Show The Race to Stop Global Warming has Started Cousteau Leads Star Studded Assault On Global By Brian J. J Shaw Editor Cheif They are just like us In one way at least Luminaries from Hollywood including Mimi Rogers and Michael T. T Weiss and Esai Morales have lent their support to media organizations from around the world Their message Deliver a warning to the global community community community about the dangers of global warming The Earth Communications Office ECO working with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee has initiated a campaign on all allmedia allmedia allmedia media fronts Olympic skiers Eric Bergoust and Picabo Street are spearheading the print campaign cam cam- It global warming is isa isa isa a real issue and is not a fad stated ECO Advisory Board Member Michel Jean-Michel Cousteau son of legendary undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau who was given the assignment of car car- the Olympic flag into Olympic Stadium on behalf of the environment It was the first time the environment has been represented as a global community community community in the Games' Games extensive his his- tory The presenters at the February press conference were as passionate about global warming as they are about their acting The environmental movement starts with the individual individual individual indi indi- vidual said actor Michael T. T Weiss of the television show The Pretender Famed actress Mimi Rogers pleaded with the media the who assembled at the Utah Media Center to act in an urgent manner We want to use your power the power of entertainment entertainment entertainment enter enter- and industry to provide information on a global level said the actress The ECO claims their public service announcements are seen by more than 1 I billion people and are spoken in more than thirty languages including Spanish of which Esai Morales mother is a presenter My taught me to leave things the way we global community found them said one of the founding members of ECO and perhaps the most vocal of the four Hollywood in attendance at the conference So what in the ECOs ECO's opinion was the biggest problem problem problem lem during these Games We need to curb the advertising for utility sport-utility vehicles because we have seen too much during these Olympic games said Cousteau Though the ECO was quick to criticize the advertising efforts of the car companies the profit non-profit organization did point out that the Salt Lake Organizing Committee has done donea a great job in pollution The race to stop global warming is on warned Diane Conrad Gleason Director of Environmental Programs for And the Organizing Committee claims they have won the battle in Salt Lake City as the Olympics progress Rogers seconded their accolades It h has s to be highly lauded she said of efforts to achieve zero emissions on a shoestring budget of six milli million n dollars and loaner leaner vehicles vehicle courtes courtesy of gen General ral Motors A 6 Parra continued left his very-pregnant very wife Tiffany with her parents in Orlando and came to Utah to train He took a job at a West Valley City Home Depot store to help defray the costs of training training training train train- ing gaining corporate sponsorship sponsorship sponsorship sponsor sponsor- ship from them Downing pack after pack of Fig Newtons as was his custom before each major event Parra trained incessantly qualifying qualifying qualifying for the 1500 and the meter races Amidst this busy time he was forced to take a short break and focus on his young family Unsure where the birth of his new baby would fall in his training and qualifying schedule he flew back to Orlando where he and his wife decided to induce labor After coaching her through a 6 2 1 hour labor and cutting the umbilical cord on little little little lit lit- tle Mia Elizabeth Parra raced back to the Olympic trials but failed to gain a spot in the 1000 meter race Aching for his new family and using those emotions emotions emotions emo emo- as motivation he continued continued continued contin contin- the push for his Olympic I dream And then the time came 1 Competing in his first Winter 1 Olympic games he set a new 4 worlds world's record in the meter race only to be bettered by a Dutchman named This time Parra had to settle for silver Knowing his best event c. c was coming up Tiffany and young Mia flew to Salt Lake and were in the stands for the 1500 meter race Parra did not let them down He set another world record in this event only this time he topped by two sixty-two hundredths of a second second second sec sec- ond and earned himself a gold medal On his victory lap Parra miraculously made eye contact with his wife amongst a crowd of thousands and told her through teary eyes that he loved her Being the first Mexican-American Mexican to win a agold agold J gold medal in the Winter Olympic Games Parra has been thrust into the position of sports icon to the Latino and Mexican- Mexican American communities Does this put added pressure on Perra Not at all If I can touch Mexican-American Mexican and Latino kids I would love to If that's what my purpose in life would be coming from this then r yes I would love to go and talk to kids he said They can have dreams and build their dreams and do everything they can to fulfill them because dreams do come true Im I'm living proof right there thereof thereof of f th that at Then with a smile Parra added If I can be a spokesperson So be it Bring n the kids i Jt PAGE 11 lI |