Earth Week forums Panelists discuss *environmental, economic issues The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, April 4, 1990 - Page 3 highlight global issues Engineering students stress importance of |g Earth Week activities by Michael Sullivan Daily Staff Writer The University's Earth Week or- ggnizers presented "Consumer Choices: Economics and the Envi- f onment," a panel discussion, last Fight in Schorling auditorium. Pan- elists offered three distinct perspec- tives on economics and the envi- ironment, to an audience of about 60 students. Social philosopher Gaia Kyle, a nember of the Huron Valley Greens, attacked the concept of con- sumerism. "I don't believe it is possible to be a consumer and an environmental- lst," Kyle said, explaining goods be- pome "consumables" if users don't perceive them as "an integral part of their life." x Kyle offered five suggestions for people who want to abandon con- $umerism, including giving up cars, television, and meat. ', "If you calculate how much time you spend on your car, including shopping, labor, etc. Your car goes about six miles an hour," he said. But John Epton of the Demo- cratic Socialists of America objected to Kyle's assumption that isolated individual actions can solve envi- ronmental problems. "The attitude is that individuals have to change. They have to be more careful. They have to eat soy- beans," Epton said. Instead, individ- uals should organize in groups that question the basic assumptions of capitalism, he said. "We have to ask who makes the decisions causing environmental damage," Epton said. "We have to democratize thesdecision-making process." Panelist Stephen Landes, a School of Natural Resources gradu- ate, drew on his experience as a Ford Motor Company employee to defend the environmental protection efforts of American companies. The job of corporate officials is "earning a high rate of return given the restraints of the problem," said Landes. "This is not an evil process directed by destructive, greedy busi- nessmen." .II L"0 By Mark Swartz Usually when representatives from compa- nies visit the University's School of Engineer- ing, recruiting tops their agenda. But the six- teen companies who came to the Environmen- tal Technology Fair in the EECS atrium at North Campus yesterday where here to pro- mote environmentally sound applications of engineering skills. "Yes, there are job opportunities out there for companies doing good work," said the fair's, organizer Dale Jensen, an engineering senior and a member of the Earth Week coordinating committee. "We're glad to have all the engi- neers here to learn about them." Among the companies, Michigan Recovery Systems set up a display outlining various strategies in the field of environmental engi- neering, which include fuel blending, solvent recycling, and landfill gas collection. The lat- ter, a recent development, generates electricity from the gas emitted by garbage dumps. Craig Yendell attended the fair representing Chester Engineers, a Pittsburgh-based com- pany specializing in waste water treatment sys- tems. Yendell participated in the first National Earth Day twenty years ago, putting on educa- tional programs in Pennsylvania schools. "People are more conscious about the envi- ronment than they were back then," Yendell said. "The environment is no longer just taken for granted." Yendell stressed the key role that the engi- neers play in resuscitating the environment. "Somebody's got to come up with a practical way of implementing things," he said. Amy Hochberg, a junior in engineering, said the attitude of engineers is starting to change. Panelists cite danger of global warming My %,at eriner ugate Daily Staff Writer Global warming is one of the hottest topics of environmental con- cern today. Last night, the Earth Week 1990 Committee assembled a panel of three experts to address the subject to a crowd of 80 people in Rackham Auditorium. Beginning the evening by taking the audience on a slide-show trip 20 years in the future, Dr. Perry Sam- son, professor of atmospheric science, said some areas of pollution will improve. These reductions will come from chemicals such as lead, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere and acid rain. However,the Earth is headed for trouble in other areas, Samson said, citing increased ozone concentrations and visibility degradation. According to Samson, Congress has not done much to improve air pollution. He said although the EPA budget has risen substantially in the past twenty years, the amount spent on research has dropped. "I would hate to see this trend continue through to 2010." Samson said. Dr. David Gates, a botany profes- sor, followed Samson with a dis- cussion of the greenhouse effect. Gates said due to increased carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, the mean temperature of the Earth will rise three degrees centigrade within our lifetime, the largest jump in the Earth's history. Although this rise is speculation, Gates believes that total and drastic global warming "is here and we will be experiencing it the rest of our lives." Dr. Gayle Ness, the last speaker, opened his talk by declaring that he was "going to talk about sex." More specifically, Ness addressed the prob- lem of overpopulation. CORRECTIONS In yesterday's article on MSA's derecognition of the Cornerstone Chris- tian Fellowship (CCF), we erred in stating that the it was a member of CCF whose song many gays and lesbians found offensive. The singer was sponsored by CCF, but was not a member. In Monday's paper the Daily said that ACTION Party presidential candi- date Jennifer Van Valey favors a mandatory racism class. In fact, she sup- ports the proposal which would make a variety of courses on cultural and ethnic diversity available to students. Also in Monday's paper we incorrectly attributed a quote to Ben Feng, when the speaker was actually Ben Chuang. The article was on the student committee seeking to work out an antidiscrimination and harassment policy. THE LIST What's happening in Ann Arbor today Trash disp by Julie Foster Daily Staff Writer The belief that trash disposal is not the problem of the individual is a bunch of garbage, said about 100 students and residents who met yes- terday to discuss the solid waste cri- sis. The seminar, held as part of Earth Week and co-sponsored by Recycle U-M, encouraged people to make an active effort to dispose of waste NEMA DIREC . oasal: to pic properly and to educate others. A video presentation, featuring Paul Connett, a national recycling activist, introduced the group to the problems of trash disposal as well as past and future solutions. The participants then divided into three groups to discuss ways to get involved in solving the problem on the individual, community, and Uni- versity levels. The groups then met to discuss obstacles such as the cost of imple- menting new plans, getting people to change their habits, and the feasi- of group meeting bility of proposed solutions. Some of the suggested solutions were recycling, boycotting environ- mentally harmful products such as Styrofoam, and voting on environ- mental issues. Ann Arbor resident Bryan Wein- ert said, "Student areas are the worst areas as far as participation rates in recycling." He added that students need to "take some ownership in the community." Some of the groups which were represented at the discussion were Recycle Ann Arbor, Recycle U-M, and the Earth Week 1990 Commit- tee. Sue Oleinick, a School of Natu- ral Resources sophomore and coordi- nator of the program, said, "The fact that all of these groups are begin- ning to work together is really posti tive." DAILY CLASSIFIEDSf Meetings Philosophy Club - meeting at 7 p.m. Philosophy Commons Room, 2220 Angell Hall UM Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do Club - beginners welcome 8:30- 9:30 p.m. Martial Arts Room of the CCRB UM Taekwondo Club beginners welcome 7-8:30 p.m. 2275 CCRB East Quad/R.C. Social Group for Lesbians, Gay Males and Bisexuals - for students in residence halls 9-11 p.m.; call 763-4186 for more information UM Asian Student Coalition (UMASC) - sexism workshop at 7 p.m,. in Room D of the Michigan League Latin American Solidarity Committee - meeting at 8 p.m. in the Union; see desk for room UM Hellenic Students meeting at 8 p.m. in Anderson Room A UM Students of Objectivism - reading exercise of an Ayn Rand article at 8 p.m. in Union 2203 "Bounds on the LP-Norms of Martingales and Quadratic Forms of Independent Random Variables" - Victor De La Pena speaks at 4 p.m. in 451 Mason Hall "The Reluctant Prophet" _ the videotape will be shown in conjunction with a lecture by George Zabelka the chaplain of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bomber crews at 8 p.m. in the Old Second Ward Bldg. (310 S. Ashley) Furthermore Free tutoring - for all lower level math, science and engineering courses in UGLi 207 from 7-11 p.m.; Bursley (E. Lounge) and South Quad (Dining Hall) 8-10 p.m. Northwalk - the north campus night-time walking service runs from 8 p.m.-1:30 a.m. in Bursley 2333 or call 763-WALK Safewalk - the nighttime safety walking service runs from 8 p.m.- 1:30 a.m. in UGLi 102 or call 936-1000 ECB Peer Writing Tutors - peer writing tutors available for help on papers 7-11 p.m. in the Angell/Haven and 611 Church St. computing centers Women's Seder - join women of the community for the first Hillel Women's Seder at 5:45 p.m. at Hillel "A Play About Love ... " the Residence Hall Repertory Theatre Troupe performs at 10 p.m at Markley Michigras - Battle of the Bands at 8 p.m. in the U-Club "Vegetarianism for Beginners" - an interactive workshop from noon-1 p.m.in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the University Health Service Environmental Health Film Festival - Danger! Radioactive Waste will be shown from noon-1 p.m. in the Auditorium of the H. Vaughan Bldg. of the School of Public Health Auto Expo - see the latest GM crrontrv t uin X50 0ttnwar.c The UM Club of New York and the Student Alumni Council presents: Speakers -Jazz Lecture Series - George Bedard and David Swain speak at 8 p.m. in Cheever Hall of Oxford House "Unemployment and the Economic Status of Black Women" - Florence Bonner speaks at noon in Room 1300 Chemistry Bldg. "Psychology and African- Americans: The Decade Ahead" - Reginal L. Jones speaks at 4 p.m. in 1270 Business Administration Bldg. "Singularities and Bifurcations" - V. I. Arnold speaks at 4 p.m. in Angell Hall Auditorium C "The First Shall be Last? An Assessment of Yugoslavia Today" - Dijana Plestina speaks at noon in the Lane Hall Commons Room "Sexual Harassment on Campus" - Julie Steiner speaks at noon in the West Lounge of South Quad "The Paae nf the Dni Rinae A taste Big A of the ,pple ii n ' I r 9