4 - The Michigan Daily - Monday, June 12, 2000 Edited and managed by GEOFF GAGNON PETER CUNNIFFE students at the g Editor in Chief JOSH WICKERHAM University of Michigan ' Editorial Page Editors 0 tnless otherwise noted, unsigned editorials reflect the opinion of the 420 Maynard Street majoritr of the Dailys editorial board. 411/other articles, lettersand Ann Arbor, Ml 48109 cartoons do not necessarihr reflect the opinion of The Michigan Dailv Fuel for thought Moving beyond our oil dependence Failing the test Admissions testing should be reconsideredo M otorists are starting to feel the pinch of higher gas prices this summer, with many cities now seeing prices sur- pass the $2 per gallon mark. While expla- nations for the rise vary, some blame a new "clean" gas additive introduced by the Environmental Protection Agency to reduce pollution, although EPA estimated an increase of only 10 to 15 cents per gal- lon due to this new additive. Others blame gas price increases on rising demand. But we are only weeks into the summer driving season and many ana- lysts are predicting an increase in summer travel, largely due to the prosperous U.S. economy. Still, our economy, which pro- duces one gas-guzzling SUV or truck for every other new vehicle sold, is largely dependent on oil aid gasoline. By main- taining this dependence on gas for trans- portation, distribution and d fense or, in short, our entire standard of living- we paint ourselves into a corner of resource extraction than poses significant threats to the earth as well as our long- term sustainability. Environmental concerns such as global warming, air pollution, acid rain, oil spills and greater risks of skin cancer worldwide are largely due to our business as usual approach to oil consumption. The U.S., as the world's biggest polluter, has a respon- sibility to curtail its oil use and implement alternative fuel technologies. Sustainable alternative energy sources already abound. Solar power, for example, needs only be implemented on a wide scale to put it in the hands of consumers. In place of the corporate welfare payments and tax breaks that go to support major oil companies, government subsidies could fund efforts to bring down the manufac- turing costs of solar powered energy sys- tems. According to Ralph Nader, the Green Party Presidential candidate, con- tracted use of solar technology by govern- ment agencies could build the manufac- turing base necessary to bring the cost of solar power down to competitive levels. If even one branch of the government, such as the military, implemented solar tech- nology, the economies of scale could be tipped enough to benefit sustainable solar power over non-renewable oil resources. As another alternative, hydrogen fuel cell technologies, with continued research and support, can gain inroads toward mak- ing the internal combustion engine obso- lete. This technology extracts the hydro- gen from water or other sources to fuel clean-burning engines that produce little to no pollution. Automakers predict that fuel cell tech- nology, while still in its infancy, may be on the road in five to ten years. Whether sup- ported out of environmental necessity or through the common sense of sustainabil- ity, this technology gives hope of a future void of our current reliance on oil. As a viable short-term solution to the present fuel crunch, people should consid- er driving smaller cars or buying hybrid- electric vehicles, like the Honda Insight, which are capable of reaching fuel econo- my of 60 miles per gallon. With roads hogged by behemoth SUVs, smaller, more efficient cars reflect environmentally con- scious decision-making. The environmental costs of our unfet- tered oil consumption cannot be overstat- ed. Our oil use is producing short-term gains at a terrible price to our ecosystem. At this juncture of environmental anxi- ety, a four-year study on the effects of global warming by htndreds of concerned scientists and 12 government agencies will be presented to Congress this week. fhe report assesses the positive and nega- tive effects ot an expected 5 to 10-degree temperancire rise m-er the next century. Among other ominous predictios, it says we can expect the partial exaporation of the Great Lakes, a rise in insect-borne dis- eases like malaria, the death of sugar maples and other native plants in the north as well as the disappearance of islands, marshes and coastline due to rising ocean levels. Already assailed by some as too pessimistic, it represents the most exten- sive study of its kind. Through this litany of environmental concerns we can see the path that our dependence on fossil fuels is leading.us down. It seems clear that nothing but a concerted effort to promote and imple- ment sustainable alternative energy tech- nologies can afford us the time necessary to repair the damage we have brought about. By spearheading efforts to reform our oil obsession with smart, long-term eco- nomic choices, we can create a future not dominated by the specter of impending environmental crisis. To do this requires a commitment to new technologies as well as an involve- ment in Congressional affairs. Big oil, with its army of lobbyists, presents a for- midable opposition to alternative energy implementation. Calling or e-mailing con- gressmen with concerns about alternative energy may be the best way to get results. While expensive gas may provoke reac- tionary stances like pressuring oil-produc- ing countries to increase production, cut- ting gas taxes or removing the EPA's pol- lution-reducing -gas additives, the best approach is that which takes into account the viable alternatives within reach. As a culture that is pushing the boundaries of its technological sustainability, we have an obligation to implement alternative energy solutions. A few extra dollars spent on alternative fuel implementation now could save us untold of billions in environmental costs in the future. M ount Holyoke College last week became the latest in the growing num- ber of schools to stop using the Scholastic Aptitude Test in its admissions process. Concerns over biases in the test prompted the decision by the Massachustts college. The University of Michigan should follow the lead taken by Mount Holyoke and other schools and stop placing so much, if any, weight on standardized tests in admissions. Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT always have been the most suspect and least accurate method used by colleges to screen applicants. Too often, standardized tests are merely a test of a student's ability to pay for a preparatory course and not their ability to succeed in college. This problem, along with biases in the tests, has resulted in aggregate- ly and artificially lower scores for women and minorities. Everyone, including the wit- eras themselves, admit the tests are flawed. The Unixersity began examining altema- tive types of tests this year such as the Bial- Dale College Adaptability Index, which it administered to some applicants for this fall's incoming class. This exam tests applicants in skills not measured by standardized tests - such as leadership - and is aimed at identi- fying students who have the ability to suc- ceed in an academic environment. The Bial-Dale Index seems promising because it measures non-cognitive skills and includes interviews - "tests" whose scores are far more difficult to manipulate than an SAT or ACT score. Without this or another new test, the University should stop placing so much weight on standardized tests relative to the four-year academic and extracurricular high school records of applicants. These tests, while measuring academic ability to an extent, are so predictable in their content and form that anyone able to shell outa few hun- dred dollars can easily learn how to receih higher scores on them. Considering a halt to using SAT and ACT scores in admissions is especially worthwhile in light of the impending lawsuits against the University's use of race-based affirmative action in admissions. These tests have proven to understate the academic potential of minorities. In order to continue diversity on this campus should affirmative action be ended, steps such as ending the use of stal dardized tests or implementing non-discrim- inatory ones will be necessary. The Bial-Dale Index or any other new test that can be developed is will surely have its own problems. But it is a step away from the highly flawed standardized tests now used. The University currently places too much weight on standardized test scores. Given the tests' glaring and acknowledged friction with the University's ideals, current standardized testing needs to be reconsidered. A better phone bill Proposed regulations save callers money w state Senate panel is considering a bill proposed by Governor Engler pushing for phone deregulation that would ease the costs of telecommunications service to con- sumers. The issue will be debated for anoth- er week in the Senate before the issue can move forward. Included in the debate is the Governor's plan to cut rates by five percent as well as eliminate a monthly access fee of $3.28 that Ameritech currently charges with- out state approval. This measure is a good step forward in easing the burden of costs imposed on users by a consolidating telecommunications industry. Phone regulations are direly needed. After years of consolidation, competition has decreased to the point where consumers will continue to be worked over by phone companies without these efforts. Monitoring of the telecom industry-with its myriad of esoteric access fees and insidiously manipu- lative hidden charges-is necessary. Such proposals and regulatory efforts have worked on a national level. Last week, AT&T worked out a deal with the Federal Communications Commission to lower access fees and other charges incurred by consumers when making local calls. Though AT&T raised rates for many customers by as much as 163 percent the same day as the cost-cutting measures were announced by the FCC, fighting rate hikes is a task more easily managed by consumer group@ Because of pressure from such groups, AT&T soon changed its rate hike plans. Locally, though, Ameritech has been fighting the state-sponsored regulations with highly questionable and probably illegal means. This week the company allegedly threatened high-ranking Republican state senator Mike Rogers. After Ameritech offi- cials failed to convince Rogers to vote against Engler's proposed regulations, an Ameritech lobbyist threatened to put 1,000 employees to work for his opponent's car paign. Despite the obvious unethical bui- ness practices, this allegation highlights increasingly frequent corporate disregard for the regulatory process. These state and national regulatory efforts are necessary for consumers. They come at a time when consumer advocates say Ameritech could raise its monthly access rates another dollar per month without Engler's state-imposed regulations propos This proposed Michigan legislation is a pos- itive step towards reducing absurdly high, access fee-inflated monthly phone bills.