WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE4
TEXT
FREE FOR ALL
I'd Chief with DBowe...haha
Forgive me, father, for I have been using the FFA as my personal anonymous twitter.
Glad to know I'm not the only one who used to trap my Sims in a room full of ovens.
I forgot how quiet campus is when the basketball players are gone.
Text your FFA submissions to 785-289-8351 or at kansan.com
I just really need some Chapstick.
Will someone buy me some please?
I'm poor.
Just witnessed the scariest thing I've ever seen. A squirrel... without a tail!
For once, I'm really happy to go to Strong. It is way warmer than anywhere else!
Does it bug anyone else the Campa-
nile is one minute fast?
If they want me to show up to study herbal medicine, there should at least be some free samples.
I need some warm pee in a bag to keep my hands warm. The survival skills I learn from Bear Grylls are priceless.
My life is a ball of yarn, post cat.
Sometimes I go to Dillons for fun.
The out-of-staters all say Kansas people are used to the cold. I've lived in Kansas all my life, and it STILL sucks.
LAWS
It's getting cold and yoga pants,
yada, yada, yada. But at what cost?
at what cost?
If I were a kid, I would still be eating Halloween candy at this exact point in time.
I would be a very happy man if I could see Kentucky and Duke lose. Two of the worst teams that aren't K-State, Mizzou or UNC.
I just really, really, really hope there's some sweet, victorious photo of the basketball team on the cover today.
I don't think I've ever paid full price for Sylas and Maddy's before.
Someone go get Milton's dinner with me every night for the rest of my life.
I like to think I'm the breadwinner in me and my roommate's relationship. I brought the TV.
Duke, more like Puke. Has anyone ever used that one before? Nahhhh.
Hey guys, what's the highest point you've ever peed from?
Be aware of local alcohol regulations before drinking
Every joke about Dwayne Bowe and weed has already been made.
Whether it's a response to stressful classes or a celebration of freedom, college students love to drink. It's been this way and it will always be this way. Denying this is foolish, but fighting it is legal. We live in a world with laws; laws that make it illegal for people under the age of 21 to consume alcohol. And just as the desire to drink runs through our collegiate veins, the desire to catch underage drinkers pumps with equal force through the veins of certain individuals. These individuals are enforcement agents of Kansas' Alcoholic Beverage Control, or ABC.
The Alcoholic Beverage Control is a division within the Kansas Department of Revenue whose main job is to regulate and tax the
consumption and sale of alcohol throughout the state. As students, our main concern is how they regulate underage drinking. Because the way the ABC regulates underage drinking could regulate your night and your criminal record.
The ABC is well known for combatting underage drinking in Lawrence in many ways. Enforcement agents aim to pick off unsuspecting minors at all possible sources where alcohol is sold: liquor stores, bars, restaurants and house parties. Many of you know someone or, perhaps, you yourself have been caught unexpectedly in an ABC sting. These stings range from agents posing as civilians outside of liquor stores, to undercover agents busting minors in bars. The ABC have been known to go as far as following people
By Eddie Simon esimon@kansan.com
home from the liquor store, not ing their address and coming back at night to bust the house party. If caught selling to minors at a house party, the hosts of the party are subject to up to $1,000 in fines or up to six months in jail.
As long as students continue to drink, the ABC will continue to have a presence in Lawrence. We are simply too valuable of a clientele to lose. So for those who choose to drink while underage, it's important to be aware of the ABC's looming authority. There are certain steps you can take if you don't wish to find yourself caught in an ABC sting.
The first and most obvious is
what your mother has been telling you since high school - don't drink.
I do not advocate or suggest that anyone drink underage, and I strongly believe that no one should drink and drive no matter what your age. But if you choose to drink underage, be smart about it because what you're doing is illegal and there are people out there whose sole job is to catch you. So be safe, be smart and be careful. We're not invincible and the Alcoholic Beverage Control aims to prove that.
see someone much older that's not a visiting parent and appears to not be drinking, they could be an undercover. If you think you see an undercover, set down any drinks you might be holding and leave the area you're in. Also, try and avoid walking around with drinks at the bar in general — the ABC agent most likely won't confront you if you're not holding an alcoholic drink.
Next, don't be stupid. Don't drink in excess; there is no weaker prey than an overly intoxicated underage drinker. If you find yourself in a bar that is known for underage drinkers, always keep a watch over your shoulder. If you
There are countless other ways to have fun besides drinking in college. But there is no denying that underage drinking does happen.
Eddie Simon is a senior studying English with an emphasis in creative writing from Minneapolis.
POLICY
Ending oil subsidies would push alternative energy, save money
I am not a conservative. I wouldn't even say I am a liberal. I'm more of a realist-naturalist. I've often struggled to maintain balance between the consumer culture I live in and the environmental movement to which I have dedicated my studies. In my quest to understand how these two sides can be positively integrated, I stumbled upon former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis from South Carolina. Inglis represents the Energy and Enterprise Initiative (E&EI), a conservative campaign promoting the use of free enterprise to encourage the development and use of alternative energies. I listened to E&EI speak at the Dole Institute of Politics last spring and a few of E&EI's ideas have stayed on my brain.
E&EI proposes a three-part plan for approaching climate change. First, eliminate federal subsidies for all fuels. Second, attach all costs to fuels. Third, decrease income tax and increase taxes on pollution. At first, I was skeptical of such a black and white plan presented by a conservative group of Republican politicians and economists. But, when I really thought about it, it made a lot of sense to my "realist-naturalist" brain. Let's break it down.
Step one: End subsidies for all fuels. The Federal Government subsidizes many industries, including oil. I have discovered that the government is anything but transparent when describing the amount of money granted to the oil industry to keep consumer prices low and producer gains high. Additionally, many oil companies such as ExxonMobil claim that they do not receive special
By Gabby Murnan
gmurnan@kansan.com
government subsidies at all. They may not receive "special" funding, but they still receive subsidies. Eliminating federal monetary aid for oil would increase the cost of production and thus increase the cost for consumers. You may be thinking, but that's a bad thing — why should I have to pay more? Keep reading, but I warn you, it gets worse before it gets better
Step two: Attach all costs to fuels. Currently, we do not pay at the pump for the environmental, health or productivity costs of fossil fuels. We do, however, pay these costs through taxes in the long run. The burden of fossil fuels is being disproportionately placed on the consumer, while producers continue to reap the benefits of subsidies. Attaching all costs to fossil fuels would increase the cost of oil, causing consumers to pay more. Once again you may be wondering how increased costs for consumers is a good thing — stay with me.
Step three: Decrease income tax and increase pollution taxes. Here we go, now we're talking money in the pockets of consumers and accountability for environment-damaging industries. E&EI argues that we should be taxing what we want less of — pollution — rather than what we want more of — money.
Now let's put it all together and look at it through the principles of free enterprise. If subsidies are eliminated for all fuels, and prices of fossil fuels reflect all costs, then the need for new
energy solutions will be apparent when we pay our electricity bill or fill up our cars. As oil prices continue to increase, it will become obvious that oil is not a sustainable, cost-effective answer for energy. By getting rid of subsidies, the playing field is made even for entrepreneurs to explore innovative energy initiatives. Oil will no longer distort the market and monopolize the energy industry. Without the interference of the government on behalf of oil, entrepreneurs will be able to develop renewable and cost-effective alternative energies.
Meanwhile, consumers will have more money to put back into the economy due to decreases in personal income tax, while pollution-creating industries will be held monetarily accountable for their damaging actions.
True energy and climate solutions will require a balance of conservative and liberal ideas. Although E&EI's ideas are based off of conservative values, its goals are bipartisan and its plan is, in my opinion, ingenious.
Some may call it naive to say that we are running out of oil, but I call it irresponsible to think otherwise. Oil is the foundation of our economy, but it is crumbling. We need to reinforce the cracks with alternative energies and systematically phase out fossil fuels from our economy. It is unwise to continue full blast on a path that experts say is coming to a dead end. Rather than drive ourselves into both a catastrophic economic and environmental crisis, we must allow innovation to provide the fuels of tomorrow.
Gabby Murnan is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies from Pittsburg.
ENVIRONMENT
Hope is vital to future of environmental movement
In my Alternative Breaks class, Dr. Shane Lopez gave a talk about hope in preparation for our service trips. He defined hope as "believing the future will be better than the present" and having the belief that we "have some role in making it so." As he articulated, hope is not limited by a single context but can be present anywhere.
Hope is a necessary ingredient to mitigating and adapting to climate change.
The first step in having hope for the future of our planet is accepting the situation. As Bill Nye puts it, "Climate change is happening, humans are causing it and I think this is perhaps the most serious environmental issue facing us." Apparently not everyone agrees with our beloved science guy. Those who haven't accepted global warming and climate change as a true problem are only acting as roadblocks to solutions.
Looking at those who represent us in Washington, the misinformed and blatant ignorance is glaring. There is an entire website for those "climate-deniers" in Congress on the "Organizing for Action" section of Obama's website. Politics aside, the statements made are not backed with scientific evidence and often ignore the most pressing issue. For example, Rep. John Boehner said, "the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you've got more carbon dioxide." This statement ignores that cows actually are large contributors of methane, and the source of carbon dioxide that concerns scientists is not what we breathe out, but rather carbon emitted by the burning of fossil fuels.
Minimizing an issue without informing yourself will perpetuate the problem of climate change. Many people think this issue is solely for the tree-huggers and
outdoor adventurers, but global climate change will have huge impacts for everyone, some of which are pressing problems of today's world that will only get worse. Climate change has social, biological and political effects. Look no further than the increase of infectious disease and weather-related mortality, the suffering of crops that are no longer in their optimal temperature range, destruction of coastal habitats and homes by sea level rise and a shortage of water for evidence.
Back to Dr. Lopez's quote. I'm sure my rant of negativity was not the most convincing argument for the future being better than the present. This is where the second part of the quote becomes so incredibly crucial. We really do have a role in helping the future be better than the present. We may not be able to 'reverse' global warming but we sure can slow it down with the right policies and research.
As ABC news journalist Bill Blakemore puts it, "There are now signs that, little by little, voices and personalities are beginning to emerge around the world who are starting to hug this monster, manage the fear, and turn the emotions it causes into action." The monster that Blakemore refers to is fear.
Our actions must not be driven by fear, as fear inspires denial. In order to create a better world in the future, we must act out of hope and support climate change policies, advocate for sustainable education and have faith in the power of people on a mission.
Jenny Stern is a sophomore majoring in biology from Lawrence.
FFA OF THE DAY
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
Hello Netflix, my old friend, I've come to binge on you again, Because a vision softly creeping. Left its seeds while I was sleeping
List three things you hate more than Duke.
@WalterCavce
@WalterCayce
@KansanOpion1 People that love Duke
2. Clowns 3. Kentucky
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