TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014
PAGE 4
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opinion
TEXT FREE FOR ALL
Text your FFA submissions to (785)289-8351 or at kansan.com
FFA OF THE DAY:
Schol-hall-pocalypse round 2
I got 99 problems but class ain't one... (until next week)
I save my FFA submissions too.
I've thought about making a
collage for my office when I
graduate #therealworldsucks
no classes on Tuesdays means I'm officially on Thanksgiving Break!!
Would it be too much to ask for nice weather during break? #NoSnow #NoCold #NoWind?
When you forget to bring your contact case home with you...
I just realized December is next week. Holy crap. #Bloodyhell
whereis2014Going #nope
Shoutout to KU info for knowing everything, including where to find my lost wallet.
The dilemma of wanting an FFA in the paper but not really knowing what to say . . .
I am pretty sure this chick is passed out on the bus...
hardcorepassedout
dontmissyourstop
McDonalds makes a huge deal out of their McRib sandwiches and I think they look sick. Who could eat those willingly?
I think people forget that we've only played 2 ball games so far. Our season isn't over. It's barely started.
Here's to no one showing up to classes these two days...
WhyAmIHere
No coffee = no work
Family wants me to make something for Thanksgiving, but I have no idea what to make! Any ideas?
I'm in the line at Chipotle thinking: "What combo will best prepare my body for the open bar I'm going to subject it to tonight?"
Thanksgiving? Psh, I'm waiting on that Jurassic World trailer. Plus, Chris Pratt is a babe.
Christmas music gives me the feels
Watching that video of those grandmas getting high is the best thing I've seen all day.
Bought all these bottles of wine... only to find out we don't have a cork screw. Life is cruel.
All these shows going on mid-season finale = breakin my heart! Why, why oh?
Black Friday has negative consequences
By Victoria Calderon
@WriterVictoriaC
Today, Thanksgiving is known not just for food, family and football, but also for the massive commercial holiday after: Black Friday. Consumers can swarm stores and mindlessly throw their money to major multimillion-dollar corporations across the country in order to get deals on electronics and other big-ticket items. One can buy a brand new flat-screen TV for more than 50 percent off or the newest One Direction album for next to nothing.
To vamp up competition among the biggest retailers in the United States, businesses like Wal-Mart and Amazon are beginning their deals on
certain items before Black Friday, according to ConsumerReports.org. Many corporate giants will even be opening their doors to sale-seekers Thanksgiving evening. These early Black Friday deals encourage fanaticism among savvy consumers. If you have ever been to a superstore on Black Friday, you know that shoppers have to be aggressive to get the products they want. Something few people consider, as they fight to grab the last iPad Air from the shelf, is the safety of the employees who are working hard to serve the needs of the chaotic crowds.
Wal-Mart is one of several chains across the country notorious for beginning its Black Friday sales Thanksgiving evening, or "Black Thursday." One incident in 2008 involving Wal-Mart resulted in the death of an employee. The corporation fought off the $7,000 penalty for five years following the case, according to the Huffington Post.
"Sitting on appeal with a review commission, the case of Jdimytal Damour's death highlights how corporations can choose to fend off modest penalties over workplace dangers for years on end," said Huffington Post writer Dave Jamieson.
Clearly the problem with Wal-Mart on Black Friday extends far beyond proper compensation for its employees — its workers' lives are at risk simply for doing their job. If Damour's tragedy is any indication, it will even refuse to pay what is considered pocket change to a big company to atone for its poor handling of the situation.
In order to avoid further accidents like the one in 2008, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has made several recommendations for this year: "Each store's crowd management plan should include on-site security guards, barricades for customers as they wait to enter the store, an explanation of how they can enter the store safely, limits on how many customers can enter the store, and an emergency plan for when something goes wrong," Tim Devaney reported on The Hill.
In addition to the physical hazards that could occur, employees also have to deal with the stress of handling
hundreds of customers at once. Employees are put under even more pressure when customers get frantic or angry over a product they can't find.
over a product they can't miss. As a college student, I appreciate being able to buy things I want for an affordable price. Black Friday might sound worth dealing with other aggressive customers and claustrophobic crowds. However, it's not worth putting the store workers in harm's way — and giving money to corporations that do little for their employees — just for a Bluetooth speaker or some DVDs.
Victoria Calderon is a sophomore from Liberal studying English and political science
Climate agreement will bring disagreement
Word has gotten out that President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping are ready to kick some climate change butt. You read correctly: The leaders of the world's largest carbon dioxide producers are ready to get busy on emission reductions. I had to excuse myself from public view when I heard the news because, to quote a valley girl, "I, like, totally freaked out." My valley girl moment ended when reading the details of the agreement
between China and the United States, along with the opposing arguments of the GOP. The stage has been set for a political war over what has become one of the most politicized scientific findings in history.
If all goes as planned, the agreement will place the United States in a position to reduce carbon emissions by 26-28 percent by 2025. The agreement allows China to peak emissions by 2030 and then begin emission reductions. In the meantime. China will pursue 20 percent alternative energies by 2025, according to the New York Times.
Right off the bat, the GOP had its first argument handed to it. These numbers beg the question, why should the U.S. conform to strict environmental regulations and let China continue polluting until 2030? Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was the first to criticize the agreement, saying it "requires the Chinese to do nothing at all for 16 years while these carbon emissions regulations create havoc in my state and other states around the country." According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change will create even more havoc than regulations, especially for the United States' most impoverished populations, Mitch.
There are arguments that the reduction of carbon emissions will destroy the economy. A statement released by Ed Whitfield, Chairman of the House Energy and Power Subcommittee, states "... a
lame-duck president is working to stack the deck against American jobs, wage increases and affordable energy. Our top priority must be jobs and the economy plain and simple." According to the Department of Energy's Natural Renewable Energy Lab alternative energy jobs create more jobs per dollar invested than traditional electricity jobs while keeping dollars local through investment in indigenous resources.
Despite the GOP's arguments, climate change policy entrepreneurs now have the biggest advantage in history. For years, deniers of climate change have relied on the argument that what we do in America will make no difference if other global leaders continue to pollute, particularly China. Well guess what,
guys? The leading producer of carbon dioxide in the world just got serious about climate change. Whether China's emission reductions begin tomorrow or in 15 years, its pledge to tackle the climate is worth more than any other statement, speech or study about climate change. So far, arguments about protecting America's most vulnerable populations and the power of alternative energy have not convinced the GOP to act on climate change. Maybe fears of China outpacing the U.S. in sustainability and alternative innovations will give the GOP a much needed shove toward action.
Gabrielle Murnan is a junior from Pittsburg studying environmental studies
Awareness, caution around coyotes necessary
Halloween passed a while ago, but howling at the moon is projected to become more frequent. Recently, Lawrence residents have not only noticed an increase in coyote numbers, but also a change in their appearance and timing. Usually confined to the night, coyotes now have been spotted around town as early as 3 p.m., according to residents of the Lawrence Western Hills neighborhood. Prairie Park Nature Center has even received reports of "wolves" in Lawrence.
the most recent sighting
of wolves in Kansas came in 2013, when coyote hunters killed a "large male canine" that turned out to be a wolf, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. According to the Kansas Department of Wildlife, this was the first sighting of a wolf in Kansas since 1905. Most of the reported sightings are actually coyotes, which can sometimes be confused with wolves. If in doubt, the Denver Animal Control has a simple method for telling coyotes from wolves and dogs, stating that "the coyote will run with their tails down. A wolf will run with its tail straight out and a dog will run with their tail up."
Increased interaction with humans or the hybridization of domestic dogs with coyotes will result in more socialized animals, according to the
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. To reduce socialization of coyotes, do not leave food out during the night for outdoor pets, which may attract them. Colorado Parks & Wildlife warns those in Colorado not to walk with small children or animals in certain areas because of aggressive coyote behavior. According to Colorado Division of Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill, coyotes typically bite only one person per year along the Front Range. Since 2008, however, 10 people have suffered bites from coyotes, as reported by the High Country News in 2010. The California Integrated Pest Management Program outlines aggressive behaviors in coyotes in graded steps from 1-7. A coyote acting aggressively toward
adults in mid-day is the seventh stage in the progression
enth stage in the progression. Lawrence may be seeing intermediate signs of an increased coyote population. The third stage, which Lawrence is currently in, is spotting coyotes on streets, in parks and yards during the early morning/late afternoon. The next stage is coyotes attacking or taking pets on leashes, as well as chasing joggers and bicyclists. Pedestrians should take extra caution when walking their pets at night or letting them outside.
With increased construction in Lawrence, local coyotes have fewer places to find food, causing them to venture into the city. Due to habitat degradation and the coming winter, coyotes could start targeting pets and other small creatures for a meal.
thereby drawing the coyotes to suburban neighborhoods. Supporting further construction in Lawrence near wildlife habitats will only exasperate this problem. Although destruction of their habitat has already occurred, in the future we should be more conscious of the effects construction has on coyote behavior.
It is our responsibility to take preventative measures to ensure that the coyote population does not get out of hand. Be careful with pets, do not attract coyotes by leaving food outside your house and remain conscious about how construction projects may affect your local ecosystems.
Jenny Stern is a junior from Lawrence studying ecology and evolutionary biology
Do you plan on going Black Friday shopping?
@TicheleMhompson
@KansanOpinion No,it distracts from the holiday and the time you get to spend with your family
@cielocon
@KansanOpinion does going to just watch people shop on Black Friday count? #FreeEntertainment
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THE KANSAN EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan Editorial Board are Emma LeGauit, Madison Schultz, Cecilia Chan, Hannah Bartling and Christina Carreira.
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