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Monday, April 22, 1991 / University Daily Kansan
Opinion
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
River ecology
Dumping of sludge into the Kaw to save money is harmful and not environmentally defensible
At a time when more and more people are becoming environmentally aware, it is amazing that Water District No.1 of Johnson County is considering a project that could be potentially harmful to the environment.
The water district is asking for the state's permission to dump about 60 tons of sludge, a mixture of lime, silt and other materials, into the Kaw River. At the same time, it would study the effects thedumpings would have on the river's aquatic life.
Although the water district board claims that it wouldn't be putting anything back into the water that wasn't already there, the consequences of such dumping would be harmful. Not only would the waste disposal damage the habitat of some aquatic life in the Kaw, but it also would increase the difficulty of finding food for most of the river's organisms, including the flathead chub, which is a threatened species of fish in Kansas.
In the past, the water district has used
lagoons near the treatment plant to dispose of the sludge. However, concerns about the lagoons' future land use, combined with the expiration of the water district's special-use permit with Kansas City, has the water district looking for an easier and cheaper way of getting rid of the sludge.
The water district said it would save about $2 million during a 20-year span, averaging savings of about $100,000 a year. This bargain is not significant enough to justify the possibility of harming the environment.
The state Department of Health and Environment already has asked Lawrence, Topka and Leavenworth to discontinue the dumping of their materials into nearby rivers. To keep things consistent, Johnson County Water District No. 1 should not be allowed to dump its sludge into the Kaw River. Saving the environment is much more important than saving money.
Brent Mavcock for the editorial board.
McDonald's cares
Company jumps on environmental bandwagon
M
Donald's cares about Mother Earth. Perhaps not.
But recent efforts by the multi-billion dollar corporation suggest that maybe environmental awareness is being accepted as mainstream instead of radical activism.
The truth is that from an economic viewpoint McDonald's can afford not to care about being environmentally sound.
People have been eating McDonald's hamburgers without much regard for the chain's environmental practices for years.
True, a few eyebrows were raised when consumers jumped on the anti-plastic foam cause and encouraged the discontinuation of its use.
McDonald's caved in and started wrapping its beef patties in paper instead of in plastic foam cartons.
But even then, public outcries were few. No large boycott occurred. Proteests were nil.
But now McDonald's has decided to get on board the environmental bandwagon.
"It's entirely proper that we can divert more than 80 percent of our on-premise solid waste."
McDonald's director of operations development said.
The bright light that has popped on in McDonald's psyche has led the corporation to reconsider some of its former practices.
Gone are the days of individual ketchup packages. Large pump containers now will used.
Coffee will be percolated through reusable coffee filters.
And those full-sized napkins will be gone soon. They will be replaced by shrunken versions.
Unbleached paper products are to replace the brightly dyed wrappers now in use.
The motivating factor pushing Mickey D's may remain a intra-corporation secret. But it really does not matter.
McDonald's will continue to sell burgers by the billions.
And consumers will keep buying them.
At least now the environment will pay a bit less for consumers' fast food binges.
Tiffany Harness for the editorial board.
Kurds in Iraq deserve help not creation of Kurdish state
t is a good step.
The United States has erected military camps in northern Iraq to care for the Kurdish refugees. The aid is needed. Hundreds of thousands of Kurds are dying. They have no place to go. Despite the huge-scale rescue campaign launched by the government of Turkey, the United States, British and French militia units and numerous Kurdish civilians, the plight of the Kurds is worsening.
Diarrhea and dehydration already are rampant, especially among youngsters, who account for nearly half the refugees in some places. Sanitation conditions are poor. The water supply falls short of meeting basic needs. The situation is so desperate that fewer than half the women who were breastfeeding their babies are able to provide adequate dehydration and stress. It is for this reason that the expanded relief effort is needed.
The plan sounds like a good idea. It would guarantee that the Kurds would be protected from Saddam Hussein's military attacks. It also would guarantee that there would be no interference with the relief efforts
Is this the first step toward creating a separate state for the Kurds? The 12-member European Community has backed British Prime Minister John Major's proposal for creating an enclave in Northern Iraq where refugees could be sheltered under the protection of the United Nations.
Cherukuri Suman
Guest columnist
from Iraq.
But, such a safety enclave might end up as a new country in Iraq. Look at Israel. It was first established as a safe haven under similar circumstances, and the area became a new country.
Creating protected enclaves would not solve the real problem — the disintegration of Iraq and the discrimination against the Kurds. This type of move actually could make the problem worse by widening the gap between Kurds and non-Kurds and increasing the hostilities between them.
What has happened in Israel? It has experienced four large wars since its creation.
What has happened in South Africa? The Pretoria government has legalized once-banned opposition political parties and repealed state-of-emergency regulations, but discrimination against Blacks still exists and Congress has not. Congress insists that whites still don't really mix with the Blacks.
People cannot be brought together by force. They have to learn to rise above traditional prejudices on their part, and that is how it equals. Hostilities will reduce between
people and true integration will take place only when people want it, not when they are forced into it.
Therefore, creating a protected area for the Kurds won't help as long as the discrimination against the minority exists in the minds of the other Iraqis. How long can the United States or the United Nations protect the Kurds in the enclave? Only when Iraqs start accepting Kurds as their own countrymen and as their equals will the problem be solved.
Establishing a pseudo Kurdistan would encourage disintegration. It would mean cutting off Iraqi Kurds from the rest of their native country. Such a sanctuary also could become a dumping ground for some of the 12 million Kurds in Turkey and the 4 million Kurds in Iran.
If countries start getting created for every minority group in the world, what would it lead to? What would happen if African-Americans started asking for a separate state in the United States? What would happen if such demands started getting made in India, a country where many religions, castes and cultures exist? It would lead to the decision of humanity groups, hostile toward each other, on the basis of religion, race and caste. No peace-loving, broad-minded person would want to allow this to happen.
Churuki Suman is a Hyderabad, India,
graduate student.
LETTERS to the EDITOR
Grads merit ceremony
The goals of our University were bold and clear when KU opened its doors 125 years ago. Born from the pioneering dreams of educators such as Reverend Oliver, John Fraser and Chancellor Marvin, the University of Kansas rose as a center for teaching and instruction. The prime concern of the times was education and the students, it would be the graduate would serve the cause of progress and advancement of Kansas, the nation and humankind. Commencement symbolized the beginning of this mission. Today the graduation ceremony still has the same meaning. It represents the ultimate purpose of
the university fulfilled. Every year when a graduate walks down the Hill, the University of Kansas celebrates its very reason of being.
Perhaps 125 years are too many. Perhaps a monetary value cannot be fixed to the values of our University. How can the Commencement Committee forget the meaning of graduation? How can a little rain cancel commencement? Perhaps four years of a college education are not worth the inconvenience of rescheduled commencement. Maybe graduation is not worth a three-hour celebration. Is not worth the expense of the Commencement Committee to organize and find solutions? I suppose that consulting the graduating class was too much of a bother. I guess the student is no longer important.
Raymond Nichols, Chancellor Emeritus, once wrote: "Each year thousands of alumni and former students return to campus drawn by the joy and honor of a visit or attend anniversary occasions, such as the celebration of their graduation.
hold reunions of their social groups, or visit their own children now at the University. Still others serve on advisory committees to their professional schools or the Alumni or Endowment Associations. Such response to the calls of Alma Mater are most important."
I guess these words have lost their meaning and are only inflated rhetoric today. Let it rain on Graduation Sunday. Let Commencement be canceled. Let the cheers of alumni of 1941 will celebrate a striking man matter that abandoned its own destiny.
We students are not alone in ourire. I have faith that Oliver, Fraser and Marvin are as disappointed and insulted as we are. I can only tell the Commencement Committee that they have commemorated the 125th anniversary of the University of Kansas in a very peculiar way — with one of the greatest disserves ever done to this institution.
Manuel Mendez Mexico City junior
Learn better social tact
A brief comment on the comic strip "Sketch" in Thursday's Kansas, David Rosenfield has his process backwards. If his male character learns not to offend anyone, he will probably learn about more good books to read, have a chance to understand and we certainly have more people to associate with, not vice-versa.
Melissa Nuckolls Office of Affirmative Action
Toxins plague campus
Thursday morning as I walked across campus on my way to work, the air was heavy with the smell of pesticides sprayed on campus grounds. I only had to look at the curling dandelion in the morning in the day, a worker mentioned that four large crab apple trees had been chopped down in front of Watson
Library. As I stood on the steps of Watson and surveyed the damage, a friend mentioned that he had seen someone spraying other campus trees earlier that day. The person spraying must have known the spray was toxic, because he paused each time someone walked by. About this time, I began wondering when the east half of Watson's lawn would be killed with a herbicide, as promised last year when the other half was treated and renovated. My question is this: Is this the way we as a university community want to celebrate the soon approaching Earth Day?
Julie Waters
Science Library librarian
Respect the flag code
On Dec. 22, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved the Flag Code governing the use, and defining the misuse of the American Flag. One of
the sections of that code is entitled "Respect for the Flug."
Some interesting points of that section of the code are: Civilians should stand during the National Anthem; civilians should salute the flag if displayed during the National Anthem; civilians should place the hand over the heart when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance; civilians should stand at attention when listening to the Pledge of Allegiance.
Finally, the section titled "Respect for the Flag" states: "The flag should never be used . . . as any portion of a costume or athletic uniform." That applies equally to Lee Greenwood singing "Gospel Bless the USA" on TV and to the KU basketball teams. It is not respect for our troops, but disrespect for our flag that these people display when they appear on the courts and on television with American Flags on their clothing and uniforms.
KANSAN STAFF
Michael B. Kelly Lawrence resident
CHRIS'SIRON
Editor
RICH CORNELL
Managing editor
TOM EBLEN
General manager, news adviser
Editors Business staff
News. Marek Mathes Campus sales manager Sophie Whobe
Editorial. Tiffany Harness Regional sales mgr. Candre Dresch
Planning Holly M. Neuman National sales mgr. Jennifer Claxton
Campus. Jennifer Reynolds. Co-op sales mgr. Christine Musser
Pam Solner Production mgrs. Rich Harshbarger
Sports. Anja Sommeltahl Marketing director Kate Sade
Photography. Katie Gap marketing Director Erik Enikow
Graphics. Melissa Unterberg Creative director. Chris Hatsy
Features. Jill Harrington Classified manager. Kim Crowder
AUDRA LANGFORD
Business manager
MINDI LUND
Retail sales manager
JEANNE HINES
Sales and marketing adviser
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Loco Locals
by Tom Michaud