Stacy Hamburg - EcoWarrior

Hey there readers,
Check out this great feature story by our writer, Matt G.
This story will tell you about the bad things happening in the Grand Canyon and what one woman, Stacy Hamburg, is doing to stop them. Uranium mining, endangered condors, this story is sure to please. Read the next issue of the Latitude to see this article.

Kayak Polo

Do you wanna be british? Do you want to play polo? Do you want to play polo without a horse and in a lake? Well now you can with Kayak polo, the crazy new sport down at town lake. Discover more in my feature story when the mag is published.

An Outdoor Calling

Hey Latitude readers, ever wonder about the mysterious power of nature and the effect it can leave on you? Well, check out our next issue of The Latitude to find out how spending one night in the outdoors can make you want to come back.

Hey everyone,

I found this great article located here about how mountain bikes are banned from wilderness areas in the U.S. A study by the National Park Service shows that horses cause 8.4% more erosion then bikers. The study also showed that hikers cause 1.4% trail erosion to bikers .6% trail erosion. With those numbers, the law really makes no sense because in most situations hikers cause more erosion then bikers. If you agree with me on this then share your thoughts! Every person helps make a difference! Try writing to your local parks department and let's see if we can get this antiquated law repealed.

Mason S.

Hey Latitude Reader,
You what you should do right now? You should drop that paper your grading and read this article here about the new design of the Sunchips Bag. Although not totally certified yet by the Biodegradable Products Institute, Frito-Lay claims the bag can completely break down within the span of 14 weeks. This may actually turn out to be more of a curse than a blessing; people could start to compost every chip bag they see, not having a sure way to tell if it is biodegradable or not. This is why 3 months after its release, bags will come with the official BPI stamp of approval on them. That is, if they're certified. Only time will tell. So tell everyone you know about the new bags and start composting.

-Paul H.

Hey Latitude Readers,
Take a break and read this article at (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/01/100324-gorillas-extinct-africa-un-report/) about the possible extinction of gorillas in ten years in Central Africa. We need to be aware of this situation and do the best we can to help prevent the extinction of this species. Spread the word on to your family, your friends, your friend's family, your cousin, your sister, the crazy guy who lives down the block, the weird guy at the park, and anybody you know. Get the word out so we can try to prevent the unnecessary killing and murder of an amazing and interesting species like the ape.

-Cesar G.

Hello Latitude Readers,

Try reading this article at (http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0323/California-may-extend-smoking-ban-to-state-parks-and-beaches) about a piece of legislation that would fine people for smoking in California parks. We, the staff of the Latitude, are hopeful that the legislation will pass. If it does, the sentiment could spread to Austin and our parks would be free of smokers. It would be nice to visit a park with air completely free of smoking. Also, the legislation would discourage people from smoking in general for the ill will they receive. Once again, we hope the legislation passes so that one day Austin will have absolutely clean air in its parks.

-Matt G.