Tuesday, October 12, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section A • Page 3
Six billionth baby symbol of population crisis
World population growth
Source: 1750 to 1949, PRB, 1950 to 2150, United Nations, World Population Projections to 2150 (February 1998).
Ellie Hajek / KANSAN
By Todd Halstead
writer @kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
A study by the United Nations found that among the estimated 370,000 daily births, today one is due to be the 6 billionth person currently alive.
But not everybody will be celebrating this anonymous baby's birthday.
Advocates for population control think that if unchecked, the population explosion will result in hard times for the world — famine, war and economic collapse.
Robert Holt, University of Kansas professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, said that it was unknown what this growth would cause.
"It's extremely difficult to predict the future," Holt said. "It's clear that if populations grow without
Felix Moos, professor of anthropology, said that there would be an increase in localized fighting similar to recent conflicts in Africa and Yugoslavia, because most countries could not afford the weaponry for large-scale wars.
corresponding increase in agriculture production, you will have an inevitable rise in social conflict."
With 1 billion people in India and 1.3 billion in China, Moos said that one-third of the world's population is in two countries.
In addition, he said that half the population in Japan was older than 60 while half of the population in India is younger than the age of 25.
"That means people are not distributed equally everywhere and different populations have different momentum," he said. "It's like water, it flows into areas where there is still room."
Experts said that in the last 12 years the world's population has increased by one billion and that it has tripled in the 20th century.
Moos said that as the population grew an increasing number of people would have less while a smaller number would consume more.
"If you're optimistic you believe that the world's population will reach 8 billion people by 2050." Moos said. "If you're pessimistic you believe the world is going to reach 10 billion by 2050. That means if we have trouble caring for 6 billion people, how are we going to take care of 8 billion?"
Holt said the green revolution, which dramatically increased food production in the 1960s, was effective in supplying food for countries such as India and China by supplying them and other poor countries with more advanced agricultural technology but that
there were limitations to what it could produce.
"We are requiring the use of more land for intensive agriculture, making it so other species of animals can't use the land." Holt said.
He said as a biologist he was concerned about the amount of land needed to produce food for a growing population.
He said plowing land and destroying the rain forests would cause many species to become extinct, and that it was unknown what impact it could have on the world.
Moos said that the green revolution was successful but that now there were not enough resources to educate, feed or provide employment to the increased population.
"It will have consequences," Moos said of the increase in population. "But I don't know what these consequences will be."
Education board hears citizens
- Edited by Mike Loader
Professor, gorilla Hare Krishnas attend meeting
Save Our Schools member David A. Raffel protests outside the Kansas Board of Education meeting dressed as a gorilla. Raffel display signs yesterday that singled out members of the board who voted for the new standards. Photo by Jim O'Malley/KANSAN
By Jim O'Malley Special to the Kanson
It was not your ordinary board meeting.
People arriving at yesterday's meeting of the Kansas Board of Education were greeted by a man in a gorilla suit protesting the board's decision to remove major parts of evolutionary theory from the state's public school science testing standards.
At the half-hour citizens' forum, Doug Ruden, an assistant professor of molecular biology from the University of Kansas, presented the Ig Nobel Prize awarded to the board. The prize was awarded on Sept. 29 by the science humor magazine, Annals of Improbable Research.
And the leader of a delegation of six orange-robed members of a Hare Krishna community in Kansas City, Mo., praised the board's decision and presented a copy of a book that argues against evolutionary theory and for the creation account in Vedic scriptures.
David A. Raffel, the man in the gorilla suit, carried signs saying "KSBOE has made a joke of science" and "Welcome to the Planet of the Apes."
Raffel said he represented Save Our Schools, a new organization with limited membership.
About 55 people attended the citizens' forum at the theater in DeSoto High School.
Ruden said the Ig Nobel Prize Academy, which includes four Nobel Laureates in the sciences, gave awards every year at Harvard for work that cannot or should not be repeated. He said the board received the award because, ironically, it contributed more to the teaching of evolution in Kansas than any science organization.
"As every parent knows, the
best way to get a student interested in a subject is to ban it, or in the case of the Kansas Science Standards, to remove it from the standards," he said. "I have taught over 1,000 students evolution at KU over the past five years, and I can tell you for a fact that the level of interest in evolution surged after you removed macro-evolution from the science standards."
Ruden finished by thanking the board for coming up with a brilliant way to improve science education.
Board chairwoman Linda
H. H. Danavir Swami, director of the Rupa Nuga Vedic College in Kansas City, Mo., led the Hare Krishna delegation, and he congratulated the board for its decision.
"The board has taken a bold and brilliant step in rejecting Darwin's evolutionary theory as a scientific principle," he said. "Darwin bluffed the world with his speculation and double talk, but the Kansas Board of Education
Holloway, who voted for the new standards, told Ruden to give the award to the board's secretary.
has called his bluff."
After the forum, Swami said there was absolutely no evidence for evolution.
His conclusion was based on evidence from Vedic scripture rather than empirical evidence, which is faulty, he said. Celtie Johnson, Prairie Village resident, spoke at the forum on behalf of the National Committee for Excellence in Science Education. She said she was grateful to the board for courage and wisdom in freeing science to pursue any theory without censorship.
Johnson said this would please most children and most scientists, and that only a fringe minority wanted to censor science.
But most of the speakers criticized the board.
Speakers compared the board to the thought police in Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451 and said their decision was an embarrassment to Kansas.
Board members I.B. "Sonny" Rundell and Val DeFever, who both voted against the new standards, said the board majority deserved the Ig Nobel.
"It deeply saddens me that that is where we are," DeFever said. "It embarrasses me to be lumped with them. It makes me furious that their actions have drawn such negative press and thus a negative image of our state."
Board member Scott Hill, who voted for the standards, said Ruden stooped to a low level in presenting the Ig Nobel prize.
"I'm sure he feels that it helps his position," he said. "Misguided, narrow-minded, self serving bigots generally take the approach to belittle and humiliate their opposition rather than discussing on a factual level."
Although board member Bill Wagon voted against the standards, he said that ridicule and arrogance were unproductive. What was needed, he said, was better science education.
— Edited by Chris Hopkins
Andy Smith, Lawrence resident, checks on a slice of pizza at Papa Keno's Pizzazer. Papa Keno's is located at 1035 Massachusetts St. Photo by Tara Kraus/KANSAN
Local pizzerias thrive on customer loyalty
By Derek Prater
By Derek Prater
writer@kanson.com
Kansan staff writer
Most people know Chicago-style pizza and New York-style pizza. But how about Lawrence-style pizza?
There may be no single, recognized style of pizza identifiable as Lawrence-style, but there are some locally owned pizza places whose reputations and different approaches to pizza allow them to thrive in Lawrence's high competitive pizza market.
Jessica Langdon, Prairie Village senior, said she generally ordered from national pizza chains for the cheap deals and familiar product.
"I like to stick with things that I know," Langdon said.
But she's also seen how locally owned pizza places can engender serious customer loyalty. Langdon said when she worked in Topeka, her boss, a KU graduate, swore by Pyramid Pizza.
"She says she dreams about Pyramid Pizza," Langdon said. "She'll make people bring Pyramid back to Topeka if they're coming from Lawrence."
Although national pizza chains have advantages in advertising budgets and bulk buying, local pizza-business owners say they have certain advantages that chains do not. They say that their accountability for their product brings them closer to their customers. Customer loyalty is one of several common factors that local pizzeria owners and managers cite in their
Customer loyalty is one of several common factors that local pizzeria owners and managers cite in their success.
Greg Keenan, who opened Papa
Keno's, 1035 Massachusetts St., in 1991, said his business would never have become successful without loyal customers.
"Every person who walks in our door — we want to keep that customer." Keenan said. "I wouldn't enjoy this job if it weren't for customer loyalty."
But some students, such as Jared Moeder, claim that national pizza chains offer better deals.
"Chains provide the services at a smaller cost," said Moeder, LaCrosse sophomore.
Chris Coleman, owner of Lawrence Pizza Co., 601 Kasold Drive, said local pizzerias had more flexibility.
"If you decide you want to put eggplant on your pizza, we can do that," Coleman said. "We can accommodate customers' desires more easily."
Adrian Proctor, manager at Rudy's Pizzeria, 704 Massachusetts St., pointed out that Rudy's bought its ingredients from local produce suppliers opposed to chain pizza places.
Kathryn Dodson, co-owner of Pyramid Pizza with her husband Mark, said while chains often have frozen toppings, she buys fresh ingredients every day.
Lori Morel, Oakley freshman, said she was attracted to Pyramid Pizza because it often ran specials.
And what really sets local pizzerias apart is that they can't be found anywhere else.
"We have our own thing, and we do it well," Keenan said.
Edited by Matt James
LATE NIGHT WITH ROY WILLIAMS
Allen Fieldhouse Friday, October 15th The night tips-off with KU Volleyball...
vs.
7:00 pm
Then, the stars come out with the last Late Night of the millennium...
"Y2KU"
Followed by the first scrimmage of the season at midnight. Admission is free, but please bring a canned food donation for the annual food drive. Doors open at 5:00 pm and will close when the arena reaches capacity. Kids 12 and under will not be admitted without an adult.
Grand Opening
Wednesday, October 20
New Store: 6th and Wakaruse
Attention
VS.
WHAT: Football Tailgate Free food & drink for Club members
Hawk Club Members!!
WHEN: Saturday, Oct.23 2 hrs before kick-off
WHERE: The Hill
WHY: To get fired up for the game against the Tigers!