“EVERYTHING ON EARTH IS BEING CONTINOUSLY TRANSFORMED BECAUSE THE EARTH IS ALIVE.... AND IT HAS A SOUL. WE ARE APART OF THAT SOUL,SO WE RARELY RECOGNIZE THAT IT IS WORKING FOR US.”

- pAULO COELHO

CONSIDER YOURSELF

WARNED

WARNEDA United Nations science panel issued a daunting wake-up call to world policymakers warning that countries must make dramatic changes in their energy consumption, their use of technology and even their ways of life to avoid the catastrophic effects of climate change. The highly anticipated 37-page summary for policymakers doesn’t reveal any dollar figure of how much all this will cost. but it warns that half-measures won’t fix the issue, and time is running out.

Meanwhile, as we watch our policy makers bicker over healthcare laws and campaign for midterm elections our world is literally heating up and beginning to melt, literally. The longer we wait to act on climate change the harder and the more expensive it will be. The report warned that climate change threatens to reduce crops, wipe out poor people’s livelihoods, flood low-lying lands, worsen droughts and possibly even increase the risks of wars.

Now consider the seed planted. We now are aware of the issues that threat-en the livelihood of our environment and it is up to us to begin the process of reversal. Through innovations, the moderation of consumerism (which is impossible) we can combat our heating planting. This is the new issue of the new era. Habitually we ignore these sort of warnings because they seem far-fetched and we as individuals don’t know what we can do to alleviate any of it.

We can all help by educating ourselves on how to be cleaner citizens, con-vincing young people to take more science classes for the future of innova-tions, and we can seek organizations that can push policymakers to act now on climate.

If we know nothing at all we know that the climate is changing and that there isn’t much we can do in the present moment to stop it. We can only make attempts to reverse the changes and adapt to them. The extreme temperatures effect vegetation, our terrain, and how we dress. The weather controls what we wear and the climate controls the materials we use to make the clothes we wear. Clothing manufacturing has a big water footprint, and has been notorious for contributing to water pollution. According to China Water Risk, 17 to 20 percent of water pollution in China comes from the textile industry. Bionic Yarn and G-Star have recognized this correlation and they have teamed up with hip hop fashion icon, Pharrell Williams to make jeans from ocean water. The project announced during fashion week is called “RAW for the Oceans” and is due out starting August 15. For those who don’t know, the collection is an evolution in denim using thread spun out of recycled waste from the sea. Yes, thread can be made from plastic bottles through a very technical and scientific process. Bionic Yarn and G-Star aren’t the only ones making clothes more eco-friendly. Levi-Strauss & Co. launched a new way of making

jeans with recycled water, not only reducing the amount of water a factory uses but also ensuring that water leaving the plant will meet cleanliness standards. The recycled water system was introduced at a supplier factory in China, which made 100,000 pairs of jeans with 100 percent recycled water.Levi’s reports they saved 12 million liters of water with the recycled water system in one season. To encourage adoption of the technology, Levi’s created a new Water Recycling/Reuse Standard for suppliers based on recommendations from the World Health Organization and Environmental Pro-tection Agency. Levi’s is also working to reduce water usage at other steps in the lifecycle of a pair of pants, including working with The Better Cotton Initiative and creating a “Care Tag for Our Planet.” They encour-age owners to wash their garments in cold water and line dry, which not only saves energy and water but also helps the jeans last longer. Fashion can help in our efforts to protect our planet. These innovations have the potential to change the way we buy our clothes and it may even change the way we feel in our clothes. Up and coming designers should certainly take heed and look for cleaner meth-ods to design our clothes. We can still be fashionable and be eco-friendly, that is fashion of the future.

JEANS FROM THE OCEAN By Publius

Photo by Mikey Sharks

UNCOVERED A question and answer session with Stephen ‘NAHVOL’ Graham

by publius

What is one the most difficult things you’ve overcome and accepted? And how did you do it? Change. I, literally in every sense of the word, cannot give another answer more befitting. A few days ago, it was dreary out, the day was really slow and I was void of any thought or mood. So many things were coming and happening all at once and I was slumped. Randomly me and a few friends sat to watch ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ (incredible movie). A particular part comes on where Julia Roberts’ character Liz Gilbert is in Rome visiting and she goes to a place called the Augusteum where inside, she narrates over the scene and says: “We all want things to stay the same. Settle for living in misery because we’re afraid of change, of things crumbling to ruins. Then I looked at around to this place, at the chaos it has endured - the way it has been adapted, burned, pillaged and found a way to build itself back up again. And I was reassured, maybe my life hasn’t been so chaot-ic, it’s just the world that is, and the real trap is getting attached to any of it. Ruin is a gift. Ruin is the road to transformation.” And just like that, I saw the beauty, no longer the difficulty in embracing, honoring and ravishing in the infinite act that is change. I’ve stayed misera-ble for years behind a moment of happiness I experienced with a person, I’ve counted myself out for others who would never notice it was for them, all because I was afraid of a future where I actually valued and loved myself first. So for awhile, that’ll be my mantra, my message. Am I rambling?

Every so often I come into contact with people who are “just starting out,” which shouldn’t come to much of a surprise being 22 years old. All my counterparts are “just starting out” whether it be at new internship, job, or new relationship. In my line of work it is often that the creatives I come into contact with seek my creative guidance and support. They usually want to know how I gained the confidence to publish my work and what drives my creativi-ty, if there work is any good, or how to make it better. The exchange creative dialogues are always humbling and it reminds me of the rea-sons I choose to write, why I talk so much, and why I feel the art of expression is important. This time my creative dialogue was with a guy named, Stephen. Stephen has recently joined the creative team assisting young rapper, Ace Henderson with creative direction and brand imaging. I met Stephen while shooting a doc-umentary series for Ace Henderson in March 2014 where we spoke briefly about a vast num-ber of topics. Unlike most creatives I run into, Ste-phen didn’t introduce himself with his resumé. He didn’t spend anytime telling me what celeb-rities he’s met or worked for, how much money he makes or how awesome he is at anything. He introduce himself first and I was able to detect through our exchanges that he was confident, hard working, and humble which will allow him to be very successful in the world of art. Here’s some of the highlights of our exchange.

What do you hope to accomplish in the next 3-5 years as an artist and professional? I think L.A’s next for me as an artist in con-stant search of culture and inspiration. Profession-ally I’m at a place where I’m so unafraid of taking the risks and winging it to truly become credible. I know it seems unrealistic to ‘wing’ anything but I don’t see it that way, about anything I want to do. But for now, it’s all about building a network and portfolio for my brand NAHVOL Studios. It’s my baby now. A creative production studios, special-izing in film, marketing, photography, design and product. In order to be at the top which is virtually where every creative wants to be comfortably, I be-lieve it’s all about constant innovation. In 3 years, I’ll be in California, NAHVOL Studios will have created a bit of a name for itself and I’ll be looking to land a production chair of some sort at Universal Studios. In 5, I’ll be worth $500K with a Volkswagen, matted out but most importantly, I’ll be insanely happy.

what is next for you? I think it’s only right that my next headline project is a short movie. I’ve been flirting with ideas for it and they’re all, as always, of massive propor-tion but I’ll bite size until someday I have a decent budget. NAHVOL Studios is a really small compa-ny at the moment but he’s growing beautifully and I’m really proud of what it’ll stand for not only for myself but for the future of creatives and the art of expression and dreams. Next time around, you won’t be able to fathom where we’re up to next. Til’ then.

What inspired your interest in art? My interest helms from expression. All we are, every word, from the time we part eyes until the day we close them are vessels of expres-sion. What we believe, what we love, what we hate, what we judge etc etc are all expressed daily with how one conducts themselves. Our lives are but a physical manifestation or ‘expression’ of the internal worlds we’re constantly creating and I suppose that’s what drives my fascination for expression on every level. In terms of photogra-phy, I try and capture what is and what I also call ‘Moment’. When I’m shooting, my main goal is to garner images which express emotion evoca-tive enough to be seen by anyone and have them read that feeling that I was able to capture and immortalize. That’s incredible to me. The ability to do that where it be through song, speech, lit-erature etc the power of expression is incompa-rable and something I hold to the highest regard.

Who is your role model?My favorite question. Hands down, Frank Ocean. There isn’t enough I can say. For me, his story changed my life, in so many ways he was me. He felt exactly the things I felt, carried the same sort of burdens and he championed the ordeal and managed to achieve his dream despite of what he’d been through. It was his honesty though that embossed a place for him infinitely in my mind and heart. He was someone who had everything to lose but still the real art, true ex-perience and relative expression meant more to him than anything he had to gain and if I’m ever to root for anyone, he’s the kid I’ll bet on forever.

YOUNG AND“ANNOYED” WRITER SOUNDS

OFF by publius

YOUNG AND“ANNOYED” WRITER SOUNDS

OFF by publius

MEET JENNI HERDQuaestions & Answers with a young Scotlander

BY PUBLIUS

One of the core reasons I put together this publication is because I do believe that the arts has the ability change the entire world. It is our youth that propels when and how the world will change. The preceding generations tend to have very cynical perspective of the young people of the 21st century. Millennials are labeled as “entitled,” “apathetic,” and “unaware” by media outlets worldwide. There’s only a few ways to change the negative perceptions and that is by challenging the way other people think about you. When I see my young counterparts speaking their minds, writing compelling articles and inventing things I get extremely excited. This sort of excitement occurred for me while I was browsing the internet when I came across this letter (to the right) from a 16-year-old girl that was published in the The Times Of London in early March 2014. I was so intrigued by the article that I decided to reach out to the person behind the letter via email. Her name is Jenni Herd and she was born and raised in Kilmarnock, a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland.

What is it like for a teenager in Scotland?More or less the same as anywhere else, I guess - we go to school, stress about exams, are berated for not emptying the dishwasher and so on. Al-though, Kilmarnock has a reputation for being quite an unsavoury town, so there’s probably more teenage drinking, partying and smoking compared to other, better off towns.

Is this your first published article? What propelled you to rant to The Times?This is my first published letter, but I’ve had a few short stories published elsewhere. I read The Times article in question and was slightly annoyed at the way it was written - not so much the content, which was obviously aimed for parents, but the patronising, clinical tone that made it seem as though teenagers were animals. That night I mentioned it to my dad, and we had a discussion about, ending with him telling me that if I was so annoyed, I should write in. I wrote the letter in about 30 minutes, fueled by annoyance and boredom, and sent it without really thinking. I never thought it would actually be published.

Would you consider writing to be your main hobby and if so what sparked you interests?I love writing, and I’ve been fascinated by the power and beauty of words ever since I was young. Being a voracious reader from an early age, writing just seemed like a logical step - I loved reading about different worlds and com-plex characters, so why not take that interest and passion and channel it creatively into my own work. I’ve written quite a lot of short sto-ries and about 2 full length novels, but recently my writing has tapered off because of school related stress and other pressures.

What do you think are the biggest issues facing teenagers in your country and the world?Unemployment is quite a large issue where I live. East Ayrshire used to be a highly industri-alised area with many factories to supply peo-ple with jobs; however, the economic down-turn hit us hard, and the factories that used to fuel the area’s growth were closed down. So many people are unemployed now and, as wages drop, those that have jobs aren’t retiring and freeing up jobs

or younger generations. Other things like school stress, mental illness, and alcohol and drug abuse are also quite common. Of course, other countries have other (considerably larger) problems like war and a lack of education.

Would you consider yourself to be leader within your peer group?I had to laugh at this question! I’m not really - all of my friends have such strong, varied personalities that no one person really ‘leads’ us, and I’m defi-nitely one of the more introverted members of the group.

Have you gained a lot of attention and respect from your peers after the article published?Not particularly. My friends congratulated me when it first happened, but it soon become apparent that I was annoying them by talking about it, which I understand - I rarely spoke about anything else for the first few days! Quite a few teachers and pupils have come up to me and said that they agreed with me, which was nice, and I’ve also had people from London and Chicago message/email me to give their opinions.

What are your future plans? What do you aspire to be in the next 5 to 10 years?I’ve always wanted to be an author, but that isn’t a very sound career. The plan is to study English Lit-erature at university and then work on a novel while working as an editor or literary agent. I’ll happily take any job that lets me work with books!

Lastly, Any advice for a teenager living in the 21st century right now that you think they could benefit from?My advice would simply be “This too shall pass.” Ad-olescence is simultaneously the best and worst years of a person’s life - you’re juggling school, social life, career choices, university applications, self-esteem issues, and relationships, all while trying to live a full and interesting life. There’s a lot of stress involved, but I think it’s important to remember, through the good times and the bad, that nothing lasts forever; every bump in the road will level out eventually

On the following page are the brief introductions of four Amer-icans (two men & two women) each of whom share something in common. Each story includes a blank where an action verb

is followed by a noun.

TIP : Don’t think too hard about the blanks just read the ge-neric story of each individual before turning to the next page

and the purpose will be explained later. Got it?

Got it?

Fill in the banks. What does Colin, Tameka, Dr. Chaz and Lisa all have in common?

They all “SMOKED A JOINT.”

The purpose of those generic stories was to display the abundance of marijuana usage amongst Americans in the United States. Doctors, lawyers, professors, corporate bosses and politicians are all toking it up. We’ve made it okay for the working class to drink tequila and drive home after happy hour so why can’t we make it okay for people who prefer a more relaxed feeling after work to enjoy a joint with a few friends without the threat of a hangover.

This was not designed to condemn alcohol users, but it was to display the inequality and inconsistency in our federal laws that forbade users to indulge in a substance that is proven to cause no direct harm to the body like the legal substance of alcohol. I did include flaws in each character that may result from the over consumption of mari-juana. Colin and Lisa both experience the “lazy” side of effect of the use of marijua-na. Colin watches too much TV and Lisa tends to be late sometimes. Tamika has the attention side of effect that caused her to make careless errors on her essay. Dr. Chaz is older and he tends to be a litte forgetful. This is to highlight the fact that no one’s vice is better than the other all the vices when used beyond moderation can have its affects on people.

Between now and 2016 more states will decimalized and legalize a substance that humanity has consumed for centuries. It is our job to educate those who are uncom-fortable with the idea of marijuana. We can do that by presented supported facts and data to dismantle all the urban myths associated with the consumption of marijua-na. It is also the time for us to humanize marijuana users. The overconsumption of any anything whether it is too much cheese or too much sex is not good. People who smoke marijuana can still be functioning adults. Marijuana is not for developing brains so teenagers should not be smoking. We can regulate the marijuana plant the same way we regulate cigarettes, lottery tickets, and whiskey. I could spill on the logistics of how marijuana has medical agents and how it can boost our economy, but I believe that most people could agree to recognize those benefits. This is more about the peo-ple who consume marijuana. We live in a world where people are embarrassed, and ashamed of admitting to even inhaling marijuana smoke. All those who consume mar-ijuana aren’t potheads, hippies, thugs, or rebels; they are Americans like you and I who may indulge in a vice that maybe different from yours.

At first glance you may have thought that “LIVE ORGANIC” was in some kind of campaign in relation to food, but your wrong. Although we should to eat clean foods, take vi-tamins and exercise that’s not my expertise and that’s not what I mean by “LIVE ORGANIC.” LIVE ORGANIC is the basis for how one should aim to live. I’ll go back to using food for an example; they say you are what you eat. So if you eat food that in embalmed with toxins, and food that is genetically manipulated you will began to realize the food your eating isn’t really food. You follow me yet? I promise you will by the end. As a result, you will began to realize the changes in your body that may make you feel ill and fatigue, so what do you do? Well, any normal person probably wouldn’t eat that food anymore and they would try something that is clean and digestive-system-friendly. The external factors in our lives are much like the food we consume only except we consume our environment with our brains and

not with our mouths. If we consistently over-saturate ourselves with things that aren’t real or things that have no value to us we will become unhealthy. When we consume ourselves with our own passions, desires, and loved ones we live organically. Living organically means you don’t satisfy your hunger for happiness by eating off someone else’s plate. Some people are allergic to peanut butter, but you may happen to love peanut butter; a person who is allergic to peanut butter shouldn’t eat of your plate because that is not chemically or mentally satisfying for him or her. When we get to know everything about ourselves we also began to channel our own per-sonal desires and needs. Organic living requires that step. If you don’t understand any of what I wrote then do this. This is what I like to call the “purging process.” The purging process is simply when we get rid of all the memories and feelings that make us feel worthless and unhappy.

Now one could say that is a cliché method and its easier said than done, but to that person I would say that this sort of thing requires a lot of time, pain, and patience. Time because it will require a lot self-reflection and it will take mul-tiple attempts to apply the right methods for the purge. Pain because it sometimes hurts us to tap into feelings and memories that make us unhap-py. And lastly, patience because on our road to purging we may have a few setbacks and relapses that prolong us. Now that you have learned how to purge,

your energy levels will increase, and the time has come for you to work off that newly found energy. This is when you should set some new goals for yourself that will allow you to complete-ly evolve into the person you want to become. Overall this purging process will boost your cre-ativity levels, studies have shown that happiness can increase productivity, which will allow you to suppress feelings of unhappiness. Ladies and gentleman this is how we live organic.

UNTITLED by Maya Williams

The wickedness of tradition has been disguised by prim and proper figures in dresses and suitsDrinking tea.They discuss their prim and proper beliefs during bible study,Focusing on THEIR private interpretation.Since when did the reverend hold the key to salvation,And not God?They blow bubbles in the wind to be perceived asSinless, child-like deities.Sorry to disrupt recess by bursting them,But their god isn’t OUR God.Holding back riches to maintain capitalism as a joyful illusionIsn’t right when Christ displayed the act of giving your all as the best way to go.Twisting the strings of tea bags as a distractionWill strangle fingers with greed,Making them crave a green thumb.But Jesus only possessed the clothes on his back.I thought we were told to praise Him, not Judas.They view tattoos as a slap in God’s faceEven though His palms have all of our names branded out of love and remembrance.So, I’m surprised He hasn’t slapped them....actually,I shouldn’t be. God is a judge slow to anger,Scheduling the pounding of His gavel for a much later day.He doesn’t count our sinsLike a tax collector counting coins, driven to make the highest tower for fun.Nor does He play Jenga with our souls, Prodding every piece out until we topple over.Nor is He like those people who judge people who doesn’t mirror their standards.We may not reflect each other physically, But our spirits are identical on this earth!They must have really low self esteem to spit at their own image when no one is looking.Satan’s greatest trick was making the world believe he didn’t exist.That’s why it’s so easy to forget.If not forget, then stray.But our God never will.There’s no need to be afraidBecause God is a blanket giving us warmth and protection from the demons we fear.Kids were never lying about the monsters under their bed.Fearing the unknown often reflects ignorance,But all that’s needed is right in front of you.Just don’t search for it in the bottom of some tea cup.

TV taught me how to speak and walkhow to cuss in kindergarten between the graham cracker crumbshow to toss M-80 at Cobra CommanderScience and Technology from “PBS”,“Transformers” missions and the “Soul Train” ExpressI was running laps around the “School House Rock”,getting over my “Growing Pains” in “Sixty Minutes”without forgetting that my “Family Matters” mostLearning “the Facts of Life” while being “Saved by the Bell” where I drew “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”holding me in class, I titled the picture “Boy Meets World”only to be laughed at by “Freaks and Geeks”“Those were ‘Wonder Years’”, said “Blossom”who sat next to “Alice and “Alex Max”whose nicknames were “Double Dare” for good reason,although the old teachers always called us “Rugrats”or “Little Rascals”, I wish I could bottle such “Friendsin my “Full House”, saying “Cheers” at every dinner,“Step by Step” making every moment count as we made our “Home Improvements” as we tired to keepup with the “Simpsons”, I’d finally be acting like a “Family Guy”Keeping everyone as happy as the “Brady Bunch”while getting all my work done on the “X-Files”,not being slack when dishing out “Law and Order”,keeping the “Prices is Right”, knowing life was not just formyself but “All in the Family”, not getting caught upin “In the Heat of the Night” or in my “Hillstreet Blues”,taking comfort in the “Good Times”, knowing todayis “a different world”, and I can take on anythingeven passing on into the “Twilight Zone”.TV taught me how to talk, discern right from wrongdefined my definition of beauty, drove me crazythrough its lessons, and left me aching for another season.