YELLOW JACKET
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Page B3
Op-Ed
Learn to be content Continued from B2
Mercury emissions to be regulated The damage caused by mercury in our air and water is no secret. The neurotoxin is especially dangerous to young children and developing fetuses, and is so pervasive that pregnant women are warned to limit the amount of swordfish and albacore tuna they eat. (The mercury levels in these and certain other fish are particularly high.) It's also no secret where most of the mercury released into the environment comes from: coal-fired power plants. Yet this country has been waiting nearly two decades for the Environmental Protection Agency to propose regulations for reducing mercury emissions. Last week, under deadline from the courts, it finally did so. Expect
the usual complaints from industry that the regulations, which would reduce mercury emissions by 91 percent, will be expensive, will raise power rates and will accomplish too little. The first two complaints are true; the third is not. The EPA estimates that it would cost about $10 billion a year to fit power plants with the necessary technology; household electric bills might rise by up to $4 a month for several years. But consider how much would be prevented each year by the regulations, according to the EPA: 17,000 premature deaths, 120,000 asthma attacks and 850,000 missed days of work because of illness. In dollar figures, the
reduced hospital visits and sick days, as well as reduced damage to the environment, would save the country an estimated $100 billion a year. The EPA began drawing up these standards when Bill Clinton was president, but the work was derailed during the George W. Bush administration, which ran roughshod over environmental science. During those years, the agency ignored scientific facts in order to produce softer rules on mercury that were in large part written by the energy industry, and it withheld a report on mercury levels in women until the report was leaked nine months later. A lawsuit by a coalition of health and environmental groups finally
forced the agency's hand. Congressional Republicans are stalled in their most recent legislative effort to cripple the EPA and keep it from regulating a range of toxic substances, including mercury. But they are expected to keep trying. The EPA should not back down, and Americans should not tolerate this attack on their health. Hundreds of thousands of unnecessary illnesses and premature deaths could have been prevented had these regulations been imposed more than a decade ago. The nation can't go back in time to fix those, but it can refuse to repeat the pattern.
This editorial originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
Reject AT&T purchase of T-Mobile You have seen the ad. The TMobile woman is young, and wearing a red-and-white striped dress that recalls summer and the American flag. The iPhone man is also young, but he is swathed in dark clothes, and he has a bald middle-age man riding on his back. "Who's your friend?" the woman asks. "It's the old AT&T network," the young man replies. "That'll slow you down," she says. The consumer choice that ad represents will go away if AT&T's purchase of T-Mobile is approved by the Federal Communications Commission. We think
Asking right questions Continued from B2 @motivationlive that read, “There are no stupid questions. Just stupid people.” This unforgiving statement may not be entirely true, but consider the other side of asking the stupid questions. The reality is that “asking dumb questions is easier than correcting dumb mistakes…” While my fifteen minute Q&A session definitely seemed trivial to the other intern, I was simply trying to under-
the deal should not be approved, for several reasons. One is customer service. As the ad implies, AT&T is not known for its good service. AT&T is rolling out new technology, so its service will probably improve, but still this is a case of the acquiring company being the one with the most problems. Another reason is price. Wall Street sees the gobbling up of TMobile "as the elimination of a pesky low-priced rival," says Eric Savitz of Forbes. Customers need to have companies like that. Both of these reasons are part of a larger concern about market power. This transaction combines the No. 2 and No. 4 in the
stand to correctly complete the task at hand. (I was following the advice from a recent @journalistics blog post that explores answering the question why to improve your communication which can be found here). My direct supervisor has given me a few pieces of advice related to the idea of asking questions. During the midterm evaluation meeting with her, she encouraged me by saying, “Asking a million questions because it is the best way to learn.” In a separate “level-up” meeting, she provided a valuable
market, creating a new No. 1. With flavored water, that does not matter much., but with phone service - and mobile service is clearly the 21st-century choice - a two-provider America is a bad idea. We also have a parochial reason. T-Mobile was founded here and is based here. Ownership is German, because the company was sold a decade ago to Deutsche Telekom, but the Germans have let T-Mobile stay here. AT&T is much more likely to consolidate functions. For those reasons, our thought on this merger is "no." This editorial orginally appeared in the Seattle Times.
suggestion applicable to anyone. She explained that I can improve my success for the rest of the semester (and in any job for the rest of my life) by trying to think of what my boss is going to ask before he or she asks it. This concept is thinking on the other side of the question, one step ahead of your boss. It requires anticipation, preparation and initiative. While questions throughout life are guaranteed, answers are not. The best way to learn is by exploring these questions. I am being encouraged in all facets of my
life. From my professor who requires me to attend class armed with a well-framed question to my direct supervisor who encourages me to continue my learning through asking questions, because asking these questions are the fabric of life. Asking these questions is increasingly important because in most cases, people don’t just offer what they know. This gap in communication requires us to ask questions. Spicuzza is a senior public relations major studying in Washington D.C. through BestSemester.
I’ll be honest, I don’t have a plan. Well, that’s not true. It’s more that I have a hundred different plans. One day I’m sure it’s graduate school in Washington D.C. Then I know that I’m just meant to move to Mexico with my best friend Annika and work with missionary surfers. Tomorrow, I’ll be making plans to join the clichéd masses and backpack Europe. Next week I’ll be writing thirty different cover letters on a mission to nail my first job. I am all over the board with plans. But sweet Jesus, I love every second of finally having the chance to let my free bird fly. I am young. I have so much to learn. The world is my oyster. College has taught me well, but the most recent lesson I have learned was
Voice your objections Continued from B2 Oh, and did I mention how fast they were going? Even with a break on the way, the runners averaged splits of about seven minutes and 30 seconds per mile. Not record-breaking speeds by any means, but to keep up that pace for 100 miles, even with a break, shows a level of dedication that not many of us can claim to own. And they definitely have the right idea. Now, I’m not saying we should all go out and run 100 miles to show our disapproval of Gov. Corbett’s budget. All I’m saying is that you don’t have to be a psuedo-athlete to stand up and let your voice be heard. We’ve all been there. Sitting around the lunch table with your friends, or in your dormroom, or sitting in the parks. We all know how hard the budget cuts are going to hit us. We’ve all complained about how someone should do something about it. Myself included. But that’s just it.We are the people who will see the most problems from this new budget. So we are the ones who should get up, go out
from my kid brother. I know I said we were opposites. We are. I’m the writer, he’s the… well everything else. But last week my brother wrote a letter to the editor of our hometown newspaper. His letter was headlined: Rushed. And here’s where our contrasting personalities show up. It was about not having a plan, about his belief that it was OK to be a high school junior and not know what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He encouraged readers to slow down and stop stressing about having all the answers. My brother reminded us that life isn’t always urgent and that it’s OK to just be in the moment, instead of planning for the future. Touché little brother. You got me on this one. And sorry for always being so bossy, and I hope you’re proud I have no idea – or too many ideas – about what I’m doing with my life.
and do something about it. You don’t have to do something incredibly drastic, like run 100 miles to make your opinon heard. Quite the contrary. All you have to do is try. Write a letter to Gov. Corbett. Let him know what you think about his budget cuts. He may send you a form letter in response. He may ignore you. He might not even read your letter. But he could. E-mail him. Call his office. Leave messages with his secretary detailing your thoughts about his new policies. He may call you back. He may not. And even if he doesn’t, at least you’re attempting to let him know how much you oppose his budget. You’re doing something about it. That’s what matters. Hold rallies, protests, sit-ins, practice passive resistance...whatever. Do anything. But do something. You can’t just sit there and complain about something you disagree with. Nothing will ever get accomplished that way. History was made through action and reaction, not by griping and groaning. As the old saying goes: if you want something done right, do it yourself.