4
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
Orr promotes action
in Earth Day speech
Covers big topic
of environment
BY MARIA WARD
STAFF WRITER
Time is dwindling to address
the effects of climate change on
the earth, Oberlin College profes
sor David Orr said Tuesday while
delivering an Earth Day speech.
“Time is not our friend." Orr
said, referring to the quickly chang
ing global climate.
Orr, a professor of environmen
tal studies and politics, said it has
taken humans too long to see obvi
ous harms about climate change.
“It’s too late to avoid trauma,
but it’s not too late to prevent the
worst" Orr said.
"There’s no easy way out. ... I
think Al Gore is right when he say's
this is the first global emergency
since Homo sapiens have been on
the planet."
Orr addressed climate change
and how important it will be for
humans to address this issue in
coming years.
He put the topic into perspec
tive for audience members by say
ing that humans aren't concerned
enough with the environmental
issue because they are wired to be
more disturbed by direct physical
threats.
Orr also touched on the seri
ous effect on the quality of life for
future generations if humans don't
Where awesome happens
Attention college basketball
fans: March is finished.
But a better postseason has
just gotten underway.
So stop reminiscing and turn
on the television the NBA play -
offs are a ride you don’t want to
miss.
1 know, 1 know; this is the
South, and college hoops reign
supreme. But if Michael Beasley
and Kevin Love (and Tyler
Hansbrough?) want to take their
games to the next level, maybe
you should take your viewing
experience there, too.
And these playoffs will not
disappoint. Pick your favorite
storyline:
There is what might be the
best first-round matchup in
the history of the league. Tim
Duncan’s game-tying 3-pointer
his first of the entire season
set the stage for a series that
brings back memories of M.J. vs.
Bird and other epic first-round
battles.
There is I.eßron James, the
most physically gifted basketball
player ever, who seems deter
mined to single-handedly lead
the Cavs through the Eastern
Conference once again. And yes,
you have the opportunity to be a
Witness.
There's Chris Paul, the most
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Oberlin pro
fessor of
environmental
studies David
Orr delivered
the Earth Day
speech Tuesday.
take action.
“These are my grandchildren,"
Orr said, showing several pictures.
"This is my stake. Your children,
your grandchildren have no voice
on climate change unless it’s your
voice, your life, your actions."
The Institute for the
Environment started working to
bring Orr to campus last year.
“He’s an ideal person to bring
because he pulls together all the
environmental issues we face
instead of focusing one aspect,”
said Danielle Del Sol. information
and communications specialist for
the institute.
“He really brings to life how the
issue of climate change is going to
affect our whole world."
Students also noted Orr's diverse
approach to the topic of climate
change.
“1 thought the presentation
was done very well as it was
more of a holistic approach ver
sus specify ing within one solution
or one cause," freshman Jordan
Manickam said.
“He took both political perspec
tives, as well as the technological
perspectives."
1
MIKE EHRLICH
THAT'S All I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT
exciting young star in the league.
If you’re not jacked about a poten
tial CP3-Deron Williams show
down in the conference finals,
then you do not appreciate point
guard play.
Like Cinderellas? Is a seven
seed knocking off a two-seed
something you might be inter
ested in? Well, after the series’
first game, the Sixers are poised
to do just that to the Pistons.
Detroit, which hasn’t lost a first
round series in nearly a decade
with the same core of players,
got dealt only its eighth home
loss by a sub-,500 team in Game
One.
Like clashes of the top pow
ers? Take the entire Western
Conference. All eight playoff
teams had at least 50 wins
entering the postseason, and
just two games separated the
best six teams.
Then there’s Kobe Bryant, try
ing to prove himself by winning a
News
“Your grandchil
dren have no voice
on climate change
unless it's your
voice , your life."
DAVID ORR, OBERLIN PROFESSOR
Freshman Elliot Montpellier
said Orr’s perspective was differ
ent than he has heard from other
environmental speakers.
“He focused on behaviorism, as
well as people’s individual responsi
bility. as well as our country’s leaders’
responsibilities." Montpellier said.
“I really liked that he incorpo
rated the green-collar jobs, as well
as the prospective jobs for college
students in environmentalism."
Orr’s speech culminated a day
of environmental-related events,
which included a cookout with
grass-fed hamburgers and infor
mational booths in Polk Place.
The day’s activities sought to
emphasize the need for awareness
about the environment and what
needs to be done to address the
problems associated with climate
change.
“It’s going to take a complete
change in our values anil our soci
ety to really bring the problem to a
solution." Del Sol said.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk (</ unc.edu.
championship without Shaquille
O’Neal.
There’s Shaq throwing his
enormous frame into the stands
for loose balls.
Duncan. Manu Ginobili and the
Spurs trying to repeat. Boston's
new triple-threat. Dirk Nowitzki
trying to show he's not soft. Tracy
McGrady trying to get out of the
first round for the first time on his
seventh try. Carmely Anthony just
trying to stayjmt of jail.
Whatever.you. want,you’ll fiiul
it.
The moral of all of this is that
the NBA playoffs arc must-see
TV. It’s got the same players you
watched in college, only better.
It’s a common misconception
that NBA players simply don’t
care as much as college athletes.
Well, watch Kevin Garnett play
a basketball game and consider
that debate settled. The guy is
plain scary: he’s that intense.
Still not convinced? TiVo the
first two games of the Wizards-
Cavs series, which featured
about six near-brawls. These
guys care.
Plus, if nothing else, at least
you won't see Isiah Thomas any
where near these playoffs.
Contact Mike Ehrlich
at elmichaefa email.unc.edu.
Libraries go tech-sawy
in age of Web research
Work to meet new student demands
BY ALICE MILLER
STAFF WRITER
Ten years ago, starting a research
paper included trips to the local
library to search through stacks of
books.
Today, many students complete
such assignments and never leave
their dorm rooms.
As technology makes it possible
to have contact with almost a full
library through computers, some
wonder if the end of actual librar
ies is approaching.
To fight becoming obsolete,
libraries on campus are changing
to fulfill the needs of students in
this time of increasing technology.
The Carolina Digital Library and
Archives, which was started last
February, works to digitize books,
audio files and images, making
them available online.
“It is definitely one of the signs
of how libraries are changing these
davs." said Kirill Fesenko. director
ofCDLA.
“1 think libraries see that stu
dents and scholars are using the
Internet as a communication style,
and this moves libraries to be more
investigative and to develop more
resources and bring the best of
their resources online."
The CDLA uses its Scribe
machine, a fast-paced scanner,
to digitize books. The Scribe can
transform about 500 pages of regu
lar text to the screen in one hour.
Hopefuls differ on county transit
Transportation an election issue
BY JEFF WOODALL
STAFF WRITER
Developing transportation will
be a focal point in the upcoming
elections for the Orange County'
Board of Commissioners.
Although the drought, pollution
and education have been at the
forefront of local
issues, many can
didates are advo
cating increasing
the reach and
efficiency of the
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N.C. Primary
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area's bus and train systems.
“It isn’t just an issue of coordinat
ing public transportation in Orange
County" said Bernadette Pelissier, a
candidate for the at-laige seat “It’s
about creating a regional plan that
will connect everyone in this area."
Pelissier is a member of
the Transportation Advisory
Committee of the Durham-Chapel
Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan
Planning Organization, which
attempts to unity- transportation
designs for future transit invest
ments in the Triangle area.
She said her involvement with
the committee has acquainted her
with prospective plans that Orange
County is hoping to implement in
the near future.
The plan would promote con-
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Thanks to the CD LAs Scribe proj
ect, more than 500 books have been
digitized since January. Officials plan
to use the Scribe they have now to
digitize another 1,000 books by the
end of the year, Fesenko said.
Although more and more books
are being transferred online, librar
ies still must keep the hard copies
of these books in good condition.
“Putting books online improves
access, but books in their physical
form are important," he said. “They
contain qualities in them that can
not be completely transformed
onto the Internet"
In the future, the CDLA plans to
expand its services either with the
addition of more Scribes or other
similar technology, Fesenko said.
In addition to new online fea
tures, the campus libraries them
selves also are evolving.
"We are offering new types of
services both online and in physical
environments," said Lisa Norberg.
director of public services for UNC
libraries. “Our physical libraries are
more heavily used now than they
have been for decades."
As the types of assignments pro
fessors give to students change,
librarians must learn how to help
students complete their work.
"We are providing a lot of the
spaces and services that these new
assignments demand," said Norberg,
who has recently seen projects rang
ing from creating Web pages to
nectivity with the rest of the state by
creating opportunities to ride vari
ous forms of public transportation.
This would include new bus
routes to rural areas and connect
ing Orange County to train lines
that run through North Carolina.
‘We would really like to see a
train stop in Hillsborough," Orange
County Planning Director Craig
Benedict said.
The increased transportation
network would target those who
are currently unable to conve
niently use existing public trans
portation, such as the elderly and
those in rural areas.
"We have to continue to have a
focus on growth so there will be no
sprawl patterns," he said.
“We have to work so that pub
lic transportation will be used
in both residential and business
areas."
Ultimately this plan would lead
to the inclusion of Orange County
into a system of hubs that would
have the area operating in a web
of connecting routes, Pelissier
said.
Pelissier is not the only can
didate concerned about making
changes to the way the local area
operates its public transporta
tion.
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“It is definitely
one of the signs of
how libraries are
changing
KIRILL FESENKO, director of
CAROLINA DIGITAL ÜBRARY AND ARCHIVES
filming mini-documentaries.
Junior Rachel Jennings had to
come up with a puppet show in her
education class. Every student had
different tasks in the creation of the
show, such as writing the script or
creating the puppets.
Jennings used software to create
music for the show.
“It was a lot of fun getting to use
new materials," she said.
Librarians also have noticed an
increased interest in instructional
classes they offer, which teach stu
dents about research and how to
use resources such as online data
bases, said Judith Panitch, director
of library communications.
In the last academic year, about
1,500 different sessions were
offered, reaching almost 30,000
people. Four years ago, the librar
ies offered about 1,000 sessions to
about 19,000 people.
“We feel very comfortable that
we have a major role to play, as the
University and the community, in
the future of Panitch said.
Contact the University Editor
at udesk@unc.edu.
“We have to ... have
a focus on growth
so there will be no
sprawl patterns ”
CRAIG BENEDICT, COUNTY PtANNING
DIRECTOR
Pam Hemminger, who is run
ning unopposed for one of two
seats in District 1, is planning to
bring similar goals to the board.
“I would like to see direct service
to the Durham Tech campus open
ing next week, the county’s new
branch of the technical college,"
she said. “People need to have more
options like that."
Hemminger, along with
Pelissier, is hopeful that Orange
County can rely more heavily on
hybrid buses to reduce pollution
in order to decrease the area's car
bon footprint.
Otherwise growing gas prices
could stand in the way of future
board efforts with public transpor
tation, Hemminger said.
“It’s awful," she said. “We’ll
really need to improve our fleet of
hybrids if we're going to have a shot
with that."
Contact the City Editor
at citydesk@unc.edu.