The University Daily Kansan emphasizes the First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
ALEXANDER: It is time for the University of Kansas to clean up the air students breathe by investing in new, environmentally-friendly buses. See kansan.com for more opinions and Free for All comments
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
OPINION
PAGE 5A
Gavin Snider/KANSAN
COMMENTARY
New buses would make campus cleaner
The other day as I was riding my bike behind a bus along Jayhawk Boulevard, choking on the fumes as always. I noticed an advertisement for a health program, covered in grime, to help me quit smoking.
The black cloud of smoke that billowed out when the bus started moving again quickly brought me back to the present.
The brownish crud on the advertisement was the residue of tiny particles produced by the engine. The smallest particles, less than 10 microns across, contribute to asthma, lung cancer, smog and acid rain, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Maybe the buses should have signs: "No breathing within 20 feet of exhaust."
Maybe it wasn't the irony of the smoking sign covered in what is essentially diesel ash that made me smile, maybe it was the nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") also spewing from the exhaust pipe. According to research used in formulating the Kyoto Protocol, nitrous oxide is $ ^{a} $
BY BEN ALEXANDER
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINION@KANSAN.COM
greenhouse gas at least 275 times as potent as carbon dioxide.
The carbon dioxide doesn't bother me much, but the amount is a little alarming. Each gallon of diesel burned creates about 22 pounds of carbon dioxide. The buses use 6,000 to 7,000 gallons every two weeks.
While the amount of these pollutants put out by buses is certainly less than would come from an equivalent number of cars, this is still a problem. Besides contributing to global climate change, etc., the exhaust just stinks up campus and can make people sick.
However, all new buses will have to comply with tough EPA emissions standards that lessen
particulate pollution and dangerous sulfurous fuel.
Retrofitted filters could reduce the particulate pollution, but this would cost $5,000 to $10,000 per bus and would still fail to address other emissions. Tougher restrictions on the fuel suppliers are also stopgap measures.
The KU Transportation Research Center is working with the University and the bus company to introduce a pilot electric bus on campus.
"That's what the future is going to be," Bob Honea, the director, said.
Honea points to Chattanooga, Tenn., as an example of a city that's been transformed by electric transport. Previously known as one of the dirtiest cities in America, its clean energy initiatives have made it an example for the rest of the Tennessee Valley.
"The town made a conscious decision to start cleaning up their environment." Honea said.
ity problem like Chattanooga's, a transition to electric would greatly increase the air quality in places like bus stops and, of course, right behind the bus.
While it takes time and money to switch, KU on Wheels and the Lawrence Transit System are open to the possibility.
There are two public meetings to solicit input from the community this coming week. The first is Monday, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the City Commission Room of City Hall. The second is Tuesday, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Kansas Room of the Union.
Cleaning up campus is our responsibility. Getting rid of the familiar sight of a black cloud slowly floating upward will help everyone on campus.
The University of Kansas needs to kick that smoking habit.
While Lawrence has no air qual
Alexander is a Lenexa freshman in journalism.
To the kids twirling sticks in front of Hash. You are not cool.
This is Steven and I want to let you know Safe Ride sucks. I have been wandering around for over an hour and no Safe Ride. Safe Ride sucks. Safe Ride sucks. Safe Ride sucks. Safe Ride sucks. Free for All,
I dumped you.
Free for All callers have 20 seconds to speak about any topic they wish. Kansan editors reserve the right to edit comments. Slenderous and obscene statements will not be printed. Phone numbers of all incoming calls are recorded.
Ellsworth Hall is for gangstas.
Hey Speef, this is Tony. I made out with you before it was cool and
Anna Nicole Smith has a baby.
Her 20-year-old son comes to visit her in the hospital, then dies. She is Anna Nicole Smith, how is she supposed to deal with all of that?
did you get that?
To the female professor who left the bathroom without washing her hands: I saw that.
Call 864-0500
Is it cool to eat those pears off the tree across from the Chi-O fountain? Because I just ate four of
FREE FOR ALL
I was just wondering who the hell Speef is.
图
Kansan cartoon mean-spirited
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
If KU has to advertise itself in Playboy, maybe I should really rethink where I'm going to school.
Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Couldn't his music have died with him?
I'm writing about Grant Snider's cartoon in Tuesday's UDK. I thought that the portrayal of foreign graduate students was inappropriate, xenophobic and just generally mean-spirited.
Did anyone see the Jewish group handing out condoms and lube on campus today? I didn't know Jewish people were so cool. The only thing Christians try to
Several other bits of the cartoon bothered me (does the author really think he should be able to talk on his cell phone in the middle of a class?) but that was the most egregious.
Yes, I am an assistant professor of mathematics, I know a lot of foreign graduate students, and I tell my students to turn off their cell phones during class. Nevertheless, I don't think the UDK does itself any credit by publishing this kind of material.
Jeremy Martin Department of Mathematics
them.
GUEST COMMENTARY
I will not go into the insanity (yet) of posing for Playboy, because while I think it sad, I do recognize a person's right to do stupid things in college.
Think before baring all for camera
And I guess by saying that, I have to admit that Allan Barzegar, Wichita freshman, has a right to say stupid things like "I think it's pretty cool that they've got Big 12 girls showing what KU has to offer" (Wednesday, "KU makes strong showing for Big 12, nine women pose for Playboy spread"). I'm sure he meant in a good way. Right
give you is a Bible.
Let me ask the women who posed for this magazine a question. Is this what you, as a KU student, are offering? I hope you said no. And I hope the men of KU don't think this is what KU has to offer.
I really wish Allan and other men of like mind would think a little deeper about the damage that not only this kind of comment makes, but also the damage that buying into the entire pornography industry inflicts upon our culture as a whole. But I know men, college men especially, aren't going to hear it, and least of all from a woman.
So, ladies, let me offer you some opinion. As fun and titillating (no pun intended) as it may be to pose nude in an iconic magazine such as Playboy, the result, the product actually is intended to be consumed by men.
You are offering because this is how men receive it. And you're not offering yourself. You are offering your naked body and other else's fantasy of who you are. Maybe you know this and you think that's great. But I think it's sad and surely not what you had in mind when that part of your conscience finally gave in to you being okay doing this.
Please tell me that little voice said something more reassuring to you than, "Think of what you will be offering to men everywhere." Then next time, or to any other women who might consider this, stop the insanity and say to yourself, "I have more to offer and better ways to offer it."
Angela Rathmel Staff, KU Libraries
Men and women are different. There is no question about that. Men, women and transgender people have different experiences, feelings and interpretations of how best to serve our country.And those different ideas and opinions are good for democracy.
Since 1789 only 2 percent of the members of Congress have been women, according to the Eagleton Institute of politics in New Jersey. Today 15.1 percent of the 109th Congress is made up of women.
The current 15 percent is a much better number than the historical 2 percent, but that's like saying Mizzou Arena is a better name for a basketball stadium than Elizabeth Paige Arena. Neither is something to be proud of.
This media attention shows that our country is becoming more and more at ease with the idea of women in power, but it is not enough to simply be comfortable with the idea of women in politics. We must take the idea and make it a reality. We will all be better off with equal gender representation in politics.
More women still needed in politics
Just think of the experiences, insights and ideas we are missing by not including more women in politics. Our current political climate is stale, partisan and negative. By increasing the number of women participating we could help change that.
There has been a lot of talk about women in politics recently. There is a continuous national debate about the virtues (or lack thereof) of Hillary Clinton, there was a (short-lived) television show about a woman as president and even the University's own Dole Institute of Politics got in the game by hosting the First Woman President Lecture series last semester.
COMMENTARY
BY LIZ STUEWE
KANSAN COLUMNIST
OPINIONKANSAN.COM
Jonathan Kealing, editor
864-8584 or jkaeling@kanean.com
Erich R. Schmidt, managing editor
864-8584 or eshmidt@kanean.com
Gabriella Souza, managing editor
864-8584 or gaoux@kanean.com
Frank Tankard opinion editor
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It is not as simple as saying "we need more women in politics." We must foster a society in which gender equality in politics is the rule, not the exception. We must educate future generations in such a manner that when they see anything other than a 50-50 split of men and women in the Congress, state legislatures and city commissions, they are outraged. And we must work toward eradicating the ignorance that allows people to continue to believe women have nothing to offer the political and public realm of society.
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As a state, Kansas has a lot to be proud of: We rank 7th in the nation for highest percentage of women in our state legislature (Missouri ranks 26th, just in case you were wondering). So let us build on the example of Kansas and work together to spread gender equality throughout the United States.
If we can find a balance of genders in our political system,we can build a stronger nation.
Stuewe is a Lawrence junior in political science and American studies
Dave Ruigh, associate opinion editor
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