Page 13 - ThePhoenix1993-94

By GRETA POWELL over Argentina and Antarctica, EdilorialsEdiw, which incidently always return The ozone layer is depleting to normal levels, are a direct re- at an alanning rate! The hole in sult of the activities of human- the ozone is getting bigger and kind. As if this premature con- bigger! Increases in the num- clusion based on a few ques- ber of skin cancer cases are a tionable "facts" weren't ridicu- direct result of the expanding lous enough, these radical envi- hole in the ozone! ronmentalists enter the rea--i of These reactionary headlines the absurd when they further have become commonplace in insist that the activities of hu- both television and print news, mankind will bring about the but that doesn't make them total destruction of the ozone true. There is a hole in the layer. To disprove such gloom ozone layer, but it's a natural and doom predictions, we need phenomenon. That's right, the only look at one example. hole in the ozone existed long In 1991, Mount Pinatubo, a before humankind started volcano in the Philippines, re- roaming the earth. Regardless leased into tbe atmosphere of the gloom and doom rhetoric more than a thousand limes the of radical environmentalists, amount of ozone-depleting we didn't put it there and we chemicals in one eruption than certainly haven't made it any all the fluorocarbons manufac- bigger. Indeed, it is incredibly tured in history. Yes,justone Cartoon by Beth Daigle presumpticus to even assume eruption did more to "harm" Phoenix Staff that humankind could destroy the ozone layer than all our ef- are saying the ozone layer is cent depletion) than all the that which has survived for forts throughout history com- depleting faster than it can re- actions of humankind over Editor-in Chief the past 200,000 years com- over four billion years. bined. plenish itself because of the Rebecca Kane '94 The fact is, we couldn't de- Respected scientists have added burden of man-made bined, it is highly improb- Managing Editor stroy the ozone layer if we stated tharahe chemicals re- ozone-depleting chemicals. able that-sur actions over the S.A. Sommer '95 tried. Why not, you ask? Well, leased by &taunt Pinatubo re- So, for them the inescapable past two decades could Business Manager ozonejs created by ultraviolet sulted in a 4 to 6 percent ozone conculsion is that the hole in cause significant damage, Arman Latif '96 light emitted by the sun. So, if loss over the Northern Hemi- the ozone is constantly expand- much less its destruction. Advertising Manager we wanted to destroy the ozone sphere. These same scientists ing because of the environmen- Volcanoes have been Sue Farrell '94 layer we would have to destroy point out that the 6 percent loss tally evil actions of human- erupting for approximately 4 News Editor the sun. Now, not even radical is not particularly alarming be- kind. billion years, and we still Karen Downs '94 environmentalists are willing cause the ozone layer naturally If you stop and engage have an ozoneJayer. Amaz- Conunentary Editor to say that we could destroy the replenishes itself. Did you hear your brain cells, you will re- ing' Four billion years or Greta Powell '94 sun. How interesting. that, the ozone layer actually alize that if one volcanic volcanic eruptions, each one 'On the HIli' Editor These same radical environ- repairs itself. eruption did more damage to a thousand rimes as destruc- Kristin Vick '95 mentalists insist that the occa- No"!', those radical and not the ozone layer (that only tive as all the fluorocarbons Sports Editor sional reduced levels of ozone so radical environmentalists being a maximum of 6 per- ever manufactured, and sci- Jay Hilbert '95 entists assert only a tempo- ,--------------------------, rary maximum loss of six Layout Editor percent of the ozone. Since Jodi Harman '95 we can't even match the out- Photography Editor put of one eruption from Sara Boone '97 Mount Pinatubo, much less Copy Editor four billion years worth of Lisa Hill '97 eruptions, the only logical Business Staff conclusion is that we simply Karen Beamer '96 can't destroy the ozone layer Advertising Staff no matter bow hard we try. Stephanie Lee '95 The radical environmen- Amy Scott '95 talists will continue to stage Layout Staff save the ozone rallies, give Lisa Benecke '96 doomsday speeches, and Randy Rytter '97 bombard us with pamphlets Rick Tarr '97 proclaiming the inevitable Photography Staff destruction of the ozone, but Aden Moges'97 none of their efforts will change the truth: We can Rick Rodriquez '97 not destroy the ozone layer. Copy Staff The ozone layer has been at- Carleen Alves '97 tacked for millions of years Jessica Casalaspro '97 by Mother Nature on a Jill Marron '97 larger scale than we could Faculty Advisor ever attack the ozone layer, Terry Dalton and amazingly it has replen- 1MPInt,uill",_dti ...otkIy. lkopiniono•• ished itself and is still praoe.ddo "",noc:e..-iJy ltJftOOIlI_of1M around to protect even radi- ~1IaIT.lllcfaoJ.lly,"'IIIc"""'''''''le~ __ l!>IilIh.. "'"'"'pernI"-All_ IicnI(totelIoiII&ICIf·_dilIIz_)boalIIII!bo ~of1MPIroc..u"""CIOII