Monday, May 10, 1999 - The Michigan Daily - 3 Fore addresses development at conference Gore praises citizens, Mayor rcher's efforts t revitalize evelopment in Detroit. y Michael Grass and dam Zuwerink Jaly News Editors )ETROIT- Calling for improvements in the uality of life in communities nationwide, more han 3,000 delegates from around the world con- ened in Detroit last Tuesday for the first National Town Meeting for a Sustainable America." The five day conference. held at the Cobo enter, was sponsored by the President's ouncil for a Sustainable America and the ilobal Environment and Technology -oundation, and was highlighted by Tuesday's ech from Vice President Al Gore, who 3ke on the need for a increase in the quality if life in America's communities. GMore was introduced by Jenny Reed, a ophomore at Hixon High School in 'hattanooga, Tenn. Reed was part of a 21-member youth panel, omposed of high school students frotn around The National Town Meeting or a Sustainable America The five-day conference brought government officials and community organizersttogether at Detroit'shCobo Center last week. The goal of the conference was to bring individuals, businesses and communities together to commit to a future of sustainable growth. * Vice President Al Gore speaks last uesday at the conference about national initiatives to create better communities in the United States. Gore announced 53 commitments from 11 federal agencies, including a Department of Agriculture plan to promote local farmers' markets. the nation, who held workshops during the conference focusing on how young people can contribute to sustainable development during the 21ist century. Briefly talking about why sustainable growth is important to today's youth, Reed stressed the important things students can do for America's communities and environment. "There are ways for my generation to make a sustainable America, simply because we care," Reed said, adding that today's youth can make a difference through a "simple action called volunteering." Joined on stage by the youth panel, Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer and former Mich. Gov. James Blanchard, Gore began by apologizing to the 3,000 delegates present in Cubo Center's Wayne Hall and the 60,000 people who were watching via satellite from over 100 locations throughout the country for his late arrival. in opening his remarks about sustainable development, Gore praised Mayor Archer and the city of Detroit for the revitalization efforts. "Look at what has happened here - unem- ployment is down, the bond rating has gone from junk bond to A- status..." Gore said, pro- claiming that "Motown has become Showtown once again." Gore's comments on Detroit echoed Archer's opening remarks. "We are a city in the process of rebuilding ... in Detroit, sus- tainable redevelopment is well underway." Gore said the purpose of sustainable devel- opment is to bring local governments together with businesses and community groups in cooperation to make communities more liv- Gore said the drive to create sustainable communities goes beyond the meeting, and is a national movement. "The tnessa'ie is clear, we can create an America that is not only good, but is better than ever before," Gore said. "We realize this really is a great national challenge for the 21lst century" Gore stressed however that it is not the fed- eral government's role to "make local planning decisions." Rather, these choices should be left to the local communities by empowering those at the grassroots level, Gore said. Using the Wayne County Metropolitan Vice President Al Gore speaks in front of 3,000 delegates attending the National Towr Sustainable America at the Cobo Center In Detroit last Tuesday. Airport as an example, Gore praised planners who expanded the airport while preserving 10,000 acres of area wetlands. Gore said "we have to understand that many of the challenges we face don't recognize defined borders - and neither can our solu- tions."'4 Gore ended his speech with a few proposed initiatives, including new regulations requir- ing "all passenger cars and trucks to meet the same tough pollution standards," and $1 bil- lion dollar Lands Legacy Initiative to protect areas like Florida's Everglades, California's redwood forests and other sensitive areas nationwide. Gore said America needs to build a sense of possibility in every community in order to cre- ate livable communities for everyone. Americans are at the "dawn of a whole new kind of prosperity ... not defined by the quan- tity of their bank account, but by the quality of their lives." Prof. speaks to Nobel committee By Adam Zuwerink Dit, News Edmitr No professor has ever won a Nobel Prize while working at the University, but the committee vho awards the Nobel Prize in physiolo- gy and medicine recently took an interest in a University professor. ,lhe Karolinska Institute in Sweden invited Public Health Prof. George Kaplan to deliver a speech at the Institute in Sweden last month as part of the Karolinska Research Lectures. While Kaplan, who also serves as Epidemiology Department chair, downplais the possibility of win- ning a Nobel Prize, his invitation is c idered by many as a milestone f he field for public health. His invitation by the Karolinska Institute was its first to a profession- ia in public health. Kaplan said he hopes his speech, entitled "Upstream and Downstream Approaches to Inequalities in IHealth,"svill serve as a springboard for the future recognition of public health, where the influence of dis- ease factors are explored on the community level, rather than at an individual level. "I hope they begin to acknowl- edge the field of public health," Kaplan said. "Many investigators are now turn- ing their attention to trying to under- stand the pathways that link the socioeconomic position of individu- als and communities with individual and community health," Kaplan said in a report entitled "Some Nesv Observations on Social Class and Health," which was co-written by Department of Epidemiology Assistant Research Scientist John Lynch. Throughout his studies, Kaplan said he has found that other factors contribute to the health of the greater community. There is a "lot of evidence that says the only way to reduce disease is to look at upstream factors, such as socioeconomic status, income, and wealth," Kaplan said. Kaplan said the link between health and economic status has shown that those vho are economi- cally disadvantaged have vorse health. Only with increased study of these factors can progress over disease finally be achieved, Kaplan said. In his report, Kaplan address the "critical need to further develop the tools and empirical knowledge vith which to document and understand these links." WANT TO WRITE FOR DAILY NEWS? CALL 76-DAILY OR COME TO 420 MAYNARD ST. FOR MORE INFORMATION. FoR RENT: Cozy 2 bedroom, 1bath,12 roommates. Fun while it lasted. But found a much better place thanks to Springstreet, the personal- ized online service that helps youfind exactly what you're looking for. Like more space, for instance. www.springstreet.com Log on. 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