Jornal Escolar | Ano Letivo 2022/2023
We don’t have a planet B
Global warming
When I opened the door and found the replica of myself, I was fascinated. One of the things that always made me very curious was time travel but I never thought they were possible until that day. I was already about 30 years old and I had a beard. He said to me, “You know what I’m saying, aren’t you? I came from the future to warn you that my present is a world ravaged by global warming and that it has led to world hunger. I came to warn you that only you can save planet Earth. You must inform the national government to convene a global meeting to find solutions to combat what is to come. I trust you.” These were his last words before he disappeared. I was in shock and had so many questions to ask him, but I realized that I had a very important mission and that I could define my future and the future of billions of people. I started by bringing people together to try to gain voice to get to the national government, but it wasn’t easy at all. A lot of people called me lunatic because no one believed a guy who said that he had appeared to warn humanity about global warming.
On the other hand, a lot of people believed in me and I started gathering crowds to support me. In a few days I managed to gather enough people to get to the national government and with social networks I became fast news.
A week after my appearance, I was able to sit at a table with our Head of State to discuss this issue with him and we were able to come to an agreement that something should be done, but a bigger problem arose. We would have to convince, not only an entire country, but a whole planet. To have enough support for this mission, we’d have to come all together. Although it appears to be a major problem, it was not that complicated, managing to convince most of the European Union to act and take action, and a few weeks later the whole world joined in the mission of saving the planet.
Together we have found solutions to combat global warming and after a few years we have begun to achieve results.
We have to take care of our planet because we don’t have a planet B.
Francisco Lourenço, 11.º A / Imagem: Freepik
Imagine having a clone
Genetic Manipulation
As I opened the door and faced the exact replica of myself, I just stayed in shock, looking at it, and thinking, “this must be a joke, right?”, but then the replica started talking with the same voice as mine, presenting itself and explaining the situation:
Science fiction often features gene cloning as a central theme, exploring its potential benefits and consequences. Cloning is often depicted as a way to create identical copies of a person, animal, or plant, or as a means of preserving endangered species. However, it is also portrayed as a source of ethical and moral dilemmas, such as the question of whether clones are truly human or just identical copies, and what the implications of this would be. The genre of science fiction often explores the social and political implications of gene cloning and raises questions about the ethics and morality of such technology. As I amazedly listened to him, I understood what was happening, and thought “What has the world come to?”, somewhat in a positive way. But then I questioned myself:
How can they clone someone just like that, and without warning you, when it is an issue so discussed and talked about? Because we all know about the consequences of gene cloning, some good and some bad, for example: gene cloning allows to produce large amounts of a specific gene for research purposes, helping to advance our understanding of genetics and genetic disorders. It can also be used to produce therapeutic proteins for the treatment of diseases, such as insulin for diabetes, as well as increase crop productivity by creating crops with improved traits, such as resistance to pests or tolerance to environmental stress.
But it also has its concerns: Gene cloning raises ethical concerns related to the potential for misuse, such as the creation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and the potential for unintended consequences. It can have a significant impact on society, including the potential for job loss as a result of increased efficiency in agriculture, and the possibility of exacerbating existing social inequalities by providing access to new treatments and therapies only to those who can afford it.
After all that thought, I look at my clone and say:
— Well, I guess they just went with it. And after all, as long as scientists are just making a few clones to test how it works and not abusing it, it shouldn’t be a problem. But I must accept that we are a few steps ahead into the future, and that for now, we need to make things work between us.
Cláudio Conraria, 11.º A / Imagem: Freepik
My Clone
Genetic manipulation
As I opened the door, I was met with a startling sight. Standing before me was an exact replica of myself. I was so taken aback that I couldn’t move. I just stood there, staring at the figure in front of me. The figure was wearing the same clothes I had on, had the same hairstyle, and even the same facial expression. I felt like I was looking into a mirror. I was so confused and scared that I couldn’t think straight. I slowly stepped forward and reached out to touch the figure. As soon as I did, it started to move. It stepped forward and spoke in a voice that sounded exactly like mine.
“Hello,” it said. “My name is...you.” I was so shocked that I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, staring at the figure in front of me. The figure then explained that it was a clone of me, created by a scientist who wanted to explore the possibilities of cloning. It said that it had been living in the lab for the past few months, learning about the world and trying to understand its place in it. I was still in shock, but I was also intrigued. I asked the clone questions about its life and experiences, and it answered them all. We talked for hours, and I found myself growing more and more fascinated by this strange creature. Eventually, I asked the clone if it wanted to come home with me. It said yes, and I took it back to my house. Since then, the clone and I have become close friends. We do everything together, and I’ve even started to think of it as my twin. I’m still amazed by the fact that I have a clone, but I’m also grateful for the unique bond that we share.
Duarte Alves, 11.º A
Frei Luís de Sousa
Teatro
A peça de teatro que vimos na passada terça-feira no teatro Sá da Bandeira, no Porto, intitulada Frei Luís de Sousa, apresenta como tema o conflito entre o dever (lealdade ao primeiro marido, imposto mediante um casamento por conveniência) e a liberdade (segundo matrimónio, celebrado por amor).
A peça decorre no século XVI, época em que Portugal perdeu a independência para os castelhanos após o rei D. Sebastião morrer na batalha de Alcácer Quibir. Após a morte do monarca instalou-se um conflito político na sociedade portuguesa entre duas fações das elites aristocráticas: uma, alinhada com o poder instituído e que apoia a entrega do trono aos castelhanos; outra, patriótica, que mantém a sua oposição à dominação estrangeira e arrisca os seus privilégios de classe em defesa dos seus ideais.
Ao longo da peça foi possível observar no cenário “quadros” de pessoas importantes da nossa história, incluindo D. Sebastião, o que, no meu ponto de vista, foi um detalhe agradável. Na verdade o cenário estava relativamente bem conseguido apesar de, a meu ver, um pouco simples demais; mas em compensação os adereços utilizados e os figurinos estavam perfeitos.
A atuação era também admirável tendo em conta a complexidade das palavras que formavam as falas de todos os atores, mas acho que talvez tenha sido um pouco dramática demais em certos momentos ou talvez eu não esteja muito habituada a ver peças de teatro e não as saiba apreciar com todo o seu encanto e drama. Além disso, havia partes em que eles falavam muito depressa e por esse motivo eu perdia um pouco da história, mas nada de muito significativo.
A explicação final dada por um dos atores foi bastante útil para nos ajudar a compreender melhor a história e certas decisões da companhia do elenco, além de ter sido um momento relaxado que nos fez rir devido a alguns jogos de palavras que nós, como adolescentes, temos tendência a levar para o sentido menos inocente das coisas.
Apesar de tudo o que indiquei anteriormente, não gostei muito da peça porque não achei a história apelativa. Em geral, estava bem conseguida quanto ao cenário, adereços, figurinos e atores, mas não consegui achar a história interessante. Espero mudar de ideias quando ler a peça, já que Almeida Garrett é um escritor renomado e portanto as suas obras devem ser de grande qualidade.
Leticia Figueira, 11.º A
What I would do if I had a huge amount of money
Environment
To Bjorn Lomborg, the president of the Copenhagen Consensus Centre, “fighting climate change just is not a good way to spend our money. We know for certain that supplying vitamins to impoverished children will save lives – but we don’t know for sure that spending billions to reduce carbon emissions will have the same clear effect.”
Contrary to Bjorn Lomborg’s statement, I would try to reduce the carbon footprint even though we are not 100% sure if that would work at this point.
The carbon footprint is one of the main reasons why the climate is changing so fast, and it has awful consequences to every living being on this planet.
The carbon footprint is caused by many things such as: cars, factories, fuels, the meat production industry - poultry and slaughterhouses. To try to reduce climate change we should start doing more awareness programmes, showing people all the natural and manmade disasters.
We should obviously invest more in electrical vehicles or taking a public transport or choose a healthier way of going to places by walking or cycling.
We also need to apply more fines to factories, which emit more carbon than what is legally allowed and even reduce the quantity of carbon that they are allowed to emit.
Finally, we should try to consume less meat because the meat production causes a lot of damage on the planet with its carbon emissions, the huge need of water and because of the poor animals that are brought to this world to eat until they are fat enough to be killed and sold. Now, new companies that try to produce meat from animals’ cells are emerging and maybe that can be a less harmful way for people to eat meat without having to kill the animals.
Last but not least, we should also try to invest more in sustainable energies such as wind and solar energy.
In my opinion, these two things would make the world a better place.
Leticia Figueira, 11.º A / Ilustração: Saskia Rasink
Manifesto pelo transporte no Alto Minho
Transportes públicos
Como pessoas que moram e trabalham no Alto Minho, podemos admitir que não temos muitas opções de transporte público e, quando temos, são caras. Muitos de nós precisamos de boleia para ir para o trabalho ou, às vezes, nem conseguimos ir, correndo o risco de perder o emprego.
O autocarro de Monção para Valença custa 2,80€ e só passa de manhã, às 7:40, e volta para Monção às 19:00. Para ir de Valença a Monção, o horário do autocarro é às 14:00 e às 19:00, sem possibilidade de voltar para casa antes.
Os alunos que moram numa aldeia têm direito ao transporte da câmara, porém, quando eles não têm aulas até ao horário do transporte, ou quando há greve, têm que voltar para casa a pé ou pedir a um adulto responsável para que saia do trabalho e vá buscá-los. Quando perdem o horário de ida para escola, ficam sem opção e acabam por faltar o dia todo, prejudicando as notas.
Ainda no norte, o distrito do Porto tem várias opções de transporte; e o autocarro de uma aldeia para o centro do Porto custa em média 1,50€, comparando com o custo e a distância percorrida, no Alto Minho, é mais barato.
Para diversão, como ir ao cinema ao fim de semana, não é possível. Os horários de comboio e autocarro diminuem e os preços aumentam. É impossível fazer horas extras no trabalho, ir visitar parentes ou só passear. Ficamos presos dentro de casa, sem opções.
Queremos mais opções de transportes públicos com preços justos e com mais horários. Pelo menos para conseguirmos trabalhar e estudar, sem depender de outras pessoas.
Yasmin Dias Cruz / Imagem: Freepik
Manifesto a favor do direito à privacidade
Vida privada
Uma situação que, por mais que seja normalizada pela sociedade, continua a ser para mim desconcertante são as notícias que se dedicam exclusivamente à divulgação da vida pessoal de certos artistas conhecidos pelos seus trabalhos, atores e cantores, principalmente. Por este motivo, queria chamar especial atenção aos jornalistas que se dedicam a recolher estas informações e difundi-las sem qualquer consentimento da pessoa sobre quem escrevem.
O jornalismo é um emprego importantíssimo pois ajuda a difundir informação e a entendermos melhor o mundo em que estamos e as injustiças que vivemos, mas em prol de conseguir a atenção do público e ganhar mais dinheiro há muitos jornalistas que se dedicam a perseguir figuras públicas e tornam pública todos os pequenos detalhes das suas vidas. Do meu ponto de vista, isto viola o direito à privacidade escrito no artigo 12 dos direitos humanos e, realmente, não entendo porque é que ninguém mais considera que é um problema.
É claro que esses mesmos famosos tornam grande parte da sua vida pública, mas isso não é justificação. Deviam pensar, como indivíduos, o que é ter todas as vossas relações pessoais e discussões e até mesmo a vida sexual a serem comentadas por milhões de pessoas, porque se com uma pessoa normal isto seria feito até para magoar fortemente a pessoa, porque é que com um famoso é diferente? Não acho justa esta desumanização que se faz com eles e considero que os jornalistas e paparazzis que vivem disto não têm trabalhos dignos.
Sei que nada disto vai parar, ao menos não num futuro próximo pelo facto de ser tão normalizado pela sociedade e de gerar tanto dinheiro, mas peço que se reflita sobre o assunto antes de o aceitar como moralmente correto.
Joana Yusti, 11.º A / Imagem: Freepik
Shopaholism is always a 50-50 situation
O jovem e o consumo
These days some people think that the big companies and corporations of today and their excessive advertisements with their modern psychological studies are to blame for teens and even young adults excessive buying habits, but what most people think, is that “shopaholism” is caused 50% by society and 50% by the person.
I believe the latter to be true as you can see it on a day-to-day basis. Nowadays, there are influencers in every platform imaginable and in every form of entertainment, that get paid to show off and advertise brand products from software, to clothing, to even electronics like action cameras and even computers. These influencers have huge amounts of followers that look up to them and believe everything they’re told. And then, there are people, shopaholics that are insecure either of their looks, or of their possessions, which makes them jealous of other people like the influencers who I have just mentioned, and those people will try to spend as much money as possible to try to impress other people, not just in social media, but also the people around them.
That’s why I believe that it isn’t just the brands and influencers to blame for shopaholism, but also you! The consumer who is so easily persuaded to buy, buy, buy...
Tomás Soares, n.° 14, 11.° A / Imagem: Freepik
“Your opinion matters, especially if it’s supported by facts and observations.” – Benjamin Proudfit