4 - Tuesday, January 15, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.c©m 4 - Tuesday, January 15, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom 6 CJbe ffiicigan &ily Rej'uvenating Detroit Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS and ADRIENNE ROBERTS MATT SLOVIN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS MANAGING EDITOR ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. F ROM T HE DAItY Keep golnggreen Obama must keep promises on the environment If October's sleeveless porch drinking wasn't enough of an indi- cator, recent statistics have confirmed it - 2012 was the hottest year in documented U.S. history. Thousands of daily record highs were broken all over the country. Unusually severe weather was also. reported throughout the year; the most disastrous event, of course, was Hurricane Sandy, which racked the Mid-Atlantic in late October. Despite these events and evidence supporting a significant climate change, environmental issues have drifted out of mainstream media and were dismissed in the 2012 election cycle. This issue cannot be pushed to the backburner. In a country where extreme weather con- tinues to affect the lives of its citizens, President Barack Obama needs to fulfill his earlier promises by prioritizing policies that combat the impacts of climate change. According to a Jan. 8 article in The New Act, Jackson's goals for improving the envi- York Times, 34,008 record highs were recorded ronment went largely unfulfilled. across the country last year. These unusually For many years "going green" was the high temperatures caused sweeping droughts next big thing. The message was splashed that ravaged the corn and soybean markets. across recycled tote bags and biodegradable At least eleven natural disasters were reported cleaning sprays. In the last few years, the in 2012, including severe tornados, southern movement has faded from importance in the coast-striking Hurricane Isaac, a violent string public eye. To the majority of society, the of thunderstorms that hit the central and east- dream for a greener tomorrow was a noth- ern part of the country, and Hurricane sandy ing more than a fad. The effects of climate that caused more than 60- billion dollars in change are not so easily forgotten. It is not damages in the New England area. Across the only up to the government to take action globe extreme weather was also reported with on this issue but also the people. Ensuring rampant wild fires breaking out in Australia, a stable environment for the future is the severe flooding in England, and snow storms responsibility of every global citizen. and record lows in Russia and the Middle East. The facts and statistics are clear enough During 2012, the environment was ignored to prove that a significant climate change is by both candidates in the presidential elec- in process. The connection between global tion. To the U.S. government, this should be warming and the climate change is still debat- considered a serious issue. Lisa Jackson just able, but the existence of these unusual and stepped down as head of the Environmental dangerous weather patterns has been scien- Protection Agency and expressed some frus- tifically proven. President Obama needs to tration over the resistance she faced in gain, take advantage of his current position and set ing support for the cause. A major argument a strong precedent by creating programs that against the passage of more radical environ- spread awareness about climate change and mental programs is the financial cost espe- that work towards prevention. The future is cially with the current economy. Aside from affected by current actions and performing no some reform programs through the Clean Air action at all will only cause more harm. EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, Eli Cahan, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Jasmine McNenny, Harsha Nahata, Adrienne Roberts,' Vanessa Rychlinski, Paul.Sherman, Sarah Skaluba, Michael Spaeth, Derek Wolfe ASAD PASOON I VIEWPOINT What's next for Afghanistan Duringthese first carefree weeks of school, take some time to explore the non-academic surroundings that make up our campus. You can witness a politi- cal rally or run into a friend on the Diag. You can take a walk, ANDREW play Frisbee or ECKHOUS just enjoy nature in the Arb - although everyone knows what really goes on there, hippie. You can even watch a pun-loving man play his harmonica and scratch his Dust Bowl-era washboard outside of the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. Those are just some of the many examples of how the public spaces around us make our lives a little more colorful. I may spend an inor- dinate amount of my time trapped in the dizzying dichotomy of thinking and drinking, but what will I remi- nisce about in the future? Decades from now, when I'm telling my kids stories, from my college years, I'm sure I'll mention the Diag, Arb and many of the other public spaces that distinguish our beloved university rather than the grimy nights I spent at Rick's American Cafe. Unfortunately, Ann Arbor's dejected sibling to the east, Detroit, doesn't have much in the way of public spaces. Hart Plaza is a little run-down, the adjoining RiverWalk isn't nearly what it could be and Belle Isle is broken. Campus Marti- us, however, stands out as a beacon of what Detroit's future could hold. 4 Locatedin theheartofdowntown Detroit, Campus Martius park was renovated and rededicated in 2004 with help from corporate sponsors and has been essential in the bur- geoning revitalization of Detroit. It's a walkable public space that wouldn't seem out of place in a real live, functional city - a merit badge Detroit has yet to earn. Growth has flourished directly because of Cam- pus Martius, as workers want to spend time outside of their offices now. Restaurants, retail shops, con-; venience stores and hotels all have opened their doors over the past decade or so, giving Detroit cheer- leaders like me hope that change and development are possible. If the Detroit problem is to be solved, safe and usable public spaces will play a vital role in solvingit. Dan Gilbert, chairman of Detroit-based Quicken Loans and advocate for the rebirth of the city, can provide 10,000 workers jobs downtown, but if none of the employees live in the city, many of Detroit's workers will remain commuters. The city needs to be an inviting place if the popu- lation is to grow. New green spaces, playgrounds and- even renovated sidewalkswould all help Detroit cul- tivate an image of a people and fam- ily-friendly city, and would speed up the rebuilding process. In the 2010 census, there was a 25-percent drop in population, buta 59-percent increase in people under 35 with a college education, illus- trating that there's a budding class of young professionals in Detroit. That growth, however, must be sup- ported. Attracting more of these young professionals into the city can be achieved through creat- ing the types of public spaces that are common in city neighborhoods nationwide. Even something as sim- ple as a dog park is an excellent way to encourage interaction among city residents, but only one exists in Detroit, and it's in disrepair. How- ever, a few Detroit residents, see- ing the need, successfully launched a campaign that generated more than $15,000 for apark, and the city granted the permits. The Detroit Dog Park is an encour- aging example of what the future of Detroit could hold. If public space expands, the social culture of the city will expand with it. The same people that walk their dogs or ride their bikes during the day will frequent bars, concert halls and restaurants at night. Who knows, maybe it wouldn't be so ridiculous for future Univer- sity students to drive to Detroit for a night of drinking and dancing, oth- erwise known as "supporting Michi- gan's economy." Public space can provide positive opportunities for communities as well. In December, Ford pledged $10 million to create a community cen- ter in southwest Detroit's Mexican- town neighborhood, one of Detroit's most vibrant communities. This center will offer adult education, job training and a food bank. Most importantly, it will foster communi- ty growth and give Detroit youth the chance to succeed that they might not have had otherwise. Ultimately, these successful youths might give back to the city that raised them, and Detroit could undergo a make- over from its very own people. If public space expands, social culture will follow. When people think of New York City, they think of Central Park. When people think of Chicago, they think of Grant and Millennium Park. When people think of Detroit, they think of ... wait, what exactly? If the city and state invest in mak- ing Detroit a viable city socially - not just economically - people will begin to think of Detroit in terms of its energetic social scene and thriv- ing economy instead of its empty and factories. The future of Detroit is no longer a fantasy, but a goal to work toward. With support from University students, we could make Detroit an exciting extension of our University experience. - Andrew Eckhous can be reached at aeckhous@umich.edu. '4 6 6 Nofoodfor thought Last Friday, President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met to dis- cuss troop withdrawal and the possibility of leaving behind residual forces in Afghani- stan beyond 2014, but the future of Afghani- stan remains unsteady: The country is facing the imminent thread of Taliban's resurgence. Despite a decade of American intervention, Mullah Omar, Taliban's spiritual leader, is still alive and leading from his hideouts in Pakistan. Both presidents have officially rec- ognized Taliban's office in Qatar, predicting their possible return to power. From a perspective of an Afghan who was persecuted under Taliban era, this news isn't very encouraging. This also holds true from the perspective of an American. Is it fair to let go the lives of more than 2,000 U.S. ser- vicemen and women who died in the war? Moreover, the million-dollar question now is whether Taliban would bow down to the dem- ocratic constitution of Afghanistan backed by the United States or follow their version of Sharia law. Despite that, frustration on the part of the American public led to a push for withdrawal as early as spring 2013, ahead of the scheduled summer 2013. But as American troops depart Afghani- stan, they leave behind a widely corrupt gov- ernment, which is an exemplary model of nepotism and cronyism. The current Karzai administration has benefited the most out of the U.S. presence. With the taxpayer's money, most of the Afghan officials have bought vil- las in Dubai and transferred large amounts of cash to their bank accounts outside of Afghan- istan. Karzai and his staff do not have much at stake whether the United States stays or leaves. By April 2014, Afghanistan will hold its presidential election. Karzai's term will expire, and, as he promised, he will step down. He and most of his leading cabinet members will most likely seek refuge in a Western coun- try even long before the last U.S. service mem- ber leaves Afghanistan. The face of post-Karzai leadership is uncertain. Chances are slim that a Western- educated Afghan technocrat would be able to accomplish a majority's vote. The dominant group composed of the former Northern Alli- ance will most likely have an upper hand in the election. Apart from the widespread cor- ruption they will inherit, the Northern Alli- ance, a longtime Taliban rival, would further ignite the ethnic tensions. Northern Alliance is predominantly Tajik, while Taliban are largely Pashtuns, provoking the Taliban's commitment to weaken the Kabul Govern- ment. Chances are also very small that both rivals will be able to work together in an effective fashion ifa coalition government is to be formed. With such a background, the only hope for Afghans is to feel some kind of assurance from the United States - that is, to have U.S. presence in Afghanistan beyond 2014. Fortu- nately, Obama's administration is weighing its options and is currently in negotiation with the Afghan government regarding the immu- nity of U.S. forces so they are not subject to Afghan laws. It's very likely that the Afghan government would grant such approval. A presence of U.S. forces would keep an eye on a different faction within the country, in hopes of de-escalating violence. Such a presence would also force the Taliban to put aside their dream of taking over Kabul. However, the U.S. government must put more pressure on Afghan officials both pre- and post-2014 to curb corruption within the government and to publicly prosecute high- level corrupt officials. Without a transparent and public-service-oriented institution, the outlook for Afghanistan will still be bleak. Asad Pasoon is a Rackham student. From purchasing buses that run on biodiesel tousing electrically powered main- tenance vehicles, the University has made a con- certed effort to reduce the environmen- tal impact of its on-campus transportation. If the University ZOE truly wishes to STAHL be sustainable, however, it must focus on how its 80,000 students, faculty and staff move around Ann Arbor. The University should begin working towards this goal by run- ning buses to off-campus grocery stores. This service would not only reduce the University's steadily increasing carbon footprint, but also help alleviate the issue of food security on campus. Though we often focus on how many miles the food has traveled from the farm's fields to the grocery store's aisles, the number of miles driven by food shoppers is just as important. Studies conducted by the U.K. Department of Environ- ment, Food and Rural Affairs found that 82 percent of food miles - the distance -food travels from pro- duction to consumer - were not generated globally, but from travel within Great Britain. Of those food miles, 48 percent came from con- sumer shopping trips, while the trucking of food accounted for 31 percent of food miles. Switching to buses would be a relatively easy way to minimize the environmen- tal impact of food shopping, which is often overlooked despite these statistics signaling that the issue should be addressed. Campus community can work toward .. sa fety for all students TO THE DAILY: Couched in the words "alleged" and "reported" in a Jan. 13 article about the rape in West Quad are distrust and distance from the inci- dent. It's easier to acknowledge the need for more campus security and campus lighting, but it's far more difficult to admit that students commit rape. We certainly need to be aware of our fellow students as we walk through campus late at Even more, this service will help time and money address another sustainability-relat- of adding bus r: ed issue: food access. According to coordination wit research done by the Student Food Transit Authorit Co., the University's student-run vices these groce produce stand, 45 percent of Univer- an obstacle. Som sity students live in neighborhoods having two bus s that the United States Department ous grocery store of Agriculture would consider food dant, but with deserts, which it defines as a "low- times between A income census tract where asubstan- not-always-conv tial number or share of residents has bus stops, havin low access to a supermarket-or large around students grocery store." Considering that 45 would only com percent of students do not own or AATA already pr have access to a car, this came as a shock; I had always thought of Ann - Arbor as an affluent college town. But with the recent closing of White 45 per Market and the prevalence of high- . priced grocery stores like Babo and the Un Replenish within walking distance, it became easy to see Ann Arbor as a suden food desert. Not only do many students live in food deserts but many also experi- ence food insecurity. Of the stu- dents surveyed by the Student Food After sorting Co., 3 percent were food insecure, the work stillv meaning that they reported expe- the Universityv riencing "reduced quality, variety, students to actu, or desirability of diet" and of those which might bet students, 12.6 percent experienced task of all. For hunger. What makes this all the cars, this shoul more frightening is that the student While selling pr body's food insecurity rate is more dent Food Co.d than twice the national average of shift, it's obvious 14.9 percent. Given that living in a eager and excitet food desert and being food insecure But convincing: are often linked with unhealthy to sacrifice time diets, poorer health and higher for the greater er rates of obesity, the University, won't be easy. H which has an active interest in the ing savings at student body's overall well-being, reward for using should work towards improving ing the gas mon student food access. just might be con This would not be without its challenges. The University will - Zoe have to go through the energy, at z night, but we also need to instruct We, as a camp our fellow students that rape is nize that consent unacceptable, violent and evil. more importantly We need to prevent rape, and that as students, needt requires action. to each other th Around campus, several cam- tolerated on our c paigns are helping build knowl- human rights of edge, awareness and activism not be violated. W around the prevention of sexual to end our pract assault. The Sexual Assault Preven- ing and instead f tion and Awareness Center serves those who surviv as an advocate for students who've we are to prevent survived sexual assault and as a ognize that sexua node of education. By engaging men women's issue - and women, survivors and allies, we must all addre SAPAC works to dispel myths about sexual assault and edify the campus Wiliam Rogers about how we can prevent rape. LSA Junior -intensive process outes. Even more, th the Ann Arbor y, who already ser- ry stores, could be se may argue that ervices to the vari- es would be redun- the lengthy wait ATA buses and the eniently located g a bus scheduled ' hectic schedules plement what the ovides. cent of versity's s live in a desert. out the logistics, wouldn't be done: would have to get ally use'the buses, the most daunting students without dn't be too hard. oduce at the Stu- during my weekly s that students are d to buy fresh food. students with cars and convenience nvironmental good aowever, by arrang- the market as a the bus and stress- ey saved, students vinced. Stahl can be reached oestahl@umich.edu. pus, need to recog- may be "sexy," but , it is required. We, to send the message at rape will not be campus and that the each person must re, as asociety, need ice of victim-blam- ocus on supporting e sexual assault. If t rape, we must rec- al assault isn't just a it's something that ess. I a 0 6 WANNA JOIN OPINION? Good. You should. Mass meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:30 pm. 420 Maynard. Be there. t Ar f, a