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Show ,l8flgyi1HaSRFfHaBaatiicaiapr5Ssa1'fiiaaiiarBtt,,gai Tell Me About I If I Could Tuach the World by James W. Powell by Leon Simister, Columnist Earths Most Urgent Problem . She'll Always Be My Sistor Fm going to be an uncle. I wrote, in my column (Summit County Bee 31497) quoting scientist Isaac Asimov, that if there woe a decrease of 1.2 to 2 percent of die sun's energy reaching the earth... snow would advance to the equator and eventually cause the oceans to freeze. Well, just die opposite has been happening for the past hundred or so years. Due to what scientists call the green house effect, from the continuous burning of fossil fuels releasing contaminants into the atmosphere, there has been a gradual warming of the entire earths atmosphere of from .5 to 1.1 degree fahrenhcit This is more than a little alarming, it is a surefire trend towards total global chaos. Consider this: the worlds top thinkers agree that a marked increase in glacial melting is already occurring on this planet, causing -they concur - a rise in sea levels of 4 to 10 inches the past 100 years. Knowing that only 1.6 percent of the water on Earth is fresh, they have also determined that the balance of it is locked in die snow and ice at our polar regions as well as on the peaks of the highest moun- According to Mr. Asimov, if these 23 million cubic kilometers of ice (total world quantity) were to melt (from the greenhouse effect -- or whatever) the volume of the oceans would increase about 1.7 percent. But this smallsounding amount of increase would place the water level at up to about the 20th floor Empire State Building! n. time out of its Propelling nations into immediate action will probably take a concerted effort towards educating their leaders. Carl Sagan said, If we understand Nature, there is a prospect of controlling it or at least mitigating the harm it may bring. Certainly we are learning more about this planet daily. The knowledge gained in the last decade or so about the phenomenon of El Nino is of immeasurable importance to all nations. And nations want to make no while the .changes at all about global wanning aversion, they have to be educated to die fact that everybody s atmospheric back yard joins each others somewhere on this planet, and we share equal duties to clean it up and keep it clean. What this world has always needed is someone who can foretell die future and then change it before it happens. Having been unable to come up with anything like that, our next best bet is to listen to those who are best qualified to inform and advise us, based upon what proof they have. An unknown author is credited with stating, Many of us expect an unlimited number of second chances. of die life-spa- President Clinton has become a believer in of global warming, and has so spoken to the world about his intended precautions for America to place into action. Most of the third world nations want no changes at all to their procedures. They claim that the heavier industrialized nation's, like the frightening potentials America, many European countries, and Mexico who is rapidly gaining stature in industry, along with other emerging nations, are the ones to make the biggest changes in their con- 3rd-Wo- of fossil fuels. The positions taken by China, India, Indonesia, etc, is that, in comparison to the sumption larger industrialized countries, they are contributing very little global contamination. In light of the recent shocking financial chaos in some of the Asian countries, they may not have the monetary ability to do a whole lot about their present environmental dangers, either. But there is one basic absolute factor, this worldly sphere of ours is a packaged unit All humans on this planet share the same environment We all have an obligation to protect it to the best of our ability even though die world's scientists say it may take a century or more to neutralize the present warming trend. billion yean This Earth is (rid, and another century to save it from an irreversible trend is not even a lightning-flas- h of ' Thought For The Day: If we dont change direction, we will arrive at where we are going." Richard L Evans. Guest Column Paul L. Young Support the Designated Wilderness Issue? The same holds true for production or potential production outside the designated area. Existing production will be capped. Potential future production will be appealed, wilderness. litigated, regulated, delayed and ultimately, stiSome speak of loss of the source of both fled and abandoned. The singular and overridrenewable and nonrenewable wealth which are ing purpose of land management decisions outside a designated wilderness will be to protect the engines that drive our secondary and terand they are right. the designated wilderness from sights and tiary economies Some speak of the loss of freedom for sounds of man that would detract from the future generations to the will of omnipotent wilderness visitors experience central planners and special interest factions of solitude and spiritual renewal. In a word, land outside the designated wilderness will be and they are right Some speak of the unconstitutionality of managed to optimize wilderness objectives. the central government presumably bound by Elected representatives and the general the chains of enumerated powers, acting public need to understand that concern about instead as a plenary legislature in all matters federal wilderness lock-u- p of our land is not whatever including police powers across sixty resolved by arguing over this or that millions of seven percent of the State of Utah and they acres. Our concern is, and our debate should are right center upon, the fact that each single one of The public debate, however, wanders these tracts is, by virtue of management prioriinanely, like a pinball bouncing off bumpers, ty, toxic to other interests in the land for miles between acreage figures such as 1.7 or 2. or S.7 beyond the designated boundaries. million. Lost in this vacuous rhetorical exer- One statutory wilderness area .will supcise, orchestrated by wilderness proponents, is press resource potentials in an extra territorial any meaningful consideration of the effect of a perimeter several times its own size. A key single federal wilderness on natural resource question is then, How many of these areas are production capabilities and other legitimate we talking about? and where are they located? interests in the land. Utah' One answer is that the Consider. If there had been no production Wilderness Coalition demands mem than inside a designated wilderness, there nevfcr will separate areas ranging in size of be. If there was production in the area before it to more than one-ha- lf million acres was designated, that production will never be (The size of Salt Lake County). Also, by coinallowed to increase or change its mode of opercidence of geology, the areas coveted for this ation. A hand prospect operation will remain a wilderness designation lie within that region of hand prospect the state which former Governor Scott Matheson referred to as the energy and miner operation. There are many issues involved with the . al province of the State of Utah. Virtually the entirety of the State, South of a line drawn between Vernal and St. George, will be within sight or sound of at least one and as many as five separate wilderness areas under the Utah Wilderness Coalition proposal. The vast majority of State School Trust lands also lie within this region. .... We haiig already lost our Ajlton Coal field .merely because it could be seen' from Bryce Canyon National Park and wilderness is even more restrictive than a National Park. We lost the coal under acres of School Trast Land a consequence of this single bow to the aesthetic interests of a few. We have now lost our Kaiparowitz coal fields. We are on the verge of losing our productive capacities in the . question of whether we should support the statutory commitment of our natural resources to the singular purpose of federally designated . ed ed one-hundr- five-thousa- -- r nd v Bookcliffs and in the western mineral ' provinces of Millard, Juab and Toole counties. Logging was lost on the Kaibab Plateau, just over the border in Arizona, even though the Ranger in charge says that there are more trees and more trees of every age class today than there were when the first timber survey was Conducted in 1909. Environmentalists claimed that there were no more trees left to cut. Their claims went unchallenged. The industry wait undefended. Eventually, it just went Have we lost our senses? are we about to let radical special interest factions set the agenda for our future? Are we the generation that will be able to answer the question from our when did freedom die?" grandchildren, Paul Young St St George, Ut 84790 1032 Elm Just Stuff by Jan - . ' - The turkey and dressing, potatoes and gravy, cranberries and pumpkin pie have all been tucked into tummies and the leftovers tucked into containers. The china has been placed back on the shelf until Christmas and the tables and folding chain have been stored in the basement. Thanksgiving 97 is but a memory. And now we're well into the hustle bustle of Christmas. Theres fewer than cut-dow- ns stared. I couldnt get ova how tall die guy was. He was gigantic. He must have been eight feet tall and when he sat, he couldnt get his knees unda the table because it was too short. So instead, he scooted his chair out some and sat a little farther from the table. I'm sure he was a nice enough guy, I just didnt like him because he was seeing my sista, so I didnt give him the benefit of die doubt Instead, I wanted him to prove to me that he was good enough to take oidj my sista. Well, how could he when he was so talL Sure, that was a lame reason not to like him, but I found anything would work. Because although I was still pretty young, I knew how young males could be and I didnt want my sista to leave the house. When she did leave with ha date, then any odwr time while she was still living at home, I wondered what she would be doing, if she was having fun and if ha date was being a gentleman or if te was being nide. Sure, when I look back, I know she had enough sense to dale only those that would treat ha right Or, at least, those that would be fun to hang out with. But back then, I told myself they were all losers. Noooe was qualified. Now Im older and I wonda why its so awkward to see her at the alta. Or why its so weird to hear that shes pregnant Its not that I think ha husband isnt good enough. I know he will be good to her. Hes fun, caring, and they have fun togetha. Its not even something for me to think about My sista knows what shes doing, and I have faith that she will do whats best for ha. So maybe its the fact that Im not ready fa marriage or childbirth (I know, I can neva really be ready for childbirth). Thats true enough, but that reasoo seems to be a little too easy. It just doesn't sound right ! Maybe its the fact I have neva really sat down with my told ha how I really feel. Ive neva been able to tell ha that Ive always cared, even when I seemed to turn my shoulda, or when I complained about sitting next to ha in' the car. I know Ive neva told ha how I felt about ha boyfriends in high school how protective I was of ha, at least on the inside. Does she know that I'm happy fa ha and very proud of where she is? Maybe I've neva said these things, which I do regret, but I think she knows. Deep down, she knows what I feel So what is it then? What made me feel this way? Its because shes my sista. Its because I don't want to lose those moments where I can pick on ha or make faces at the dinna table. Sure, we have memories, but I want die opportunity to mtrr more of those memories. Just because were olda and shes moved on in ha life doesnt mean Im not herbrotha. It doesnt mean we can't have those moments we love so much. silly, child-lik-e ' But thats what I felL Maybe I didnt know it at the time, but I felt like I was losing a part of me. .. Now I realize I havent lost anything. In fact. Ive just gained more than I couldve eva imagined. First I gained a brother-in-lawho is just as goofy and spirited as we are (why else would she him?) miry Now, Tm about to gain a nephew (or niece), anotha memba of the family to make new memories with. He (or she) may be small, and I may be forced to be some type erf positive role model, but Ill always be able to have fun and enjoy my time with him, just like I can still have Am with my sista. . . Sure, she may be a woman. She may be a wife. She may even be a motha. But to me shell always be my sista.. I never plan to lose site of this again. . . a . a I . I called my famiYep. Me. An unde. I heard the good news when don't think?). such news, hear to you ly on Thanksgiving (good day next sometime the July. She have to is baby sister expecting My have new jobs they both in nice married a they August guy very just seem to enjoy, and now this. It couldnt happen to a better couple. Its hard to believe shes pregnant. It was hard enough to believe she was getting married. Not that she isnt old enough, or isn t mature and more. enough, or isnt deserving, because she is all of these things I think the hardest part for me is seeing her as the woman she is. Or wife. And soon, mother. Is it possible for me to see ha as all these things when I can still remember arguing with her over who would get the window seat on those long, never ending trips to our grandparents house in what seemed like 200 degree weather? Can she be all these things when I still picture the girl I hit, or even kicked, when she annoyed me? What abort when I think back to making faces at her over the dinner table7 Maybe the best way to describe what Im feeling is as some sort of loss (thats not exactly it, either, because Im very happy for ha, but there is something missing in my heart). Now that she has married and is preparing for motherhood, it's like shes left the nest for her own adventures. I know, I know. Shes a big girl and she can take care of herself. Besides, its not like I was ever a father figure for her anyway (I am, after all, three years younger). Its just that, now, it seems like I have to see ha in a different perspective. I cant look at ha as the same person anymore. When I look back. Ive always been protective of ha in my own way. When I was a kid, wheneva another kid told a joke at my sisters expense. Id make sure they knew not to do that again No, I didn't hit them or sic the school-yar- d bully on them, I usually just retaliated with about a sibling of theirs. Sure, it wasnt die my own jokes or best way to settle a dispute, but I was only a kid, so cutjne some slack. I remember when that boy came to pick ha up for ha first date (at least, the first I recall) and he had to sit in the living room while she finished getting ready. I sat their, thinking how embarrassed he must have felt, being forced to sit there, alone, with me staring at him, my mom asking questions, and my sista taking an agonizingly long time dressing. I didnt say anything to him. I didnt even say hello when I was introduced. And although I felt for his suffering, what I felt was: Great! Suffer! Somewhere inside, I was smiling. Not because I didnt like him, (how could I know, I just met him), but because he was taking out my sista and he wasnt good enough for ha. Not in my eyes anyway. I remember anotha time when she had a boy come ova for dinna. It was just my sista, my mom, and me at the time, my brothers had gone off to college. We all sat around the table, trying to make friendly conversation. At least my sista and man did, anyway. I just ate. And twenty-som- e days until Christmas. There are folks who have all their shopping 'done, gifts wrapped, packages mailed. Their houses are deco- - rated and full of holiday cheer. Christmas lights flicker along the edge of the house and dance in the tree branches, the tree stands in the living room, all tinseled and trimmed, v And then theres me. Im still trying . to gobble up the turkey leftovers and get my paster hauled back to the basement. But Christmas is in the air, so, sing a carol; cut a tree, put up a light or two. get the nativity from the closet Catch the spirit cause Christmas is just around the comer! w . Letters To The Edhop The Summit County Bio welcomes Letters To The MU om suMecL They must adhere to the foOowins suideikies: They awet fc. ncohnilTio CoalvWe Office, P.O. Box 7, Coalville, UT 84017 or the P.O. Baa buna 225, Kamas, UT 84036, no later than Moaday aooa la woafc'. of tho paper comin, out M ftfcUy. Tha Mtanu3lThZ!d but Of, sipied wtthfuB address and telephone number of the person writing tha letter. No letter wU be pubtished under an assumed name. Name may be wMMd oo request atllie discretion of tha editor or oubMier of The Summit Boo. They on not contain Belous or shmkring material. to0" letterin two weeks. Preference w be eu to riwrt, typewritten (doubt spaced) letters pemtin the use of the writer's name. Al letter rfcttrl le condensation V they an too Ions for tha space avaiUble. No aodonenMnt l twi wM be published as Letters To The Editor. Tho views eepressod In guest editorials or Letters To The Editor do not nccessarfly reflect die opinion of Om WritefcZd |