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lommentary the February 9, 2005 LACK AM AS Print *5 Face Off: Should America join the Kyoto Protocol to limit gas emissions? MS don Triplett 1 Bush made right decision; Kyoto Protocol bad for economy Jeff Sorensen Clackamas Print b The Clackamas Print planet, or for that matter, the lives of our Bush’s decision to decline the U.S.’s great-great grandchildren? If trends con participation in the Kyoto Protocol is one tinue and our planet continues to develop that many criticize him for without look a warmer climate, island nations that are ing into what the protocol is, let alone only.a foot above sea-level could be com why he backed out. pletely flooded. People make fun of the way he talks, Farmers’ crops could be affected, his level of professionalism, and Earth’s food supply could the decisions he makes on be jeopardized. If America behalf of the millions who were to develop a more live in this country, and tropical climate, mos they insist on preach quitoes would flour ing their opinions ish and bring diseas under the abused es such as malaria pretense of “free with them. speech.” You don’t The Kyoto have to care Protocol, about the envi formed by ronment to the United care about Nations global warm in 1997 ing. You in Kyoto, don’t have to Japan, is worry about based on the die-offs of polar bears carbon because their emission environment measure is melting. ments taken You don’t in 1990, and even have establishes to carfe about ’ specific tar the amount gets for reduc of poison that tion of each corporations are country’s car allowed to pump bon. emissions into our environ which contribute ment. Global warm to global warming ing is not likely to (a phenomenon that’s affect anybody reading proven to have started this article, and isn’t even some 300-plus years likely to affect the children of ago). anybody reading this article. Internet Photo First, the target estab However, if the reckless pol lished for the States is esti luting of our planet continues unabated, mated 35 percent below the projected future generations will suffer. It’s easy to emissions for 2010. Because the proto read this and conclude that it isn’t worth col is based on studies from 1990, the your time as a result. Try. putting yourself incredible economic boom in America in the shoes of your great-great grand during the 1990s has been completely child, and ask yourself if you wouldn’t overlooked. None of the European coun be a little confiised as to why your forefa tries saw the same kind of change in their thers didn’t consider you and your world economy, which means the U.S. would in their grand designs. fl R have to literally destroy its economy just to come close to their “goaL” Next, the protocol completely disre gards natural “carbon sinks” (what most people just call forests) that the U.S. and other countries have at their disposal to help dispel much of the carbon emissions. Bush wanted to use this natural resource to buffer the U.S.’ commitment to the protocol, but at first the UN disagreed. Then Bush came back with a rather hum ble revision to his original request and, while the British were willing to help the U.S. find a suitable accommodation, French Environment Minister Dominique Voynet determinedly refused on behalf of all European countries. Bush wanted to sign the protocol... and the French think we ’re arrogant? Lastly, the Protocol exempts all “developing countries” (NOTE: this is not defined in the actual protocol, but is assumed to mean countries in third world status) from any carbon restriction com mitment, focusing instead on larger, eco nomically stable world powers. Bush.not only found this unfair and unethical, he felt the U.S., being the most economical ly advanced country in the world, would be in a position to fall the hardest if the Protocol were allowed to place heavy restrictions on energy consumption. The price of gasoline alone is horrible right now, let alone the'price of electricity and heating. A blow to our economy like that would financially cripple our country in ways that no stock crash could ever compare to. Bush’s biggest problem isn’t that he has trouble speaking in public, or even that terrorists are posing all kinds of threats on the American people and their way of life. The problem is that many of Bush’s own people refuse to back him up on anything, and it’s making his job of running this country harder than it needs to be.' If those people who absolutely must question our president’s every move did 10 minutes of research (like I did) and learn what happened, many would undoubtedly have a different opinion. cademic advising helpful, should strive for perfection emy Freíd Clackamas Print y experiences with the aca- t advising staff have been ly good, but there have been »where I felt that things pot handled with the prop- hsideration that was my due tudent of this college. n the whole, academic ing is friendly and gener- helpful in getting students lLACKAMASp^nt 9600 S. Molalla Ave. regon City, OR 97045 h) 657-6958 ex. 2309 he C lackamas Print is a weekly | student publication and is tributed every Wednesday except finals week. on a track that will get them to where they want to go. There are students out there, however, that have been told to take classes, or even entire course sequences, that they never needed to get the degree they want. I would like to make it clear that while I can appreciate the good that they do for us, I am not here as a proponent of keep ing things as they are. Though they are often friendly, and can be helpful, they are not as strong in some areas as they believe themselves to be. While attend- ing the college, I have spoken to many students who think aca demic advising is not fulfilling its duties; they do not say any thing because they feel they will not be listened to by the college, and from my standpoint I can’t say I blame them. From my perspective things need to change. Keep their friendliness and willingness to help, but change things like more continuous updates from the various departments to academ- E ditor - in -C hief : Isaiah Creel C opy E ditor : Tames Tombe N ews E ditor : Ben Maras C ommentary E ditor : Shannon Armstead F eature E ditor : Karlin Johnson C o -S ports E ditors : Mike McCormack & Jeff Sorensen A&E E ditor : Hilliary Ferguson P hoto E ditor : Joel Gaynor ic advising. Maybe some sort of message board system could be created that each department would post to. This would allow academic advising information that they could readily access and print out, like new classes or upcoming degree paths, as well as maintain a better communica tion with the departments. Some ways to make continu ing improvements that would benefit everyone is to try to be perfect; set that as a goal. Even though such a goal is almost A d M anager : Ben Holm D esign E ditor : Michaele Cooper S tate W riters : Frank Jordan, Cassie Mathieson, Mike McCormack, Joe Piazzis^ Amanda Polopolus, Jacob Ray, Jeff Sorensen, Jadon Triplett, Katie Wilson, Laura Cameron, Christa Danielson, Jeremy Freid, Mike Guidice, Jason Pirtle, Amy Sandell, Kyle Slate, Elizabeth Tobey, Norma Martinez P roduction A ssistants : Jesse Arguello, Stephen Bostwick, Myque Obiero, Gregg Radspinner, Ryan Richards, Monica Gizowski, Madeleine Atwood , P hotographers : Bfie Daykin, Angela Gerhart, Stephen Hayes D epartment A dvisor : Linda Vogt D epartment A ssistant . Pat Lichen impossible to reach, just the act of striving towards it will help make improvements, short term as well as long term. One thing to keep in mind: one can always do better. In the end, it really does not make a difference what each side’s opinion is; all that mat ters is that one side has its voice heard and the other side will hopefully make changes that will benefit everyone in the future. G oals : The C lackamas Print aims to report the news in an honest, unbi ased,, professional manner. The opinions expressed do not necessar ily reflect those of the student body college administration, its faculty or Tne Print. E-mail comments to chiefed@dackamas.edu.
