Essays of the contestants / Inspirational Essay 2017 – a Dedication to Jonas Basanavičius

The essays of our friends’ from Vilnius Jonas Basanavičius gymnasium (teacher – Vilma Stanevičienė)

Can J. Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Nowadays it is hard to find a long lasting inspiration which would keep us devoted and working towards a set goal – usually it is just a moment, a rush of weak-willed motivation.

Firstly, today we are getting more and more engulfed in the virtual world. There we find hundreds of motivated, inspiring people, books, courses, but in reality all that simply doesn’t work. With every new way how to get yourself up, start doing more, doing something worthwhile we end up disappointed and sour. Since the only way to truly change is to adapt new things in your already mundane, usual routines, otherwise trying to change your daily life to revolve around new ideas will result in inevitable failure.

Secondly, to actually keep yourself inspired and active requires will, practice and real life examples. Trying to find who in real life sets an example trough his own actions is the best choice. This will allow you to constantly see and if necessary talk to someone who faces the same problems but finds how to overcome them.

One of such motivators was J. Basanavičius. In his time he was the beacon of pro-activity and inspiration, he always assisted those in need and did as much as he could to better the world: He created the first Lithuanian, at the time illegal, newspaper, was its editor and also initiate Lithuanian science community. Later on he became one of the few to sign the Act of Independence. He became known as the nation’s father who left a legacy for centuries.

To summarize, J. Basanavičius is one of the best sources to stem inspiration from, but real people and their deads will be what will keep your motivation alive.

By Haroldas

Can J. Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

These days people are starting to forget about our past heroes and start looking up to completely different people like celebrities as an inspiration. However, years before, it was a must to look up to people who had great influence on their home country.

Basanavičius was one of the most famous people in our country who had done all sorts of studies and research on Lithuanian history, culture and collected data on folklore. He wrote about 40 works on history, archeology, cultural history, ethnography, folklore studies, linguistics and medicine. Also, he was the founder and the editor of the first prohibited newspaper of the national revival “Aušra” (The Dawn). During the school years students often study about J. Basanavičius’ work, but they never really look up to him. Due to changes in times and ideology, young people in Lithuania ignore all history influencers. Because of that, there is a low chance that J. Basanavičius can still be an inspiration to most people.

Ever since Lithuania got out of the grip of the USSR pressure, people have stopped looking up to patriarchs like J. Basanavičius. Back in those days, the whole Lithuanian nation was under control by the USSR and wanted to gain freedom. J. Basanavičius also knew about the whole suspense on his home country so he decided to take action and participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state. As a founder and writer of the prohibited newspaper “Aušra”, he awakened Lithuania’s people to resist the USSR oppression. People read the newspaper, discussed it at any time they could and tried spreading it across Lithuania as much as possible so that people could start a rebellion against the USSR. In that time, everyone looked up to J. Basanavičius, but since Lithuania had gained its independence, people stopped looking up to him.

In conclusion, J. Basanavičius can hardly be an inspiration to us at this time, but he had the most influence back in the Soviet Times and people did actually look up to him. Ever since Lithuania got its freedom, people have changed and started looking up to others

By Aurelija Dovydėnaitė IIIa

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Jonas Basanavičius is one of Lithuanian heroes. He was the main signatory who declared Lithuania’s independence. He never forgot Lithuanian language, raised the awareness of the nation so, in my opinion, he can still be an inspiration to us for his works to Lithuania.

In the first place, Jonas Basanavičius in all his life was saving our language. He was brave enough to fight against the occupants. He printed his own newspaper named “Aušra” in Lithuanian language although it was illegal to write something in Lithuanian or even speak Lithuanian in some public places. It shows that such a person should be respectful and follow like example for all of us.

Secondly, Jonas Basanavičius was brave enough to start an illegal organization, so his and future generations can proudly call themselves free. I think that his patriotism for Lithuania can still inspire nowadays, generation to love our country and also grow up culturally.

To sum up, it is clear that such a figure as J. Basanavičius not only can be an inspirational figure, but people should really aspire to be like him, because he had a great attitude towards work and innovation.

Laura Michailova, 4 th grader

“Can Jonas Basanavičius still can be an inspiration to us?”

Nowadays media has a great influence on our lives. We usually get inspired by famous stars who earned their fame by doing something provocative on TV or on the Internet. We rarely take a look at people who did something great for our country. As an example we can take Jonas Basanavičius, who was patriotic, kind and intelligent man and inspired others to do great things.

First of all, I think that Jonas Basanavičius might inspire us because he was patriotic, wrote the first Lithuanian newspaper called “Aušra”. Also, he participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state, studied medicine and had worked as a doctor for about 25 years. He did lots of other kind things but I think that these are the main ones, which can encourage us to work hard and not to forget about the importance of our homeland.

On the other hand, young people these days usually want to have everything by doing only minimum or by not doing anything at all. They often get inspired by famous people who can actually have bad influence on them. Fewer people would choose someone from the past figures, who made big differences at that time.

To sum up, I think that it depends on person’s needs and perception who he would like to choose for inspiration. People have different opinions and different outlook, thus for some of them Jonas Basanavičius could be an inspiration to follow and for others he might not be the one who inspires them to make great changes.

By Aistė Žuromskaitė 3a

The essays of our friends’ from Vilnius Jonas Basanavičius gymnasium (teacher – Akvilė Katauskytė – Burokienė)

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

I believe that it would be hard to find a Lithuanian who doesn’t know Jonas Basanavičius. He is talked about in history classes, used to be printed on previous Lithuanian currency – 50 Litas banknote, schools and streets are named after him. It is no wonder why: J. Basanavičius is one of the most notable men in Lithuanian history, given a title of “Patriarch of the nation” for his contributions in Lithuanian National Revival. His patriotic activities were so important that it saved his country from possible dissolution. But does this person still have any significance now?

Although knowing all of this when I was younger, I still was indifferent to this person’s work. But it changed when I visited the House of the Signatories and heard his biography briefly. What stunned me the most was that J. Basanavičius never forgot and was always passionate about his homeland’s affairs even though he mostly worked and lived in foreign countries. While working as a head doctor in Bulgaria he dedicated most of his time to Lithuanian history research and prepared first number of patriotic newspaper “Aušra” in Prague. He was highly intelligent, ambitious and had his values set straight. I noticed that that’s what some of Lithuanian people are lacking nowadays. J. Basanavičius inspires to appreciate and preserve country’s heritage, be ambitious and stay loyal to what is important to you and defend it.

On the other hand, speaking about nationality, I think some people can find his work kind of irrelevant now. Today a lot of the young adults just do not find much of a meaning in nationality concept, they rather identify themselves as versatile individuals living in global community, which, in my opinion, is sensible but only achievable between sagacious people. A century ago it may have looked unimaginable to have Lithuania independent, if not J. Basanavičius efforts, so it proves that your actions can mean a lot.

As I mentioned before, J. Basanavičius is crucially important in Lithuania even now, moreover, as an inspiration to cherish our own culture and language because that is fundamentally who we are and be not afraid to act according to your beliefs because your actions can make a difference.

Ugnė Grigonytė, 4D

The essay

Every single person has to grow up – morally as much as physically. And each one chooses their own authority figure to guide them through life, to help them evolve. The person to whom you look up to does not necessarily has to be alive or even real, you can aspire from books, movies and other cultural sources.

There is no doubt that we can learn from famous historical figures, because to be remembered you had to do something worthwhile. For this instance that figure is J.Basanavičius – he has accomplished many great deeds as a politician, as a doctor and as a community representative. Having stated his accomplishments it is clear that he can be an inspiration to a wide variety of people. This man’s triumphant will is undeniably encouraging for all.

However, today’s adolescents forget these values and sometimes choose to act on their own or deny that they need an authority figure, but even the most remarkable people had someone to guide and assist them. This new way of thinking leads to failure in most cases, but there are some who can still achieve something significant. But those who choose to believe in somebody – at first follow their path and then try to make something better from it – in comparison succeed much more often than others.

Having said all this, it is clear that a figure such as J.Basanavičius not only can be an inspirational figure, but people really should aspire to be like him, to learn from him through his literature and past actions.

Jokūbas Naudžiūnas, 4E

Is Jonas Basanavicius still an idol to today’s Lithuanian?

Without a doubt Jonas Basanavicius is one of the most important figures who greatly benefited Lithuania’s history: first editor of Lithuanian newsletter “Ausra”, doctor, scientist, but most importantly, main seeker for Lithuania’s independence. It is only normal that man of this importance would be close to heart of every Lithuanian, unfortunately it is not that easy to say whether he is everyone’s idol or not.

In order to commemorate Jonas Basanavicius Lithuania has streets, schools and statues in many Lithuanian towns and it shows very well that he is not forgotten and will not be any time soon, young people have no difficulties recalling some of his achievements, but I do not believe that people would choose him as an idol: today Lithuania is independent and there is no need to dedicate your entire life for freedom of your country like Basanavicius did. He shows what is true patriotism, we are inspired to spread name of Lithuania across the world, but sometimes we do not notice that it may be because of his example. I think in Lithuania’s history there were many people who dedicated their lives to Lithuania and Basanavicius gets lost among them although his contribution was in some ways greater and different than everyone else’s. And from here rises the question: can we call him idol if we cannot identify him specifically as such.

Some people say that until we have a statue of Vytautas in Vilnius, Lithuania will not respect its history. That statment suggests that idols are scattered across different individuals. Maybe someone who loves reading or writing poems admire Maironis more than anyone else. In my humble opinion we choose idols depending on our activity so it is nearly impossible to have one and the same idol until it is officially named as such. I am a proud student of Jonas Basanavicius gymnasium, however, he is not my idol, reason being: his work is not what I am interested in my personal life. Do not get me wrong I am grateful for what he did as we all should be, but I do not think I ams ready to dedicate my entire life to Lithuania. However, I am inspired to spread Lithuania’s name, so all his efforts to give us freedom that we have today does not go to waste.

In the end, it is difficult to say whether he is an idol to everyone. I believe that there are people who look up to him and people that do not. But I think everyone agrees that it is safe to say that this man is close to our hearts and important to us Lithuanians as we will not forget his work towards our freedom.

Kasparas Mockevičius, 4A

Jonas Basanavičius – still inspires?

Most of individuals idolize influential people from the time period they are living it. But I think those who have made a huge impact on our culture and society can also be our source of inspiration.

One of the most influential historical figure is Jonas Basanavičius – a doctor, writer, patriot. It seems that most of my generation does not appreciate the value of freedom and patriotism as much as past generations had. We were born in the free country and we did not experience the fights and struggle for our freedom. We do not understand what kind of determination and courage people needed to fight for changes and disobey the government. Those are the reasons why it is hard for nowaday‘s generation to take Jonas Basanavičius as the idol or a source of inspiration.

On the other hand, for an older generation Jonas Basanavičius can still be an inspiration. His achievements and work had a huge impact on our culture. The older generations value the work for our country more than we do. In that period of time most of the people adapted to governoment’s strict rules and there was just few who tried to stimulate our national self-consciousness. That is why Jonas Basanavičius still can be an example of person who defends his ideas and tries to reach his goals.

All in all, I can say Jonas Basanavičius still can be an inspiration, but for our generation it is hard to value him as an example of highly contributed person for our country. As I mentioned before, it is easier to find a source of inspiration from a current period.

Jonas Pečiulis, 4E

The Essay about Jonas Basanavičius

Dr. Jonas Basanavicius is famous for various important work, including being one of the main signers of The Lithuanian Act of Independence. He is still being talked about today in Lithuanian schools, but can he still be a source of inspiration for the people of today? In my opinion he can, and in this essay I am going to explain why.

In my opinion, his attitude towards work and his desire to change the world will be an inspiration for a long time to come. There are many historical figures that we remember and learn about. They are still remembered because they had a part in creating history, Whether it is the history of Lithuania or any other country or the whole world. These people usually have some things in common, their desire to change the world. These people, like Dr. Jonas Bsanavicius, Albert Enstein, Elon Musk and so on, inspire people to try to achieve new heights in every field imaginable, because their work is forever remembered, and a lot of people want to leave a mark on this world, and you cannot achieve great things without putting a lot of work into them.

Furthermore, Jonas Basanavicius is one of the main reasons why Lithuania is now independent, that means that he will forever be a part of Lithuanian history, and for many patriotic people he is a source of inspiration when it comes to keeping Lithuania free and trying to fix its inner problems. Many contemporary Lithuanian politicians cite him as an inspiration.

In conclusion, we can see that Dr. Jonas Basanavicius can still be an inspiration, not only for taking part in making Lithuania free, but also because he had a great attitude towards work and innovation.

By Arnas Kočetkovas, 4E

The essays of Vilnius Jonas Basanavičius pre-gymnasium (English teachers’ team: Asta Pleckevičienė, Lina Sudintienė, Vitalija Kliaščiūtė, Jolanta Vitkauskienė)

Can J. Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

To know Jonas Basanvičiaus title and work is a Lithuanians duty, a must. He’s a true Lithuanian history figure, who can justify his fame with his story, his persona. In his honor, Jonas’ name has been given to streets, monuments, public buildings – an appreciation for his dedication to the country. In his time, Basanavičius was someone that people respected, acted as an inspiration. But can he still be one today?

First of all, my aunts answer is a definite yes. As she is a writer, she genuinely admires Basanavičiaus commitment to saving and fighting for Lithuanian culture, literature. Not to mention also writing and producing his own scripted works. She stated how much respect she has for Jonas, his love, devotion and mindset that Lithuanian culture is important and no one has the right to take it away Now, our country has its own unique and free language thanks to Basanavičius for doing contributing to make it that way.
A close friend of mine also answered positively. Her words were very simple, yet strong – we should learn the meaning of unity from Jonas. From her perspective, the pure success of his achievements relied on the teamwork of supportive and similarly thinking Lithuanian patriots. Basanavičius didn’t sign the Independence Act all by himself after all. She thinks his actions showed how much power a nation can have, told us we should stop underestimating it, but instead use it as an advantage.
On the other hand, my cousin has some doubts. In his view, Basanavičiaus morals and solutions back from his time most definitely differ from today’s Lithuania’s standards and problems. “In short, his mindset is outdated, it’s old” he says. These times my cousin feel like the impact Jonas leaves on the citizens, especially the younger generation, and the country, it’s aspects, is minimal to zero taking a look at how the situations have changed. By his beliefs, as we, a community, advance, we need to also upgrade the people that guide us.
To close off, I personally think Jonas Basanavičius was and still is a truly important character who didn’t fail to affect us all with his good deeds and constant sacrifices. He without a doubt can be someone to look up to even today. If not appreciated directly, he will be remembered for quite some time years later. And I think that’s what makes a true inspiration.
By Vanesa Repšytė, 8a

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration for us?

Back in 20th century, Jonas Basanavičius was one of the most famous people in Lithuania. He was born in Ožkabaliai, November 23, 1851, later he started study medicine at the Moscow Medical Academy. Therefore, Jonas Basanavičius worked as a doctor from 1880 to 1905 in Bulgaria. Regardless of how far Lithuania and Bulgaria are, he still took care of Lithuanian traditions, customs & in 1905 returned back. During the period when Jonas Basanavičius lived in Lithuania, he founded the Lithuanian Scientific Society, became chairman of the organizing committee of the 1905 Great Seimas in Vilnius, but most importantly – he was the first who signed the Act of Independence of Lithuania. It is also worth to mention, that he was one of the five publishers of the first national Lithuanian newspaper ‘Aušra’. So after all great things he did for our country a hundred years ago, can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration for us?

In my friend’s opinion, since Lithuania is a free country for 27 years, actually there’s nothing more you can do about it. In 20th century, when the independence of our country was so fragile, Jonas Basanavičius played a very important role in Lithuania’s management. But what would he do now, when everything is so stable and there aren’t as many dangers as there were a century ago. My friend says that Jonas Basanavičius could have been an inspiration for all those people, who were fighting for independence of Lithuania in late 80s or who will potentially fight in future, but not now.

In my estimation, even though at the moment there are no threats to the independence of Lithuania, Jonas Basanavičius can still be a great inspiration to do our best for the sake of our country. He collected and published approximately 7’000 works of folklore (fairy-tales, songs, legends, riddles etc.), thus preventing them from being forgotten. All of us could likewise take care of Lithuanian culture, following his example and perhaps all the original traditions, customs & everything that reminds us of our past could be saved. Once, Jonas Basanavičius said ‘The nation without a past is a nation without a future’. I think, it’s a quote that concludes whole Jonas Basanavičius’ life and answers the question if he can still be an inspiration for us.

In my brother’s view, Jonas Basanavičius could and should be a sample of a true patriot of Lithuania for every single Lithuanian citizen. He says that Jonas Basanavičius dedicated his whole life to make Lithuania independent and prosperous again, so we are obligated to continue his work, even after a hundred of years. We must respect and always remember, what some great people did and had to suffer to make Lithuania a better country to live in. Only the untiring 40 years work of Jonas Basanavičius led the struggle for Lithuanian independence and as a result, the Act of Independence of Lithuania was signed in 1918, February 16.

To sum up all the opinions, Jonas Basanavičius completely can be an inspiration for all of us. He was an actual incarnation of patriotism and if we only were at least a little bit like him, right now Lithuania would shine and flourish. All that Lithuanians can do after 166 years since Jonas Basanavičius was born is to never forget how much did it cost to make Lithuania an independent and a democratic country. We must appreciate the freedom that was hard-won by such great people like Jonas Basanavičius.

By Radvilas Pelanis, 8a

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Jonas Basanavičius is one of Lithuanian heroes. He was a main signatory who declared Lithuania’s independence. He never forgot Lithuanian language, he collected Lithuanian songs, tales, jokes, but can Jonas Basnavičius still be an inspiration to us?

I personally think that he can be an inspiration to us. I think that nowadays people don’t care about saving their language as Jonas Basanavičius did. People start using words from different languages. Also people start creating their own words for longer words or phrases for example: thank you is “ty”, I don’t know is “idk”, but thankfully those shorter phrases are only used chatting in the internet or texting.

My friend thinks that Jonas Basanavičius can be an inspiration because he was brave enough to fight against occupants. He printed his own newspaper in Lithuanian language although it was illegal to write something in Lithuanian or even speak Lithuanian in some public places. Also he was brave enough to declare independence of Lithuania.

Other people think that he can be an inspiration because before declaring the independence of Lithuania he spent some years living abroad where he learned other languages and worked as a doctor, he also had his own hospital in Bulgaria. He was famous enough in Bulgaria that people named a street “Dr. Basanavičius street”.

My father says that Jonas Basnavičius is inspiration to us because he never forgot that he was a Lithuanian. Even when he was abroad he always told people that there was such country as Grand Duchy of Lithuania before it was occupied by Russian Empire. And he came back to Lithuania and with other important Lithuanian people he started planning independence declaration.

Summarised Jonas Basanavičius did many great things and none of them were bad or unfair. People rate him as a great person who didn’t let us forget who we are. So that says that Jonas Basanavičius is a great inspiration to us.

By Povilas Kašauskas 8a

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Basanavičius was a Lithuanian politician and culture activist. Also, he heavily affected the Lithuanian National Revival and was one of the most important people who made it happen. It seems that this country wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t for him. But is his work still relevant today and are we valuing it nowadays? Can he still, to this day, be an inspiration to us?

My first initial thought was that yes, he definitely can. And my reason is the cultural impact. He collected samples of Lithuanian folklore like fairytales, legends, songs, riddles and etc. And, of course, published them. But, most importantly, he founded the first Lithuanian language newspaper “Aušra” (English “Dawn”). All this work shows J. Basanavičius’ commitment to the Lithuanian culture.

But on the other hand, some of my friends think that maybe he can’t be an inspiration. These days, young people usually don’t find people like him really interesting. Mostly because they find him and his work just a bit old and/or outdated. There definitely is a higher demand for modern, futuristic people that we could call role models and find them truly inspiring. Even though Basanavičius has done a lot of meaningful work culturally and politically, some people don’t find it relevant anymore.

The third point would, once again, be positive. My mom’s opinion is that the reason for this is the political work. Firstly, he was the chairman of the Great Seimas of Vilnius. Also, probably the most important thing is that he was one of the people who signed the Act of Independence in 1918. He even was the first person to sign the act. And, of course, Jonas Basanavičius was one of the main people that made this act happen.

So, in conclusion, I’d say that yes, he can be an inspiration to us. Or at least partially. The work that he has done for out small country is undeniably important. Even those 90 years that have passed since his death couldn’t deny the impact of all of his work. Maybe people are leaning towards modern role models more, but I think that Jonas Basanvičius can still be a great inspiration to us.

By Akvilė Mykolaitytė 8a

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration?

Jonas Basanavičius was a well-known activist in Lithuania. He collected nursery stories for books, recorded olden days’ Lithuanian music and was an amazing doctor. But he’s mostly known for being one of the people who attempted to declare Lithuania’s independence in 1918. For those reasons J. Basanavičius was a big inspiration for people back then. But since his works are still remembered a lot in today’s Lithuania, can he still be an inspiration to others?
My mum says yes. She thinks that no matter how long ago J. Basanavičius did his works, they still always will be great. In her opinion, his passion for Lithuania’s past can still affect our youth. With him being people’s inspiration our pas could be treasured for a long time.
My dad agrees with my mum’s opinion. He thinks that J. Basanavičius’ career as a doctor can inspire others. Knowing his success in medicine, more people might get interested in the subject. And of course more nurses, doctors, surgeons, etc., is a good thing.
My friend is sure that that J. Basanavičius can be great inspiration. He showed a lot of love not only for our country’s past, but also presence (at the time) and future. He was brave enough to start an illegal organisation so his and future generations can proudly call themselves free. She thinks that his patriotism for Lithuania can still inspire nowadays, generations to love our country.
To wrap everything up, I agree with all of the opinions. Not only did his works affected older times’ Lithuania, but they still do so today. He left a big mark in our history, which can inspire others lo leave something behind themselves. So yes, I believe that Jonas Basanavičius can be an inspiration.

Megė M. Biliakevičiūtė 8a

How can Jonas Basanavičius inspire us?

Inspiration is an idea that promotes to seek purpose, improves the quality of life. Inspiration is important for self-expression, no matter what activity is involved or in which area you want to improve yourself. Inspiration gives you more strength and a willingness to take on new activities and goals. Inspired people feel as if they have more energy to realize their idea, very often they begin improving their personality because of this feeling.

When we think about inspiration, I believe, what inspires us most are ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. We appreciate when someone has the ability and willingness to be selfless, creative, or just dares to be different. There are few such people I admire and one of them is Jonas Basanavičius.

Jonas Basanavičius was born on November 23th 1851. He died at the age of 75. He was the first editor of the newspaper “Aušra”, one of the most important seekers of independence, a scientist and a doctor. Moreover, this man was an activist and the proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. In addition to this, Basanavičius collected Lithuanian folklore songs, fairy-tales, and riddles, and published 14 books during his life.

Everything that has been mentioned above illustrates that Jonas Basanavičius inspires us to keep in mind the history and traditions of Lithuania as well as to be a greater person. His life activities inspire us to become more patriotic and sympathetic, teach to appreciate and respect the freedom of Lithuania.

By Deivid Boguslavskij 8c

Can Jonas Basanavičius inspire me?

I think inspiration is very important in a person’s life. It motivates you to do good in life. People find inspiration in many different things. I think every person has something or someone who inspires them. So can Jonas Basanavičius inspire me? To be able to answer this question fully, I would like to reflect on his life.

To begin with, Jonas Basanavičius was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival born on November 23rd 1851 in the Ožkabaliai village. Moreover, he participated in every major event leading to an independent Lithuanian state, in which we live now. He is often given the informal honorific title of the “Patriarch of the Nation”. In addition to this, Jonas Basanavičius was a founder of the first Lithuanian newspaper “Aušra” and he was the first person to sign the Act of independence of Lithuania.

The things that were mentioned above show that this man did a lot of great deeds for our country. Basanavičius can inspire people because of his hard work and love for his homeland. Nowadays, however, I don’t think people value that as much as they should. On the other hand, today our people don’t have to fight for freedom, so they are able to focus on their goals more. This leads to a fact that people of my generation tend to be inspired by successful people, people who have better lives and amazing careers. Most of the youth think they don’t have to work hard to get what they desire, but people like Jonas Basanavičius prove otherwise.

In conclusion, I think inspiration really depends on a person who seeks it and the time he or she lives in. The question is – can Jonas Basanavičius inspire you?

By Lėja Ananjevaitė 8c

Can Jonas Basanavičius inspire us?

What does someone do to inspire you? To me, inspiration is the process of instilling faith in someone to motivate him or her to do something. Many people do things simply out of the kindness in their heart, and do not realize they are inspiring others around them.

To me it’s my dad. My Dad inspires me the most. He is a very loving and caring person. He gives me the strength to do whatever I put my mind to. He inspires me to do things by example. He inspires me most when I see how his generosity makes other people feel, and how good it makes him feel because of their reaction. From that example, it makes me want to do something so I can experience the same feeling.

Some people could get inspired by Jonas Basanavičius. He was a doctor, a newspaper editor, scientist, and one of the main people that made Lithuania in dependent. There are many schools named after him and a statue to honor him.

All in all, Jonas Basanavičius helped people all of his life. There are not many people in this world that could spend his/her life to helping people for such a long time.

By Tautvydas Kapcevičius 8B

How can Jonas Basanavičius inspire us?

I would like to begin my essay saying that to know how someone can inspire us, firstly we need to know what inspiration means. Everyone has their own perception of what it means, right? When I hear the word “inspiration” I think of someone who is motivating other people. Usually, someone inspirational is just an ordinary person that did or is doing extraordinary things for example someone who is the best player in football, world champion of box etc.

Why it is important to have a person who is inspiring you? In my opinion, when you have that person, it helps you to achieve more in life, because you are motivated by this person or his story and you want to be like him or even better than him. So when you are trying to be like (or be better than) your inspiring person, you are improving yourself and it helps you to reach your life goals.

In our country, I think, every person has heard about Jonas Basanavičius. There are Jonas Basanavičius streets, Jonas Basanavičius schools and monuments built to honor him. Also, despite of the fact that he is dead, he is still an inspiring person to many people in Lithuania. But one can ask, what is it that he did, why is he so exalted? Well, Jonas Basanavičiuswas was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival, he participated in every major event leading to the independent Lithuanian state, collected samples of Lithuanian folklore and published them, also he was a doctor and an impressive person. He did a lot for Lithuania and he is a perfect inspiring person for patriots.

All in all, it is very important to have someone who inspires you as it helps significantly in becoming a better person. A person needs to be inspired because only then he can inspire others.

Rokas Bandza 8c

Jonas Basanavičius – an inspiring figure?

The question I asked myself was how could Jonas Basanavičius inspire us? Firstly, I believe that inspiration is very important in this world. One can not live without it. Something or someone inspires us to get up from our beds, to learn, to do a workout and much more. Anyone can inspire you: Singers, dancers, heroes. Even the people close to you: parents, relatives.

Secondly, the person that inspires me the most is Jonas Basanavičius. I look up to him. I am a student of a school named in his honor and I live in a street named by his last name. Thirdly, the interesting fact is that Jonas Basanavičius was a farmer kid at first but later he managed to become a doctor. Moreover, he founded the first Lithuanian newspaper ,,Aušra‘‘. In other words, Jonas Basanavičius was an activist and proponent of the Lithuanian National Revival. He was the first to sign the Act of Independence of Lithuania.

To sum up, Jonas was a farm kid, but grew u to be a patriot and one of the most famous Lithuanian heroes. This shows us that everything is possible and this motivates me everyday.That is why he inspires me and that is why I respect him.

Laurynas Butkus 8c

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration?

Jonas Basanavičius was an important politician in history of Lithuania. He initiated liberty act and was the first person who signed it. Also he was a doctor and made a big collection of Lithuanian folklore. For a long time he was an inspiration. But can he still be an inspiration? Here are a few opinions.

My mum thinks that Jonas Basanavičius can be an inspiration to us. His strong will helped our country and it showed what Lithuanians should be like. He still inspires us to love our freedom. Basanavičius was a big patriot and we all should be like him.

My dad agrees with my mum. He also says that not only Jonas Basanavičius should be an inspiration. “His personality is inspiring, but there were other inspiring people in our history. We can’t forget them too.”

Also, there is a different opinion. My friend thinks that Jonas Basanavičius is not very inspiring as a politician. “In my opinion, he inspires us to save our culture and to have your own opinion. However, he was just a usual politician”.

In conclusion I want to say that Jonas Basanavičius can still be inspiration for us. He was strong- willed and big patriot. These features are still important nowadays. Basanavičius was comprehensive, sophisticated and devoted person, so everyone can find inspiration in him.

Gabija Gnėdikaitė 8d

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Jonas Basanavičius was an important statesman in our society in the past. There are lots streets, schools named J.Basanavičius and even one of the banknotes of Lithuanian currency Litas was decorated with his portrait to honor him. But sometimes people rise a question if Jonas Basanavičius could be an inspiration to us nowadays. There could be different opinions and reasons for answers to such a question.

To my point of view there is no doubt that Jonas Basanavičius is still one of the best well known statesman and he can be an inspiration for us. The reason why my opinion is so solid that first of all this person was a really good Lithuanian citizen and after that well known as a doctor, scientist, creator and founder of the first Lithuanian newspaper „Aušra“, politician and signatory of the Act of Lithuanian independence. In addition, I admire his so strong Lithuanian standpoints, good manners and diplomatic, polite ways dealing with opponents.

Jonas Basanavičius is also known as a guard of Vilnius with a shield in his hand because he bravely stayed in our capital while the whole Government retreated to Kaunas during the period when Vilnius became part of Poland in 1920.

I also like this legendary man because he being so active politician found time for culture activity as well. Jonas Basanavičius is famous as a folklorist. He collected songs, fairy-tales, legends, riddles and published them.

Summarizing I think Jonas Basanavičius could be an example and inspiration how to fight for our independence, freedom and peace and not to be passive dreaming about a better life.

Donata Jackevičiūtė 7c

Can J.Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

February 16 is the most important day in Lithuanian’s history, the day when Lithuania became independent. In 2018, February 16 we will be celebrating one hundred years of our independence. There are a lot of people to whom we should be thankful for this gift, but one of the greatest is Jonas Basanavičius and our school has honor to carry his name. He is the person, who created and initiated the act of independence, the person, who shoved, that we should be proud of our country, never forget its history and speak our native language.

Basanavičius lived in Bulgaria and worked as a doctor, but he never forgot Lithuania and all his works was dedicated to native land. He was the first editor of magazine “Aušra”. He promoted Lithuanian nation to fight against the policy of polonization, russification and germination in the “Aušra”, demanded an equal rights for Lithuanian language, developed Lithuanian cultural education, secular education in native language. He was inspiring many people with his brave, smartens, intuition at that time and mostly with the love to Lithuania, and that feeling he was spreading to everyone. J. Basanavičius was like the quiet port, which united the people around himself and invited them to work together. He bravely spoke about an independent Lithuania, when others were afraid even to dream about it and he made his words to come true. That is why he is honorably called the Patriarch of our nation.

And now when Lithuania is independent, and for us, the young generation, is hard even imagine, that could be in other way, we always must to remember such great people as J. Basanavičius and be thankful for the gift that they gave to us – it’s our freedom. Their fight for independent and free Lithuania at those hard time always will inspire us to love our little, but really pretty country, LITHUANIA!!!

So if you are starting to forget J. Basanavičius, than you should click this link and read once more about him: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Basanavi%C4%8Dius .

Neda Lasickaitė 7c

Can J.Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

Many celebrities of today are aligned and inspired by the famous people of the past who have achieved something in their lives. Jonas Basanavičius is no an exception. He was the initiator of the national revival in the 19th century, the first editor of the newspaper “Aušra”, one of the most important activists for state independence, a doctor, a folklorist, anthropologist, a publicist, a well known person of society and culture, and a patriarch of the Lithuanian nation.

It’s amazing how so many can fit in one man and no doubt it’s a great personality for inspiration. My school is also named after his name and I am proud studying here.

We all have the purpose of our life and we all are looking for inspiration for each day. It can be a cup of coffee, a friend’s word, a paragraph of the book, a song or maybe the whole life story of some person.

To create our own unique story we need much effort, resolve and endless desire to achieve it. Everyone chooses the authority for themselves, who inspires him to strive for something, to do important things, to become unforgettable and this requires a lot of stubbornness. I think Jonas Basanavičius was also stubborn for his goals. His life and work inspire me never give up if something fails and fight for what I believe, because it shows how strong we are.

Jonas Basanavičius can really be an inspiration. This is the man who inspired many in the past, we know him in nowadays and I believe that after many years he will light up the fire in many people hearts.

Paulina Griciutė 7c

Can Jonas Basanavičius still be an inspiration to us?

I think Jonas Basanavičius can still be an inspiration to us .He was and will always be one of the most important figures in the Lithuanian society. He did a lot of very important, heroic things to save the future of Lithuania.

He was one of the main signatories to sign on the Act of Independence of Lithuania. He was a doctor, collected and published samples of Lithuanian folklore(songs, fairy-tales, legends, riddles, etc.) He was one of the founders of the newspaper Ausra (Auszra) and the founder of the Lithuanian Science Society which is dedicated to Lithuanian history, ethnography, linguistics.

Jonas Basanavičius is a symbolic figure of the Lithuanian national revival, often referred as the “patriarch of the nation.” He saved Lithuania from disappearance from the surface of the map. Lithuanian is the oldest surviving Indy-European language. It shares its origin with many other European languages.

Basanavičius taught us to respect our language, our country and he deserves all respect from the Lithuanian people. That means Jonas Basanavičius can be an inspiration to us. His deeds and his dedication inspire us not to give up but care for our homeland, history and culture.

MK 7c

Can Jonas Basanavičius inspire us now?

In my opinion Jonas Basanavičius was a brave and clever person. He was one of twenty people, who helped our country to get independence. Also he was a doctor, scientist and “Patriarch of the Nation”. A lot of people was saying, that he is like a lighthouse of their country. But can Jonas Basanavičius be our lighthouse now?

A lot of people, who are living in Lithuania are thinking, that Jonas Basanavičius can‘t be our inspiration now, because he is not alive and he can‘t speak, but in my opinion history of Lithuania can speak and there we can see, that Jonas Basanavičius did a lot of important things for Lithuania’s future. He was living in Bulgaria, but after many years he returned to Lithuania, because he loved his country. Also, when he returned, he went to United States of America with other conspirators to get some money for Lithuania. Also he wrote the first magazine of Lithuania „Ausra”. There are much more Jonas Basanavičius good jobs for Lithuania and Lithuania‘s future.

In my opinion Jonas Basanavičius can still be an inspiration to our country. And I think, that he is one of the greatest people in history of our country . I think, that he was an inspiration, still is an inspiration and he will be an inspiration for our country in the future.

By Urtė K. 7C

A man who can still inspire us

Freedom. This one word has lots of different meanings to the whole world. For me it means free country, free people, and free decisions. Free means happy. Every single person around me is enjoying life. Going out with friends, working, laughing, doing what they like, and meeting new friends. And you know why? Because of freedom. The father of freedom of Lithuania is Jonas Basanavičius.

I think Jonas Basanavičius still can be an inspiration to us. I mean he did lots of amazing and great things to reach freedom. He was courageous, gentleman, caring person. Of course he had lots of difficulties to get over, lots of bridges to build, lots of things to achieve. But he never gave up, because he wanted to make people of his country happy, to make them free.

But Jonas Basanavičius wasn’t alone, he had lots of good and famous friends and his beloved wife who helped him. Together it was easier, because they all had motivation, purpose and most important they wanted to. They were a big group who made us free.

From Jonas Basanavičius we can learn lots of things, for example: courage, hard work, belief, motivation and many more. He was very strong person from inside and he did lots of great things to make Lithuania better. That’s why he still can be inspiration to us and we’ll always remember him as our hero.

By Ugnė Urbonaitė 7c

Can Jonas Basanavičius be an inspiration today?

In my opinion Jonas Basanavičius can definitely be an inspiration today. He was one of the 20 people to sign the act of independence for Lithuania in 1918 February 16th. He was also a doctor, a scientist, and a “Patriarch of the Nation”. He showed us that we shouldn’t be ashamed of our country even if it’s small. We have many great things to be proud of for example, other countries say that our language sounds very beautiful.

I think that he can truly be an inspiration today, even for the next generation, because he worked really hard, even when he was abroad in Bulgaria he was working on a Lithuanian newspaper,, Aušra”. When he got back to Lithuania he released the first ever Lithuanian newspaper. Later he returned to Lithuania to live in his native country. Jonas Basanavičius died on the 16th of February 1927, it was the 9th anniversary of Lithuania’s independence, but unfortunately on that day Jonas Basanavičius passed away.

To honor Jonas Basanavičius there’re streets and schools named after him. I feel honored that I’m studying in a school named after Jonas Basanavičius. One of the most popular streets named after Jonas Basanavičius is in Palanga. Before the Euro Lithuania’s currency was ,,Litas” and there was a portrait of Jonas Basanavičius on the 50 Litas banknote..

To sum everything up, I think that Jonas Basanavičius can really be an inspiration today and in the future. I can’t even imagine Lithuania not being independent now, that would be horrible, but thanks to Jonas Basanavičius Lithuania is independent, and I am really grateful to live in this country with such amazing legends that fought for independence. I hope that everyone will remember Jonas Basanavičius.

By Matas Bulkauskas 7b




A trip to Washington State

OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

Waves boom along wilderness beaches and mix with snow-fed rivers. Ancient trees shelter wildlife. Rugged peaks embrace glaciers and sub-alpine meadows. Coast, forest, and mountain ecosystems combine to create this spectacular wilderness park.

A view to Seattle from a ferry

The Olympic Peninsula is home to eight American Indian tribes that developed complex hunter-gatherer societies and continue to keep their traditions alive. European explorers who ventured here in the late 1700s heralded the way for homesteaders. The Olympics were set aside as a national monument in 1909 and further protected as Olympic National Park in 1938. Today the park is internationally recognized as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site, testimony to its rich resources.

Olympic National Park protects the largest old-growth forest in the Pacific North-West. Its unique character begins with ancient trees that took root 200 to 1,000 years ago. Elks and deer. They are the most popular animals in Washington State. After travel to Sequim we came back to Seattle.

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We were visiting Lithuanian graves in Roslyn city. A lot of Lithuanians were working in mining. They immigrated to United States in the beginning of the 20th century. We were going to a lot of trails. And traveling around Seattle for two weeks.

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And our last trip was to the east of Washington.

EAST WASHINGTON

Our hotel was in Winthrop city. It is a small town with old houses.

We saw a lot of beautiful views there. The climate there is very interesting: in the West Washington, Summers are not very hot and winters are not very cold. And in the East Washington summers are hot and winters – cold.

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We were in America for three weeks and then came back to Lithuania.




How is Life in Elektrėnai??? by Evita

Elektrenai is one of the newest towns of Lithuania. Having been established during the Soviet times as the living space for workers of the nearby power plant. Many years ago the territory was covered by remote lakes and fields. But today we have a huge water gathering lagoon, which was created in order to cool down the Elektrenai Power Plant. The city is located between two largest cities – Vilnius and Kaunas, so can be a nice vacation place or even living place. People coming here tend to be educated, that is why the beach is very neat (no water rats or sunflower eaters as can be met by the famous lake of ŠILAS). Clean beach of Lagoon

stand up boarders maintain an upright stance on their boards and use a paddle to propel themselves through the water. It is not costly and especially great for girls as it helps to keep your body in tip top shape and clear your mind.

Wake-boarding in the evening time. During the winter months, when the lagoon is covered by ice, you can skate, play ice-hockey or ice fish there.

8Yrs old boy Jokubas wakeboarding

, not many cultural monuments can be visited here. One of them is a great modern architecture church. It has an interesting rectangular arch with 7 crosses, symbolizing 7th century of Christianity in Lt.

States and Finland. Last year it was possible to park your car or quadrocycle nearby the track so the view was distinct and dynamic, the speed could be “felt” easily. A very attractive place is Elektrenai Ice Palace arena, which welcomes everyone all year round. Although it is a bit too cold inside, if you compare it with Vilnius Akropolis skate rink. We even had an ice- hockey championship of youth held here this year. Unfortunately, the ice is being melt during summer time until August. Then the rink is used for various activities (for instance dart competitions). Elektrenai town itself is very clean, grass is being cut constantly. There are many paths for bicycles and skates, ramps for skaters are quite modern there. There is a nice avenue that you can come around slowly and admire the scenery of almost boundless lagoon and reservation. While walking you can visit a small bakery nearby that makes delicious and fresh pastries. My favourite one is English ring – shaped roll or hot small kibins.

Extra ordinary thing is Capitals Golf Club. The court is in a very good condition and very playable. No need to wait on court. Great service and hospitality. Children can be left here for summer camps and learn to play golf. It is costly, however. A friend of mine even took place at the competition of golf starters. An American magazine rounded the club as the best new international project of 2008 in the whole world!!! (Except the USA)

was supposed to be a grand theme park activity center with various carousels and even Americanroller-coaster!!! But today we have a very sad view – abandoned and rusted place, showing the face of Soviet Union. From the feminine side, I would like to point out that there are a few nice beauty salons. One is on the first floor of the modern 12th floor building. You can have manicure or haircut done for you, yet the queues are enormous, so the service is not that advantageous.

Strange thing is that you cannot find a place, where somebody can wash your car (I wonder how people do that? maybe they wash their cars in the lagoon? :)) There are also nice markets where you can buy fresh vegetables, meat etc.

To summarize, Elektrenai is a nice, clean and quite place. If you feel you have had enough of that calmness you can come back to Vilnius or Kaunas as it is aprox. 50 km from these cities.

 

 




Summer’s moment @ Palanga by ME.

Every year less and less people can afford Palanga 🙂 It is easier and of course cheaper to visit Turkey, Greece or other countries. But if you are patriot and love Lithuanian seaside you must challenge yourself and survive several days in Palanga including famous Basanavičius street, crowded beaches, expensive food and excellent music shows satisfying every taste 🙂

And if you are determined enough you will definitely be awarded for your effort. So some advice for those who haven’t given up yet and still love Palanga.

  1. Visit Palanga in the beginning of June -the nature is awakening this time of year and the streets are not so crowded
  2. Cycle along Basanavicius street instead of walking 🙂 You’ll feel safer and it’s easier to escape in case everything you see around is too much for you :))
  3. Have your ipod on the Beach if you don’t like loud announcements on the radio about the safety rules in the sea which are repeated every five minutes in 3 different languages 🙂
  4. Try not to eat in the local restaurants unless you are an extremely tolerant person
  5. Find your daily routine , that makes your day happier for e.g. a cup of coffee in the morning, jogging in the park, feeding wild ducks in the river, walking or cycling along the seaside in the evenings etc.

Summarizing, you can enjoy Palanga and find something nice. These are some photos that show “Life is beautiful in summer “

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WINNERS OF THE CONTEST “Let’s save our Earth”

A SPECIAL ESSAY CONTEST ORGANIZED TOGETHER WITH THE US EMBASSY IN VILNIUS 🙂

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vakare us embassy

We are very proud to announce the winners:

1st place Vakarė Kuklytė 7C

https://thevoice.space/2016/04/animals-matter-do-we-care-by-vakare-kuklyte/

2ndplace Emilija Jokūbauskaite 7B

3rd place Audrė Baublytė 7D

https://thevoice.space/2016/04/what-it-feels-to-be-a-bear-these-days-by-audre-baublyte/

Winners: in the category- students of the LEU

1st and 2nd place Ineta Januševskaja and Viltė Baronaitė

https://thevoice.space/2016/04/what-can-be-done-to-stop-environmental-issues-by-ineta-janusevskaja-and-vilte-baronaite/

3rd place Edvinas Matonis

We would like to express our gratitude for the great team of the US Embassy in Vilnius for the cooperation and for such a warm welcome 😳

The original contest’s announcement:

Our newspaper’s writers or their English studying friends, who don’t necessarily write everyday, make an article about the climate change and environmental protection, dedicated to the Earth Day, April 22. People who decide to contribute to this project should link\make a reference of some kind to Lithuania. The U.S. Embassy will read the articles, select three best ones, which they would also publish on their social media!!!

Summed up, on or around April 22, all the writers from The VOICE, as well other students who write from J. Basanavičius (max 30 people) will be invited to visit the Embassy, where the authors of three best articles shall be awarded with books and special Embassy prizes.

Let US know what you think of the project, as well as if you’re going to enter the contest!

Good luck ;-)




Environmental Issues by Gytė Batūraitė LEU

Currently world population has reached 7 billion. Even though there are a lot of people living on Earth, not everybody knows that on April 22 it is going to be Earth’s Day. Earth Day is an annual event on which a lot of events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. There are a lot of environmental problems around us, even though we do not always see them. Probably the worst environmental problems are pollution
and global warming.

One of the most serious environmental issues in Lithuania are air and water pollution. The increasing air pollution in Lithuanian cities during the last years had an impact on health of people. The main air pollution sources are automobiles and factories. However, people can’t simply stop using cars or close all the factories. Can they?

Another environmental issue is water pollution. Water pollution is one of Lithuania’s most serious problems.
Lithuanian surface waters are slightly polluted with heavy metals, oil products and phenol.There a few ways to reduce the water pollution, such as to never throw garbage, chemicals, or paints into the water, also for the
government to buy water cleaning equipment.

ONE MORE really important issue disturbing our life is global warming. There are a lot of possible causes of global warming, such as deforestation, pollution, wildfires, and many more. However, even though it does not seem like a thing that we could see at the moment, but it is evident to see as the time passes. Melting of the ice caps, rising sea level, lakes warming rapidly, animals changing migration patterns, plants changing the dates of activity, and many other things are considered to be the effects of global warming.

Environmental problems may not seem like a huge thing for us now, but what will happen to the Earth in the future, if none of us will care or do anything about it? Who knows. A few things we can do save our planet, or at least not to worsen the current situation, are to reduce the pollution, stop wasting electricity, water, and gas, and to encourage others to do the same.

All in all, the first step to change the world is to change our daily life habits. 😉




LEU. What do you know about endangered mammals in Lithuania? by Dominyka Dovidaitytė

Air pollution, water pollution, climate change and so on, these are all environmental problems. But how about endangered species? What do we call endangered species? Do we have those in Lithuania? An Endangered species is a species which has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as likely to become extinct. Because of increasing urbanization and expanding infrastructure, deforestation animals are being
extinct. There are too many of them to be discussed. Let’s look at some mammals.

Bison is the largest mammal known in Lithuania. Bison was a very important hunting object in Lithuanian history, the Grand Duke Jogaila was interested in great animals’ (including bisons) hunting. Now there are very few of them left.  

Next one is the brown bear. They weigh 130-170 kg. In earlier years
because of increasing population and farming these bears had been hunted as predators. And also deforestation was causing the same problem-extinction.

The third one is forest dormouse. Its appearance is squirrel-like, On average, the forest dormouse is 110 mm long with a fluffy grey tail nearly as long as its body. The head and body length can range from 80 mm to 130 mm, while the length of the tail can range from 60 mm to 113 mm. The range of its body mass is between 18 grams and 34 grams.

All in all, we should protect and respect our country, environment and animals.  I hope that in future the level of extinction will decrease.




Could Deforestation Lead to the End of the World? By LEU Student Dovilė Stanislovaitytė

All of us know that trees produce oxygen and that it is vital for our survival, but trees do so much more. Our forests are natural sinks of carbon dioxide and produce fresh oxygen as well as helps in regulating temperature and rainfall. Now forests cover 30% of the land but every year tree cover is lost due to growing population demand for more food, shelter and cloth. Deforestation simply means clearing of green cover and making that land available for residential, industrial or commercial purpose. This article will look into causes and effects of deforestation.


Deforestation occurs around the world, though tropical rain forests are particularly targeted. NASA predicts that if current deforestation levels proceed the world’s rain forests could completely vanish in a hundred years which would be a disaster.

There are many reasons of deforestation, but most of them are related to money or to people’s need to provide for their families.The biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture. Farmers cut forests to provide more space for planting. Logging operations, which provide the world’s wood and paper products, also cut tons of trees each year. Loggers, some of them acting illegally, also build roads to access more and more remote forests – which leads to further deforestation. Not all deforestation is intentional. Some is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires, which may prevent the growth of young trees.

Deforestation has many negative effects on the environment. The most dramatic impact is a loss of habitat for millions of species. Deforestation also causes climate change. Forest soils are moist, but without protection from sun-blocking tree cover they quickly dry out. Trees also help perpetuate the water cycle by returning water steams back into the atmosphere. Without trees forest lands can quickly become deserts. Trees also play a huge role in absorbing the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. Fewer forests means larger amounts of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere – and increased speed of global warming.

We can already see negative results of deforestation, but we can try to improve the situation. The quickest solution to deforestation would be to simply stop cutting down trees and plant new ones. The cutting should be balanced by the planting enough young trees to replace the older ones which were cut down. It is a slow process, but it can change a lot.

Tropical rain forests which cover 6-7% of the earth’s surface, contain over half of all the plant and animal species in the world. So it is time to think that every action of ours have some kind of effect and cutting down trees can have a huge effect to the Earth in the near future. So all of us should think of a ways to stop or at least to reduce deforestation.




What can be done to solve environmental issues? By Ineta Januševskaja and Viltė Baronaitė LEU

recycling. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, use Less Heat and Air Conditioning, use less hot water, encourage others to conserve!

Tropical rain forests, which are crucial to stabilizing the climate
One more issue is the pollution. Pollution comes in many forms and no matter where we live we all
have probably seen it. It became a part of our daily routine to see a thing like smog in the streets of big cities. The first thing we can all do to reduce the amount of pollution in our streets, air and water is to change our mentality. Before buying a new product, ask yourself if you really need it or if you might be able to purchase it secondhand. It could make a big difference in the amount of trash we see in our landfills. Secondly, if you don’t already recycle, get into the habit. If everyone adopted these easy principles, the world would be in a much tidier place.

change causes more droughts. Only three percent of the world’s water is fresh water and 1.1 billion people lack access to clean, safe drinking water. How to deal with this problem? Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, using low-flow faucets, plugging up leaks, irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth.

It’s time for us to open our eyes and hearts and start caring more not about ourselves but also about our planet, our home. It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues. We and only we create a world we want to live in. And it is up to us weather we want to have a bright future or destroy everything we have. If ignored today, these ill effects are sure to curb human existence in the near future.




“Endangered species” by Rojus Paukštė 7A

Our country, like all the others save animals and plants that are near the line of disappearing out of our planet. We use the, “Red Book” to save our environment. And we also recycle litter, waste. How? I’ll tell you…

In our, “Red Book” we write down the species who are disappearing at the moment. Biological species written down in the book, must not be killed, so they can repopulate. We also make national parks where they can live, without minding their head about the hunters. For plants we also use the, “Red Book” and national parks so they can grow in one safe peace.

One more thing to help us save our home nature is recycling. We have three different types of recycling bins. One for paper, another for plastic, and the last one for glass. It really helps to remake, reuse items we use in our daily routine. But there are a few problems about it too. Some people don’t recycle. They are too lazy to do it. Even if they do recycle, they might put junk in the wrong bin.

That is how at least how Lithuania saves our home nature. Think of the planet that it is right now. There is no backup if our homeland dies.

 

 




“Planet Earth – a safe haven” by Lėja Mikailionytė 8B

Our planet Earth is unique among the stars. It is a safe haven for life: shielded by our atmosphere, with plenty of water and food for everyone… But not everything is going well lately in our paradise. There are a lot of problems that influence the environment, such as global warming, pollution, deforestation and many more, which are mostly caused by humans. But there are also a lot of ways in which we people can help the nature to restore its balance.

Probably most of you have heard of a new car type, that appeared recently – an electric car. Instead of petrol it uses electricity which does not pollute the environment. Although today electric cars are very expensive and need a lot of time to charge, they will get better and cheaper in the near future.
But if you do not like electric cars, then there is an alternative – a hydrogen fueled car. As the name suggest, it uses hydrogen as fuel and its’ waste after use is only water vapor. Hydrogen fueled cars are still in development, because of some problems, the main one is that hydrogen is highly combustible (it can easily explode).
One of the best ways to help our planet is to use renewable energy sources, such as sunlight, wind, ocean waves, geothermal heat... Their biggest advantages is that they are clean, renewable and quite cheap. I think that soon they will replace coal and oil and will be used worldwide.
For many years we burned coal and oil, polluting the environment, changing it and today we can see the results of our activities. Now we must fix the mistakes that we have made in the past and You, yes YOU, can help the environment too by recycling your trash. Maybe one can not do much, but by setting an example you encourage other people to follow it and in this way we can all help to safe our little paradise among the stars.    



LEU. How climate change affects animals? – By Živilė Pstygaitė

One day can be hot and cloudy, the next cold and sunny – these day to day changes are the weather.  One day it’s windy, the next it’s raining, the day after that it’s windy and raining then we might get some sunshine.  So, weather is always changing.  But now we regularly hear about climate change.  Climate reflects long-term weather patterns, so when we talk about climate change, we’re talking about long-term changes to the weather.  Over decades and centuries, climate changes – places become drier, wetter, hotter or colder.

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Our climate is changing, both naturally and due to human exploitation. There is already undeniable evidence that animals, birds and plants are being affected by climate change and global warming in both their distribution and behavior.

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Climate variability and change affects birdlife and animals in a number of ways:

Birds lay eggs earlier in the year than usual, plants bloom earlier and mammals are come out of hibernation sooner. Birds are migrating and arriving at their nesting grounds earlier, and the nesting grounds that they are moving to are not as far away as they used to be and in some countries the birds don’t even leave anymore, as the climate is suitable all year round.

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Many people know that climate change is causing Arctic sea ice to melt, which in turn threatens polar bears who need the ice to hunt for their prey. They spend far more time at sea than it does on land.  Polar bears today are thinner and less healthy than those of 20 years ago.

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Although it is thought that no species has yet become extinct exclusively because of climate change, many migratory and non-migratory species are expected to become extinct in the near future.




LEU. What can be done to stop environmental issues? – By Ineta Januševskaja and Viltė Baronaitė

Living in a 21st century seems to be like the best time of our lives. We got everything we need: high standarts of living, great progress in Social Welfare, Health care and technology. But….. Aren’t we forgetting something? Should we really care just about things like that? An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. A single individual cannot be blamed for the world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. Here is a list of thing all of us can try to be a part of a better future!

  1. 1Climate change is first and foremost an issue. You might have noticed that the weather’s been hotter than usual, or you have noticed a drought in your area or conversely, unusual storms. To prevent climate change you can start by using less electricity, driving less, switching to LED bulbs or eating less meat.
  2. 2Another thing to mention is deforestation. Tropical rainforests, which are crucial to stabilizing the climate and to human survival, are being chopped down at breakneck pace- one and a half acres of rainforest are lost every second. Humans have already chopped down about 50% of the rainforests that once existed on the planet and at the current rate of destruction, we will completely destroy the rainforests in the next 40 years. What we could do as individuals? By using recycled paper, we can decrease the need to cut down as many trees and by buying goods made with FSC-certified wood, we can show retailers that we don’t want them to support brands that obtain lumber irresponsibly. Last but not least, why not plant a tree or even a hundred trees.

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  1. Moving on we face pollution. Pollution comes in many forms and no matter where we live we all probably have seen it more or less. It became a part of our daily routine to see such thing like smog in the streets of big cities. The first thing we can all do to reduce the amount of pollution in our streets, air and water is to make a mental change. Before buying a new product, ask yourself if you really need it or if you might be able to purchase it secondhand. It could make a big difference in the amount of trash we see in our landfills. Secondly, if you don’t already recycle, get into the habit. If everyone adopted these easy principles, the world would be in a much better place.
  1. 5Global warming is another environmental issue which is increase in earth’s temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases called carbon dioxide, methane, water vapor and other gases. Without these gases, this planet would turn be cold for life to exist. What can be done? Reduce, reuse, recycle. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, use Less Heat and Air Conditioning, use less hot water, encourage others to conserve!

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  1. Water scarcity is becoming more of an issue as the population increases and climate change causes more droughts. Only three percent of the world’s water is fresh water and 1.1 billion people lack access to clean, safe drinking water. How to deal with this problem? Installing an ENERGY STAR-certified washer, using low-flow faucets, plugging up leaks, irrigating the lawn in the morning or evening when the cooler air causes less evaporation, taking shorter showers and not running sink water when brushing your teeth.

It’s time for us to open our eyes and hearts and start caring more not about ourselves but also about our planet, our home.  It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues. We and only we create a world we want to live in. And it is up to us weather we want to have a bright future or destroy everything we have. If ignored today, these ill effects are sure to curb human existence in the near future.

     

 

 

 

 




LEU. Environmental problems: littering – By Evelina Bankauskaitė

There are many environmental problems in the world today, such as littering, water and air pollution, deforestation, acid rain and more. Many of them are caused by people. You may think that Lithuania is a small country and there are not so many severe environmental problems. Although, the extent of Lithuania’s ecological issues is not as great as in other big countries, they are still issues that cannot be left unsolved.
One of the biggest environmental problems in Lithuania is littering. In the recent report on how European Union countries manage municipal waste Lithuania was one of the outsiders. The vast majority of municipal waste in Lithuania is still landfilled. Despite the fact that since 2004, the recycling rate has slightly increased, the overall recycling level is still shamefully low. Probably, the reason of it is the lack of information. This problem needs to be solved quickly. We have to instruct our people about recycling. The recycling process should be supervised carefully.
Another huge concern is the usage of plastic bags. These bags are very popular in our country. You can find tons of them in supermarkets or in any kind of shop. Usually they are given for free. Buyers do not even understand how many of them they actually take. As you may know, microorganisms are unable to decompose plastic trash.  It is a very massive issue that other countries started to take care off.  For example, Italy was the first country in Europe which forbade onetime plastic bags. In these days, more and more countries in the world apply major restrictions on plastic trash. Lithuania has to do the same.
It would be wrong to say that Lithuania does not do anything to fix littering problems. Every year the volunteers of Lithuania organise action called ‘Darom’. The main task of this action is to collect trash all around the country. This is a good start in solving littering issue, but it is just a little step. We should not litter in the first place!
All in all, the nature is our home. Our entire future depends on the way we protect our nature. Therefore, the protection of the natural environment against physical, chemical, biological and any other negative impact should be the main target in Lithuania.




What it feels to be a bear these days by Audrė Baublytė 7D

Ben wakes up early and heads out. His family is still sleeping. His children are all cuddled up by their mother. It’s cold but he has to go hunting or his family will starve. Ben is a polar bear. Every year his life gets harder and harder, mostly because of us – humans. As more and more ice melts every year he has to swim further to reach the land after fishing. He barely made it out of the water once.

What if he won’t reach the land next year? What will his family do? What if next year while fishing his paw gets stuck in a plastic bag, one that we made and threw out? Who would be responsible for that?

Lithuanians live in a lovely country but do not seem to notice it. It could be even more beautiful if only we would cherish and take care of it. Very simple things like walking to the market instead of taking the car can make a huge difference to our planet and they are so easy to do.

Ben’s cousins from Lithuania would love to see their home become a better and healthier place to live in. We could all help Ben and his relatives. Or at least stop making their lives harder. Let’s work together and make our planet and its children healthier and happier.




That Blue Ball by Veronika Poškutė 5D


planet is nice, but if we love it more then it will be much cleaner.

arth is not very clean so we must:

Recycle the rubbish

Use an electrical cars and save electricity

Don’t throw the rubbish to the ocean

Use less trees, don’t kill them

Keep it tidy

When there was an Earth day, my friends and I learned a lot about salt. It was really fun. I think we all know that we must to save our planet. This is very important. Sometimes even in movies we can see how people save the  Earth.

So many movies are depicted in natural places. Like Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, In to the Woods etc.

Our planet must look like this, we just need more water…

Here is a picture to see how beautiful is Earth, but it can be more beautiful 😉 

 

I have one question to you. How much do you love Earth?




Animals matter, do we care? by Vakarė Kuklytė 7C

What is global warming? To wrap it all up, it’s increasing average temperature in Earth. Global warming is primarily a problem of too much carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere – it kind of acts like a blanket, pillow (a huge one), that covers the Earth and traps everything inside. CO2 lasts for a long time and evaporates quite slowly. The things that help us eliminate it – are the ones we cut and burn down to instead make plantations for food. Trees. If you already do not know, trees suck up carbon and release only oxygen, so not only it helps stopping the global warming, but it gives us something we are desperate to have, to be able to survive. But cutting down forests isn’t the only cause. We burn coal, oil, natural gas which also helps dioxide to accumulate.

The ozone hole

Let’s travel to Antarctica – we’ll focus on it from now on. The ozone layer has protected Earth from UV rays for nearly a billion years. It blocks the nasty rays away, so our planet doesn’t melt. BUT, because of the CO2, in some parts it started becoming narrower, which leads to the ozone layer having holes in it, and that leads to our precious glaciers melting. Now, what are the problems that will occur if we don’t do anything and the ice just fades away? Here are some:

·        The sea levels will rise. Now, some of the people may think/say “Oh, it’ll just rise a bit, what’s the big deal?” They won’t say that again when it happens. It will rise so much, that it will cover MANY countries, and HUGE parts of continents. Since we still live in Lithuania, what will happen to our country? Our country isn’t mountainous, it is flat. Lithuania is next to The Baltic Sea, which means that a huge part of our country will be underwater.  Just look at the picture, this is how Lithuania will look if the sea levels rise 80 meters only! I’m scared.

·        Fresh water. About 60% of the fresh water (ice) is in Antarctica, and if it melts, it will combine with the sour (sea) water. BOOM, we have much less limited water supplies. The supplies will run out one day, and people will just drop dead out of dehydration. Lithuania isn’t an exception.

·        Poor animals won’t have a place to stay. The animals that live in Antarctica are used to the cold climate, and the problems these poor souls will have aren’t just one:

1.     They won’t have a place to stay. As I said, these animals are used to cold climate, which means everything would be just too hot for them.

2.     The species will just disappear. We all love penguins, polar bears (actually they’re pretty dangerous), seals, whales? Well, all of them will just extinct. That’s it. No more cute animals. 🙁

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  Now, when you just heard all of these sad things that will happen if we don’t do anything, here are some things you HAVE to do to prevent them from happening.

·        Recycle, recycle, and recycle. Not only you should recycle everything, and not just drop the trash together, you should also buy reusable things. If you do that, you should feel like the savior of our planet right now!

·        Drive less. Try to not use cars as often as possible. If you live far away from your job/school, just catch a bus, you’ll help our planet. But if you live quite close – come on, drive a bicycle or walk on feet! Not only it’ll help Earth, but will also exercise your legs!

·        Save electricity. When you leave your room, turn off the lights. When you have something turned on that really isn’t necessary to be, turn it OFF. It’s not that hard to just press a button or turn off a switch!

·        Plant trees. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Just plant one!

·        Last but not least: Encourage others! One person doesn’t do much, but if you slowly get the whole world (with the help of other people, of course) doing the same, we’ll make even our own planet going green! I hope you all want to survive, right? 🙄




LEU. The Impact of Global Warming on the Sea Shore of Lithuania by Edvinas Matonis

Global warming is a well known and dire threat to the world. The latter is based on the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere – which acts as a blanket, trapping heat and heating the planet. Because of that, The Antarctic ice is melting and the sea levels are rising in a raging manner across the globe; Lithuania is no exception to the matter. This article will look into how does global warming affect Lithuania.

To begin with, it is known by most, that one of the long-term effects of global warming is the rising sea level. In the report by the Climate Change Commission, it is said that in XXI century sea levels could rise by 30-60 centimeters and in recent years the sea level in Lithuania alone has risen by approximately 14-16 centimeters. Furthermore, Lithuanian coast also suffers intensive erosion, due to the natural processes of wind and wave, but this was accelerated by warmer air conditions created by the global warming. Additionally, during the last decade, the problem was made even worse by human actions such as deepening of the Klaipėda port and construction of the hydro-technical works. Secondly, one of the most valued natural treasures of Lithuania called The Curonian Spit, which is compiled of beautiful sand dunes, is in danger. This part of the coast is exposed to the most vicious storms and erosion, because of which The Curonian Spit is diminishing day by day.

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Lastly, the situation is also grim for Lithuania’s largest resort Palanga. The beach of Palanga receives a lot of damage every year and during a 5 year’s span that led to the beach being almost washed away. Also, a succession of severe storms in the last 20 to 30 years seem to have accelerated the erosion and coastline recession process. The storm surges are predicted to intensify even further, because of the reduction in sea-ice cover during winter and the strengthening of the westerly to south-westerly   winds.

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All in all, if these threats continue to grow in such a manner, Lithuania is prone to lose its beaches in not quite distant future.




CLIMATE CHANGE MISCONCEPTIONS by Aleksandras Melnik 8A

When I started writing about climate change, I noticed that people know quite a lot about this topic , but it seems that a lot of that information are myths and misconceptions. So here I try to tackle just the 10 most popular that I’ve seen.

1. ‘THEY CHANGED IT TO CLIMATE CHANGE FROM GLOBAL WARMING BECAUSE IT WASN’T HAPPENING’

   Though the average global temperature is rising every year, in different areas we might see different changes in climate, and it might temporarily even get colder in some places, so to avoid confusion the term climate change is being used.

2. ‘THE PLANET ISN’T WARMING’

   Yes it is. The 10 hottest years in record were in the 21st century.

Though you might see slight drops in global temperature it has a very rapid rising tendency and there is no more real scientific debate on this question.

3. ‘EVEN IF THE EARTH IS WARMING, MAYBE THAT’S JUST THE SUN GETTING WARMER’

For the last 100 years the sun has only been emitting less heat. While the temperature has only been going up.

4. ‘HOW DO YOU KNOW IT’S CARBON DIOXIDE’S FAULT, MAYBE SOMETHING ELSE IS CAUSING IT’

   First of all, if we look at the rise of the global temperature and compare it to the rise of CO2 levels, it is obvious that they are related. Second there is an approved scientific model called the ‘Greenhouse effect’ , which explains how the CO2 in the atmosphere works as a green house trapping sunlight and causing it to bounce of, thus warming the atmosphere.

5. ‘THE HOLE IN THE OZONE LAYER CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING’

The ozone hole is a man made phenomenon, but it doesn’t cause the temperature to change. The ozone layer is a part of atmosphere rich with O3 molecules, that blocks the harmful UV radiation. Due to man made chemicals, holes in that layer started appearing and letting more and more UV radiation pass trough. This doesn’t cause the temperature to rise bat is bad for humans and may even cause skin cancer.

6. ‘THE CLIMATE JUST CHANGES NATURALLY, SO WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH IT’

The climate has been changing before, but it has been do to change in earths rotation and orbit, and the CO2 levels have never grown so rapidly before, because no one has been burning coal or other fuel.

7. ‘ALRIGHT, IT WILL GET WARMER, SO WHAT?

   As you may know the global warming isn’t the only effect of climate change. When the temperature is rising the polar ice caps are melting and all off that ice goes straight in to the ocean. From basic physics we know, that if something goes in to water, it pushes that much water out, causing the water level to rise. The same way the sea level will only be rising, and if that may not be a big threat to countries like Lithuania, this may be deadly to coastal cities and countries like Japan or the city of Los Angeles.

8. ‘THE WARMER CLIMATE WILL ONLY BE A BETTER THING FOR  PLANTS AND AGRICULTURE.

   It is true that in some areas the warmer climate may be beneficial it also causes the rise of sea levels, which means floods and then intense periods of drought, the changing air currants will cause huge storms and tornadoes.

9. ’WELL OK, BUT THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ANYWAYS’   

   This is the worst misconception of all. Though, I, personally, am not an ‘eco geek’ or a vegan, or any nature activist of that sort, but I think it is just plainly stupid to deny what’s happening and to not see that we are causing it. The major thing that humanity could do, is to stop using fossil fuels. Not all countries (like Lithuania) can survive only on sun and wing energy, but there is nuclear and thermonuclear energy. These are the areas where the world governments should be investing if they are expecting to preserve the planet for the future.

 No, just no.




Help our planet – go green! by Juta Kvederaitė 7B

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Dr. Seuss, The Lorax.

We all want to help our planet. But how? The answer to that is sitting right in front of us – three times a day. By going vegetarian, you can reduce the impact of climate change, rain forest destruction, and pollution, while saving water and other precious resources.

Here are a few facts about the food you put on your plate :

Raising animals for food produces more greenhouse gas emissions (gases that trap heat in the atmosphere) than all of the cars, planes, and other forms of transportation combined. So switching to a diet free of eggs, dairy and meat saves more carbon emissions (CO2) than driving a Prius car.

   In the United States, 70% of grain grown is used for animals. We could end world hunger with that food, but instead we give that food away to animal farms.

“By definition we are in the “environment” right now. “Saving it” is saving ourselves. What is so hard to understand about that?”

About 30% of Earth’s land mass is used for raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and growing feed crops).

To produce one pound of animal protein vs. one pound of soy protein, it takes about 12x as much land, 13x as much fossil fuel, and 15x as much water.

The billions of chickens, turkeys, pigs, and cows who are crammed onto factory farms each year in the U.S. produce enormous amounts of methane (natural gas, the second most prevalent greenhouse gas in U.S.). “Pound for pound, the comparative impact of [methane] on climate change is 25 times greater than [carbon dioxide] over a 100-year period.”

     Why vegetarian isn’t enough – the production of dairy products necessitates the death of countless male calves that are of no use to the dairy farmer, as well as the premature death of cows slaughtered when their milk production decreases. Similarly, in the egg industry, involve the killing of the ‘unnecessary’ male chicks when they are only a day old.

Around 6mln. hectares of forest land a year an area equivalent to Latvia or twice the size of Belgium – is converted to farmland a year.

Animal waste contains many pathogens (anything that causes a disease) including salmonella, E coli, cryptosporidium, and fecal coliform, which can transfer to humans through water run-off, or manure, or touch. That makes us prone to diseases.

The meat eaters get increased chances of obesity, cancers, heart diseases and other illnesses as well as a hole in the pocket. A meat diet is generally considered twice as expensive as a vegetarian one. So why not be rich, healthy and help our planet at once by going vegan\vegetarian?

Animals eat large amounts of grain, soybeans, oats and corn; however they only produce a small amount of meat, dairy products and eggs in return.

To sum up, animal farms pollute the air, the water, use up our resources and spread cruelty to animals and much more! There has never been a better time to go green by eating green. Join me! “If you don’t like seeing pictures of violence towards animals being posted, you need to help stop the violence, not the pictures.” – Johnny Depp.

Share your thoughts in the comment section!

 




Why thermonuclear energy is important by Dominykas Dautoras 8A

The global warming is a very important issue in our world. The temperature of the planet is increasing because if the greenhouse effect in our atmosphere. The atmosphere works like a greenhouse. Some of the gases there trap the heat from the sun, but don’t let it out. These gases are called greenhouse gases and the most common one is CO2. Carbon dioxide is made when carbon is being burnt. We burn a lot of carbon when we make energy. Most countries can change the way that they make energy by using alternative energy sources such as hydroelectricity, wind power or solar power. But some of them do not have enough sunlight, the wind might be weaker and there may not be any rivers nearby. It might seem like the only choice is burning fossil fuels. That is not true. Thermonuclear power is a way to make electricity by making a nuclear fusion in very high temperatures. Nuclear fusion is the same process that makes our sun and other stars “burn”. A lot of people are scared of using nuclear power, because they think that it is very unstable and is very dangerous to our environment. This isn’t true today, because scientists have made the nuclear plants less dangerous and more efficient. Another important thing is that the old nuclear plants rely on nuclear fission which uses heavy radioactive metals and produces a lot more nuclear waste than a thermonuclear reactor would. With a lot less waste produced, thermonuclear power would help us save the environment. The only real problem with thermonuclear power is that they have not been properly tested yet. Theoretically they should work perfectly, but only a handful have been built and none of them have produced any power yet. The first reactor should be properly working in 2020-2027. I believe that we should invest into thermonuclear energy, because it is the power of our future




“Thank you for being our home” by Simonas Jurkynas 8B

trees. Once I found an injured woodpecker, it didn’t seem to be aggressive or frightened and it was at that moment when I discovered that nature was my calling. When I grew up I could already detect the consequences of our actions against the nature. For example the lake near my villa – it was starting to get dirty and messy. I couldn’t watch calmly at what people have done to our beautiful lake. I started to think what we could do to save our beautiful planet from incoming devastation. Till this day I still think that we could save thousands of trees, plants and animals just by understanding the nature. But our planet hasn’t lost its charm yet. So let’s act and help her.
It is in our hands to save our small planet.
A link to a beautiful song about the Earth (English subtitles included) 🙄 
 



Kolba on Climate Change

Climate change is a change of weather. Unfortunately, it is already happening, it’s not just a fear. It’s hard to deny that today climate change or in other words – global warming is a serious reason for concern. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other meteorological institutions prove that average yearly temperature has been steadily increasing during the last decades. The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by 0.76° C since 1850. Most of the warming that has occurred over the last 50 years is very likely to have been caused by human activities. Over 95% of scientists agree that these changes are caused by the Greenhouse Effect. The statistic represents that carbon dioxide emissions increased by around nine billion metric tons over the past decade. Burning large amounts of fossil fuels – coal, oil, and natural gas is the root cause of global warming. The burning releases heat trapping gases in the atmosphere. So all these statistics represent that our world is getting warmer.

Climate change has a lot of negative factors. First of all, the sea levels have been rising, the number of floods in different parts of the world has increased dramatically. It is bad because salt water destroys the crops. Also seawater is contaminating rivers when it mixes with fresh water and the rivers are becoming polluted. That’s why many people are undernourished. Secondly, glaciers in the Northern Hemisphere have started to melt.  Millions of people depend on fresh water supply each year by natural spring melt. And thirdly, it’s ocean acidification. This process is caused by CO2 in the water, and may have negative effects on the entire oceanic food chain. So climate change has terrible effects.It is important to recognize that we should do something that could stop global warming. One of alternative ways would be to reduce CO2 emissions. The government should restrict traffic in the city center or allow Eco-friendly cars only. Also in my opinion countries should invest into renewable energy this way burning of fossil fuels could be reduced. In my view these solutions are the best way to prevent climate change.

To my mind, everybody could promote stopping global warming. I am worried about climate change, so I could motivate my parents and friends to limit car driving and using public transport instead. Also I could become a part of various events or organizations which invite people to adopt a ‘greener’ lifestyles. So there are a lot of ways how to reduce climate change. The most important thing is the desire to save our nature!