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Show opinions A3 MONDAY. JULY 3 0 . 2 0 0 7 Black & white Labeling scapegoats only makes problems persist consider the system of which we are all a part. Consider that we readily buy products Opinions writer from companies that outsource jobs and purchase Why do we use these commodities in bulk from terms? This comes to mind other countries in order to because of the recent excut costs and increase corecution of the head of the porate and retail profits. We Chinese Food and Drug Adset the ethics of business ministration, Zheng Xiaoyu. in the world marketplace, His corruption brought _ Having learned from about real death, real the best, everyone else and permanent losses We are willing to overlook our own to Chinese citizens, real responsibilities, our own complicity, in is simply trying to do the same-get something consequences. And yet, favor of someone else taking the full for nearly nothing. this sort of evil does not _ But someone will happen in a vacuum. rap. always be the loser in On the one hand, we And yet, in our culture, this system. There will almight think immediately that the promise of execu- how do you argue your case ways be the people at the tion of government officials when the avowed culprit has bottom of this system who for conduct such as Zheng's been put to death? We have are exploited. Those who would be a good deterrent. to keep someone alive long have no recourse. No voice. But I think it warrants a enough to socially punish At least in the U.S. our lecloser look. There is no such him even if the legal sys- gal system allows for some punishment for those creat- tem does not. Just look at kind of recourse, though ing phony pharmaceutical Ken Lay; he cheated us out that too is quickly diminishcompanies and those put- of our full revenge by dy- ing. The true victims in this ting out fake or untested and ing. With Zheng dead, all case are the Chinese citidangerous "medications." we need do now is increase zens who will now continue There is no governmental our vigilance on imported to suffer from a corrupt sysremuneration for the citi- components from China to tem that is even now patchzens who have been exploit- ensure consumer safety. It ing its international image. ed. In fact, we hear almost really ends a great deal of The problem still exists. Only when we each take nothing about the victims the accusation and invesof China's Food and Drug tigation in the U.S. Why? responsibility can change treachery. But we do hear Black and White. I think happen that will improve sorrowful and complemen- we try to reduce our world the quality of life for evAnd when the tary reports from his phar- into narrow dichotomies. eryone. maceutical counterparts. We try to force things to knee-jerk reaction to find One might wonder if and be right or wrong. We are a scapegoat is avoided, we how long Zheng's actions willing to overlook our find that we must acknowlwere actually known and own responsibilities, our edge those who have been condoned by his peers and own complicity, in favor of victimized and we must do superiors if it meant profits someone else taking the full something to help them. When we all justly take for all. The debacle of poi- rap. While politicians and soned dog and cat foods in business executives make care of those who have been the U.S. closely preceded a show at being appalled wronged, we can truly gain Zheng's fall. Could it be in the U.S., China simply a perspective that will move that China decided to make finds the "one" to blame and us away from exploiting otha good show of acknowl- have done with it. And yet ers for our own gain. The edging the problem once both come from the same qualities of empathy and it became an international rationale. Find the one(s) to compassion don't mix well scandal? Might Zheng's blame, prosecute, and pun- with blame and vengeance. execution have been a way ish. It is still the perspec- Humane responsibility is not to avoid a political snafu tive that continues to create only NOT black and white, that could have economic the problem to begin with. it requires us to relinquish repercussions for China? I suggest that instead such narrow definitions and accept our personal responOne thing seems clear of being so quick to assign sibility in the human race. so far. Other government blame in order to move on agencies and officials supe- with conscience clear, we Carmel Hoopes-Clark Right: Lord Christopher Monckton - Left: former Vice President Al Gore Crying "climate change" no longer convincing By Kevin Whitaker C hange might be considered one of the most persistent fears mankind encounters. Man's great struggle with change perhaps began when nomadic living no longer made sense to an enlightened few individuals who then took up agriculture. The mocking words of a manly tribal leader might still be heard on the winds of history, "Fools! Settling down will only bring starvation and ruin to your families." Again, in a time only far enough distant for civilization to grow complacent in its aversion to change, a society apparently full of foolish settlersthe Romans-originally prohibited its senators from owning any seagoing vessel. Even when opposing factions finally brought the Romans to accept the necessities of sea-travel, Roman literature is still full of aversion to. the-sea. Closer to modern times, much of wellrespected and educated society scoffed at Columbus as he sailed into the once feared seas to end forever the doubts of whether or not to change mankind's perspective of the very earth they live on. As all people in all time periods have their great struggle with change, it seems the idea of climate change most presses upon the minds and hearts of many today. Is humanity responsible? Will the earth cease being able to sustain life as it's now known? Men in high places clamor alarmism to the populace, who, in the hustle of modern living, accept what is reported by those with a voice as "undeniable" and "consensus" without taking time to evaluate opinions no less forceful in their argument, but less publicized. Some of these men who offer alternative and convincing viewpoints on climate change include Dr. John R. Christy, professor of atmospheric science at the University of Alabama, a lead author on the infamous IPCC report and a scientist of many awards and distinctions; and Lord Christopher Monckton, a policy advisor to previous Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and a respected contemporary philosopher. Much of the evidence discussed here is largely a result of their efforts. Dr. Christy makes two of the most profound observations; seldom acknowledged in their simplicity and truth, regarding global climate change. First, he notes, "global climate is always changing." It is either going up or going down; climates throughout history are never perfectly consistent and rarely predictable beyond a very short period of time. In fact, claims were widely circulated in the 1970's of a ".global cooling phenomenon, claims which have obviously since been reversed. Second, he sublimely points out the basic science any high school biology student could understand-CO2 is not a dangerous and toxic substance attacking thermometers; it's plant food! Dr. Christy maintains that 16% of the world's current food production is a direct result , of the measured increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, which he qualifies as being a low estimate. One audience member, at a presentation put on by The Center ,,of the American Experiment, reinforces , Dr. Christy's modesty by explaining his orange farms in Florida have been producing 40% more than they used to. > Furthermore, Dr. Christy produces demonstrable evidence revealing that many regions of Earth, including his home state, Alabama, where warm climate once sustained a citrus industry, have actually been experiencing cooling periods. While he acknowledges there are also areas experiencing warming periods, such as the arctic, the alarmism of catastrophic ocean rising is unwarranted by facts. While the Arctic may be experiencing some melting, most of Antarctica has been experiencing a cooling period for the last few decades resulting in increased sheets of ice-sometimes to the extent where penguins cannot make it to the ocean for fish. In contrast to Dr. Christy's pragmatic resistance of the climate change "consensus", Lord Monckton takes a more active stance towards those who chant alarmism, most notably Al Gore. Lord Monckton has actually challenged, or in his own words, "thrown down the gauntlet to the Vice President" Al Gore, and invited him to join him in a internationally televised debate on climate change. Gore refuses even to respond. Lord Monckton has many reservations about An Inconvenient Truth and even published well reasoned and researched arguments in one of Britain's most respected newspapers, The Daily Telegraph. Throughout all of Lord Monckton's remarks, conceivably the most striking illumination is the exhaustive and varied referencing to eminent scientists and published works contradicting Gore's "all peer-reviewed evidence points in the same direction" claim. One of the strongest denials of alarmism Monckton includes comes from a letter written by sixty Canadian scientists to the Canadian Prime Minister in 2006 as a response to the Gorism, "Global Warming is Real." The letter states, "'Climate change is real1 is a meaningless phrase used repeatedly by activists to convince the public that a climate catastrophe is looming and humanity is the cause. Neither of these fears is justified. Global climate changes all the time due to natural causes and the human impact still remains impossible to distinguish from this natural 'noise.'" It may be important to pause here amid the dust of debate and recognize some critical ideas that are not expressed, though still important. Foremost is the idea of moderation. Neither Dr. Christy nor Lord Monckton is advocating reckless or careless attitudes toward earth and its environment. They are not suggesting mankind refuse to pursue alternative sources of energy or ideas for maintaining a more livable earth; they are merely objecting to the unfounded exaggerations of climate catastrophe. Richard Lindzen, a MIT professor of atmospheric science expressed well the unjustly lopsided struggle with climate change Gore has come to represent: "A general characteristic of Mr. Gore's approach is to assiduously ignore the fact mat the earth and its climate are dynamic; they are always changing even without any external forcing. To treat all change as something to fear is bad enough; to do so in order to exploit that fear is much worse." Let all voices of change be heard that, possibly, a few hundred years from now technology will navigate the volatile climate much like primitive civilization explored agriculture and much like Columbus as he acquired his greatest fame from sailing head on into the unknown and changing ocean. • • ' • ' • > o . rior to Zheng have not come under investigation in a case that was more or less openly corrupt. Everyone in the business knew this was how business was transacted from the looks of it, until American pets started dying. Until the Chinese FDA came under international political and media scrutiny. Al Deans/College Times HELP WANTED JJLUdbUiA stdiicJUx \jdJUduymst/Lb. * JULUO. |