Misconception about U.S. emissions revealed in environmental report
The staff editorial ‘Report card: Environmental issues need to be addressed’ (Opinion, Feb. 20) cited the U.S. as being ‘the leading nation in global pollution.’ The truth is China in fact owns that title.
Many studies, including a 2007 study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency led by Dr. Jos Olivier, have proven China to be the top polluter. The report released in 2008 stated that China’s emissions were 14 percent more than those of the U.S. in 2007.
Although the figures included only carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels and the production of cement, Oliver said ‘since China passed the US by 8 percent (in 2006) it will be pretty hard to compensate for that with other sources of emissions.’
Steven Christopher, economics junior
Obama bailout funds correctly handed out
It’s wonderful reading Daniel Wheeler’s column ‘President ultimately a politician (Opinion, March 9), yet another finance major talking about how Obama is going to destroy the economy with ‘entitlement handouts.’ In fact, the economy has already been destroyed by eight years of unaffordable tax cuts, ‘entitlement’ in the form of bloated government contracts to undeserving, underperforming corporations, and yes, the very cronyism that Wheeler supposedly laments.’
It’s also incredible that he comments that the financial bailout (when the U.S. treasury tossed hundreds of billions of dollars to the very Wall Street firms that gambled away the savings of millions of Americans with deranged financial instruments) was absolutely necessary, but that the building of a civic auditorium in Myrtle Beach is supposedly an example of the wastefulness of President Obama.
Question: what is better for the American people, the building of a civic auditorium – which will result in the hiring of dozens of workers and engineers and overseers in addition to the building itself, as well as the hundreds of other infrastructure projects planned in Obama’s economic recovery plan – or tossing billions more to banks run by self-entitled, obviously corrupt, and incompetent bankers?
Ronlado Gonzales, engineering sophomore
Student organization not site of drama
I wish to clear up a small misrepresentation that seems to have cropped up in the article ‘Students prone to stereotypes speak out’ (News, March 9). Referring to stereotypes about the Greek community, public relations sophomore Allison Neal said, ‘For the most part, we don’t have an exaggerated amount of drama that any other group wouldn’t have. I mean, there’s drama in the chess club.’
I am an officer (bishop) in Chess Club, a registered student organization here at UH. I can assure you that no drama has ever occurred under our auspices or at our events. I would consider the statement a slight against our organization, except that it seems intended to express unity rather than prejudice.
In the future, please take time to verify statements about Chess Club.
John Mazzu, Electrical engineering senior
University wireless network detrimental to top tier status
How can the University of Houston expect to be considered for the distinction of being a prestigious Tier 1 university when it can’t even get its Wi-Fi working consistently? What’s the point of a verification page if the network only functions sometimes, and all that’s required to access it is a guest password?
This is flat-out embarrassing. I can’t help but think that our University can only be as good as its IT department, and to me, it looks second tier, not Tier 1.
Will Barrett, political science junior
