Today I have some amazing news.

As of today, at 1:55 PM Andrew Liang was sworn into SCRATCHies.

Congratulations, Andrew!!!!

ABOUT JULIA ZHAN

Hi peeps! My name is Julia Zhan, the totally amazing founder and co- CEO of SCRATCHies Inc, (yup, that's me).  And, what's more, I want to tell you ALL about myself! First of all, I LOVE ice seals, including ringed and harp seals. I also adore horses, all horses, like, a lot. But, the surprise: I ... LOVE ... NATURE! Be eco-friendly and very nice and stuff to make everyone happy, okay? Good. I also enjoy cold food on hot days and hot food on cold days. Plus pop music ('hardy har har, like I didn't know that,' some of you might say,) and organic food. By the way, did I mention that you should, no, must, be eco-friendly? Yes? Well, sorry. Have a great day! Or night! Or whatever!