OCR Text |
Show 4 Thursday March 7, 2013 OPINION www.dailyutahchronicle.corn JR 12 blindly channels student passion y oung people, particularly students, have traditionally been the most passionate activists for causes, ranging from last generation's Vietnam War to marriage equality today. This is because students have a unique level of passion, optimism and, most importantly, free time. These traits, together with an idealistic worldview, which is a hallmark of youth, make us perfect candidates to start a movement and rid the world of some injustice. Unfortunately, students' passion and optimism are not often paired with a healthy dose of pragmatism. This is a flaw that has hamstrung students' efforts to improve the world for as long as they have been trying. Recently, the U's student body has become a poster child for this flawed approach. With concerns about climate change growing every day, students have, on cue, risen to the challenge of saving the world. This latest effort has come in the form of an ASUU joint resolution expressing students' discontent with the U's presumed investment MATT STERN Opinion Columnist in fossil fuel companies. On face, this seems like a good idea if our goal is to reduce CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, ASUU's Joint Resolution 12 is merely another example of the kind of mistakes student activists have been making for years. First, the resolution is toothless, as ASUU has no control over how the endowment invests its resources. JR 12 is simply a declaration of intent, and such declarations will do nothing to change the situation. Second, even if the resolution were binding and would lead to a change in the endowment's investment strategy, the impact would be negligible. According to a third-party analysis cited by ASUU, the endowment's annual performance would only change .0039 percent if it were to divest in fossil fuel companies. Even with a net worth of more than $556 million, .0039 percent only amounts to $19,224. Such a small return from a highly lucrative industry makes it clear that the U's current investment in the fossil fuel industry is not significant. With this in mind, you might be thinking that JR 12 is going to have no impact on the future of climate change. On the surface, you might have a point. JR 12 will clearly do nothing to alter the behavior of fossil fuel companies, and more importantly, consumers who support them. However, if we take a closer look, JR 12 is an important piece of the climate change puzzle. This is because it is simultaneously a symptom and a cause of the dangerously ineffective approach society is taking to address climate change. The fact that students feel the need to make a stand on this issue makes it clear that they are aware of climate change and the importance of addressing it. At the same time, JOINT RESOLUTION 12: Feel-good measures such as JR 12 will actually slow our progress, as they allow us to feel as if we are solving the problem, without actually imploring us to take meaningful action. JR 12 is a resolution: - Proposed and passed by ASUU -Toothless, because ASUU has no control over endowment investments The U's endowment would hardly be affected by divesting in fossil fuels, because annual performance would change by just .0039 percent, which amounts to just $19,224. the fact that students have chosen to combat climate change with words rather than tangible actions makes it clear that they are not yet concerned enough to make the sacrifices that will be required if we are going to save ourselves, and future generations, from the impacts of climate change. Feel-good measures, such as JR 12, will actually slow our progress, as they allow us to feel as if we are solving the problem without actu- New U.S. drone base perpetuates conflict ally imploring us to take meaningful action. This is deeply irresponsible, and a pattern that we have to break out of. We've faced existential threats before, and have risen to the occasion. Yet, in most cases, we did not make the sacrifices necessary until we had no other choice. Climate change will be no different, and we would do well to recognize that fact sooner rather than later. letters@chronicle.utah.edu Women's body image distorted by media ROSE JONES Opinion Columnist M uhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri led hundreds of thousands of anti-American drone protestors on a march against his government in Pakistan Jan. 13. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari has accepted billions of U.S. tax dollars to turn a blind eye to massive killings and abuses of his people at the hands of the United States' drone mercenaries. Zardari sells out the people of Pakistan to insurgent CIA spy agents that have infiltrated the country as long as American money keeps flowing. But Pakistan isn't enough for the CIA egoists and the U.S. lobbyists pushing military expansionism for precious resource wealth. President Abd Al-Rob Mansur Al-Hadi, who is selling out his country of Yemen isn't enough either. Yemen and Pakistan are both considered American allies and have both seen mass drone killings of their civilians. Indeed, U.S. tax payers are now buying off Nigerian President Mahammadou Issoufou to open his country to another U.S. drone installation. The African Horn occupation ensues. The White House officially announced that at least ioo U.S. troops are setting up a drone base in Niamey, Niger. African and Arab media claim the number is closer to i,000 troops — however, some of them could be coming from at least seven other U.S. drone bases that are already operating in North Africa. Moreover, since the Bush years, there are likely io private mercenary contractors sent with every troop, ALYSSA NEMESCHY Opinion Columnist B LUIGI GHERSI/The Daily Utah Chronicle making i,000 an underestimation. Spanish Fork, Utah, is home to one of the largest Drone Transformation technology enterprises nationwide. General Atomics Aeronautical Inc., a multi-million, if not billion, dollar business, is high on the lobby list of organizations promoting drone warfare. In fact, GAA just announced its new predator drone Feb. 22. The U.S. naval base in Manda Bay, Kenya, not only launches drones, but has also caused a near civil war over the wealth distribution there, which was designed by the United States. I am sure President Mwai Kibaki would like to thank the U.S. tax payers for his millions, too. Djibouti is practically a U.S. military country. Only a small NEWPOLL If the U is, in fact7 invested in fossil fuels, should it stop investing? portion of its southern area can be seen on Google Maps because the massive military occupation is smeared out. Civilian men, women and children make up the 92 percent of people killed by drones. "We are creating enemies at a far faster rate than killing them," said David Kilcullen, former chief strategist for counterterrorism at the U.S. Department of State. The Arab Spring emerged from fury over American foreign policy: protectionism for investors' theft of natural resources on Arab lands, and the American Iraqi takeover. It continues now, fueled by thousands of innocent civilians that have been murdered in Yemen and elsewhere across the Middle East and North Africa See JONES page 5 POLLRESULTS Last week respondents voted on the poll: Who willuyo, vote for in next week'srASUU elections?; • Yes • Nog by U.S. predator drones. The new Pakistani Spring, an immensely violent one, is taking shape out of hate for the U.S. slaughter of innocent Pakistani children like Noor, age nine; Talha, age eight; Ayesha, age three; and 377 more. More than i,000 more innocent civilians have also been massacred by the 500-plus drone attacks in Pakistan engineered by CIA agents operating their PlayStation-like remotes in offices across the sea. With its new base, the United States is perhaps going to ignite an African Spring, setting an entire region of the world ablaze with conflict. 1,4 • U students should stop driving cars before demanding their school .Minvesting in the stuff that fuels their cars The Peak party (44%, 77 Votes) %,) toler% The HOUSE party (33%, 58 Votes) 1111 NIP I don't support the student government (23%, '40 Votes) Cast your vote online at: www.dailyutahchronicle.com } eginning at a young age, women are subjected to an unrealistic idea of what beauty is supposed to be. Advertisements, magazines, movies and billboards display female role models promoting unobtainable body images. The current media's ideal thinness is realistically achievable by few females. The pressure to obtain a body type that comports with the media's image causes women to resort to extreme measures such as diet pills, anorexia and bulimia. The first advertisement thrown on young girls is the Barbie fashion doll — a tall, thin, blonde haired, blue-eyed beauty icon. However, it is important to keep in mind how unrealistic Barbie's body image is. According to Huffington Post, if Barbie were life-sized, she would stand at 5 feet 9 inches and weigh no pounds. Her BMI would be 16.24, classifying her as anorexic. Additionally, her body proportions would be so out of whack that she would likely have to crawl on all fours to get around. As young girls mature into teenagers, their interest in Barbie subsides and they adopt adolescent role models, such as women posing in Victoria's Secret advertisements or in Cosmopolitan Magazine. The pressure teens go through to keep up with the media's ideal image is emotionally exhausting. Teenage girls are exposed to many advertisements focused on body image that they consciously — not just subconsciously — become more aware of how far they are from achieving the media's degree of thinness. Eating disorders — the result of distorted body images — cause stomach problems, heart problems, kidney problems, dental problems, dry and scaly skin, dehydration and irregular periods. They are also extremely psychologically damaging. According to dosomething.org, the average model weighed 8 percent less than the average women 20 years ago, but today's model weighs 23 percent less. Today, the average American woman stands at 5 feet 4 inches and weighs approximately 140 pounds, while the average American model stands at 5 feet II inches and weighs only 117 See NEMESCHY page 5 |