CCWA Discussion Board

World Fair Trade Day, May 10^th, is a worldwide celebration and promotion of Fair Trade, the movement which advocates payment of a fair prices in order to alleviate global poverty and promote sustainability.  In collaboration with the Fair Trade Resource Network, the Columbus Council on World Affair’s Council Fellows will help break the Guinness record for World’s Largest Fair Trade coffee break.  This effort is a part of the Council Fellows’ ongoing initiatives to promote conscientious consumerism.  Members of Council Fellows have worked together to organize events for the Fair Trade Coffee Break.  Jessica Conroy of Reynoldsburg High School has organized a Fair Trade house party and Dana Vanderkolk of Pickerington North will serve Fair Trade Coffee to her co-workers in the break room at Anderson’s.  Tune in to 91.5 FM Saturday at 7 am or 2 pm to hear Bailey Cleary of Fort Hayes talk about Fair Trade from a student perspective.

Want to get involved?  Take a break to enjoy Fair Trade Coffee on Saturday, May 10^th.    Two local establishments that serve Fair Trade coffee are the Global Gallery Coffee Shop in German Village and Café Corner in Victorian Village.  Of course, you can also purchase Fair Trade Coffee at any grocery store and brew your own pot at home.  After your coffee break, email Stephanie Calondis-Geiger (scalondis@columbusworldaffairs.org), CCWA’s director of youth programs, so that you can be counted!  Include any photos of you drinking Fair Trade Coffee or comments you would like to share. 

            Friday, May 9^th, Dr. Frank Artress from the Foundation for African Medicine and Education (FAME) joins the Columbus Council on World Affairs young professionals’ network at the Global Gallery Coffee Shop in German Village.  FAME is a non-profit foundation with a mission to enhance the quality of medical care in East Africa and to create educational opportunities for individuals who express an interest in contributing back to their communities.  The organization’s projects include a nearly completed outpatient clinic and its future expansion into a multidisciplinary health facility, among others. For more information on FAME, visit www.fameafrica.org. 

            Various organizations focusing on quality medical care and education exist in the Columbus, Ohio, community as well, one of them being the Columbus Aids Task Force.  CATF aims to fight the spread of HIV, reduce its transmission, stigma and the resulting discrimination through education and awareness, and provide quality services to individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS. 

As Columbus citizens, do we have a greater obligation to support the health of our own community (and the mission of organizations like the Columbus Aids Task Force) than global health? To see where the presidential candidates’ health priorities lay, visit health08.org. 

Turkey plays an important and often controversial  role in world politics.  In 2005 Turkey was tagged as one of the Next Eleven, a group of eleven countries determined as having strong potential to become one of the world’s largest economies based on macroeconomic stability, political maturity, openness of trade and investment policies and quality of education.  Yet, despite decades of effort on the part of Turkey to accede to the European Union, roadblocks continue.   As a NATO ally (and uniquely secular Muslim country) positioned between Middle Eastern “hot spots,” Turkey’s friendship can be said to be essential to US interests.   On May 8, the Columbus Council on World Affairs welcomed Salih Memecan, prominent Turkish cartoonist and political satirist who discussed the EU bid, US-Turkish relations and other current and ongoing issues using his published works as a framework.  Among other community members, students from Central Crossing High School (part of the Southwestern City Schools District) were in attendance.  Students had an opportunity to explore Turkish politics and culture with someone who has lived it first hand.  Prior to the event, students learned background information that allowed them to make interpretations of Memecan’s cartoons and determine whether they thought Turkey was following a path that would secure personal liberties and democracy.  The students later debated policy decisions including Turkey’s status with the EU.  What are your thoughts?

When voting, how much weight would you give to a candidates’ position on nuclear terrorism?  Do you support policy which requires other countries to diminish their nuclear weapons stockpile?  Can we expect the US to do the same? 

As recently as 2004, Columbus was in the national spotlight as the potential site of a terrorist strike.  Nuradin Abdi, a native of Somalia and part of a clandestine cell of al-Qaida, plead guilty to one count of conspiring to support terrorists by bombing a Columbus shopping mall (see America.gov story, Somali Native Charged in a Bomb Plot, Ashcroft Says).  Even though this plot did not involve nuclear weapons, it has taught us that Columbus, Ohio is not immune from being the target of terrorist attack, which in the future could include nuclear attack. 

 

Founding Dean of Harvard's modern JFK School of Government and Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Graham Allison will join the Columbus Council of World Affairs to explore the dangers of nuclear terrorism.  He has for three decades been a leading analyst of U.S. national security and defense policy with a special interest in terrorism (see Allison’s biography at nuclearterrorism.org). 

 

Today we live in a world where about 40 states have approximately 2,070 tons of weapons-usable fissile material, enough to make more than 130,000 nuclear weapons.  The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that as of 2002, there were around 22,000 nuclear weapons in the world.  It is known that several nuclear weapons have been lost or stolen over the years.  There have been dozens of documented thefts and sales of fissile material to potential terrorists who were subsequently captured. Russia's substantial amounts of poorly secured fissile material remain a prime target for theft.

 

Allison gives reason for the American citizen to be concerned over nuclear terrorism.  He states that a nuclear power plant could be targeted for attack or a nuclear weapon could be easily smuggled into the US.  In his book, Nuclear Terrorism, Allison emphasized that major economic and political centers like New York, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles weren’t the only cities at risk of being targeted by nuclear terrorists.  The effects of a nuclear weapon could be just as severe in a smaller, less prepared city like Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, or even Columbus.

 

Despite significant progress by the U.S. to improve the security of nuclear stockpiles in some parts of the world, there are still significant quantities of weapons-usable nuclear material that remain vulnerable to theft or diversion. For example, there are an estimated 60 tons of highly enriched uranium – enough to make over 1,000 nuclear bombs – that are spread out at non-military facilities in over 40 countries around the world. Physical security at these facilities varies significantly, creating dangerous vulnerabilities to theft or diversion.

 

National security, and especially nuclear terrorism, is an important issue in the upcoming presidential election.  Last August Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama (D-IL) introduced the Nuclear Weapons Threat Reduction Act of 2007, a bill to provide for sustained United States leadership in a cooperative global effort to prevent nuclear terrorism, reduce global nuclear arsenals, stop the spread of nuclear weapons and related material and technology, and support the responsible and peaceful use of nuclear technology (track this legislation on govtrack.us).  Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has also introduced pertinent legislation on this issue, the Nuclear Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007.  This bill requires that the President should make the prevention of a nuclear terrorist attack on the United States of the highest priority and take the appropriate steps to prevent nuclear terrorism.  It directs the President to designate an individual to serve in the Executive Office of the President as the Senior Advisor to the President for the Prevention of Nuclear Terrorism (track this legislation on govtrack.us).  John McCain (D-AZ), known for his strong stance on National Security, has also called for the US to lead a global effort at nuclear disarmament.

On Monday, March10, we held a live online chat between local high school students, college undergrads, a medical student at OSU, and three guest commentators, including Whitney Welshimer of the International Women’s Health Coalition, Cate Oswald of Partners in Health, and Sherri Williams, a reporter at the Columbus Dispatch who spent three weeks in December in South Africa on a National Association of Black Journalists fellowship reporting on the country's AIDS crisis. As Chapter President of the Columbus Association of Black Journalists, Ms. Williams was instrumental in organizing a recent town hall meeting (in partnership with the Columbus AIDS Task Force) that allowed participants to discuss the impact that epidemic is having on the black community.

What follows is short summary of the many different topics that emerged during the chat. You, the general public are now invited to weigh in with your own opinions on any of the points summarized below and/or to prompt new discussion. We hope that those of you who attended the March 13 CCWA symposium featuring Adrienne Germain can integrate your opinions of the content she discussed.

The chat began with the question: Why invest in global health? Why not concentrate on poverty? Matt, Whitney, and Sherri all seemed to agree that health was a precursor to any economic growth and that if people are not healthy, they cannot work and if they cannot work there will be no end to poverty. They also agreed that we should treat health as a human right.

Among the many strands that emerged after the first question was a discussion over the current exchange of doctors for oil between Cuba and Venezuela. Some people thought that Cuba's efforts to send doctors to rural parts of Venezuela were commendable. Also, the idea that medical services could be exchanged for important resources seemed promising as a way to address the imbalance of doctors and medical professional in the developing world and developed nations. Though someone questioned if such an agreement could be sustainable. Cate provided all of us with a link to Salud, a provocative documentary about the Cuban healthcare system and their efforts to staff remote area of the world with qualified healthcare workers.

In another strand, the practical steps to combating the global health crisis were discussed. All of our guest commentators agreed that community-based and grassroots efforts seemed to work the best. Cate discussed PIH's efforts in Africa and Haiti to train community health workers—community members who are not MDs but who are trained to provide primary care. She also tied this work in Africa and Haiti to the community health center that PIH runs in Boston, MA. Whiney, emphasized that IWHC relies heavily on grassroots efforts to push along legislation and educate about children and women's health issues both here and in the various countries where they work. While Sherri talked about the role that she has played and the important role that other community members have and should play in trying to raise awareness about the issue of AIDS within the black community here in Columbus.

All of the conversation about the success of community health models led me to ask if any of our current candidates competing for the Presidency had a stance on global health/or community healthcare models. Gabrielle stated that she did not think that global health was a platform that the general electorate could get behind. And from the other responses it did not seem that anyone was aware of statements the candidates had made on global health or community health care models. However, Michelle stated that she thought that any proposal for universal healthcare would be wise to consider the importance of the different community based healthcare models developed by organizations like PIH. The students from Columbus Academy (most of whom will be able to vote for the first time in the November election) all agreed that they would like to see the presidential candidates take a stance on global health. Whitney also provided us with the IWHC's prospective on the types of policies they think politicians should support. This link to the IWHC's fact sheets provides useful information on how an organization advocating for global health thinks that our Congress should be doing.

The live chat ended with a conversation between Cate, the students from Columbus Academy and Stephanie from CCWA about what students and ourselves could do to advocate for more investment and legislation that would help address major global health issues.

From this the students learned how they could further pursue their interests in global health and take action by writing their representatives and acting as educators.

On February 6th, interns at CWWA, students at The Columbus Academy, and the public had the pleasure of listening to a talk given by Dr. Paul Farmer, a leading advocate for the poor and global health issues, at the Academy’s Currier Lecture series (see pictures here; see video here). Dr. Farmer began his talk by graphically demonstrating the inequity in global health care. The maps below, which he used, provided a powerful sense of perspective on the unequal distribution of healthcare and the desperate need in under-resourced countries.



World Population



Number of Cases of AIDS

Number of physicians per capita

As these maps show, the countries with the smallest number of physicians were also the countries with the most cases of AIDS. Dr. Farmer challenged the audience not to despair in the face such a seemingly bleak picture and instead fight for what he called "global health care equity." He acknowledged that the fight is not easy, citing his own twenty-four years of battling against the long odds, naysayers and the ravages of wars.

Throughout the talk Dr. Farmer's sense of humor in the face of real horrors, warmth and gritty determination shone through. He pushed those medical school students in attendance to commit themselves to global health. But is Dr. Farmer's cause something we as citizens and tax payers want to place our support behind?

A live online chat between guest commentators, CCWA interns, and high school students at Columbus Academy will occur on March 10 to address this, and other, questions related to the global health crisis. Later, we’ll invite the general public to join the conversation here on our blog. And next week, CCWA’s luncheon symposium will feature Adrienne Germain, President of the International Women’s Health Coalition.  At this lecture, Ms. Germain will be presenting IWHC's four point agenda for the next U.S. administration to consider in addressing the most challenging global health and rights issues.

• Whitney Welshimer joined the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) as the Communications Assistant in May, 2007.   For the past 23 years, the IWHC has worked in countries throughout the world to advocate for young people's health, woman's rights and sex education.  Through their investment in young women throughout the world, monitoring of government health policies and their advocacy to different stakeholders in individual countries  influential organizations such as the UN and WHO among others the IWHC seeks to create a world where women are free from discrimination, sexual coercion, and violence; where they make free and informed choices on sexuality and reproduction; and where health information and services are accessible to all. As the Communications Assistant Whitney maintains IWHC's multilingual websites, and helps generate new site features and content. Whitney fields all media calls and requests to IWHC staff and colleagues, and creates daily news reports from domestic and international outlets.  In addition, Whitney conducts research for IWHC publications, and assists in the creation and dissemination of articles, fact sheets and speeches for multiple constituencies.

• Sherri Williams is a reporter at the Columbus Dispatch who spent three weeks in December in South Africa on a National Association of Black Journalists fellowship reporting on the country's AIDS crisis. As Chapter President of the Columbus Association of Black Journalists, Ms. Williams was instrumental in organizing a recent town hall meeting (in partnership with the Columbus AIDS Task Force)  that allowed participants to discuss the impact that epidemic is having on the black community. 

• Cate Oswald is currently the Coordinator of Monitoring & Evaluation and Operational Research for Partners In Health's efforts in Haiti. In this capacity she works through the Program in Infectious Disease and Social Change in the Department of Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School providing logistical and programmatic support to colleagues in Haiti involved in service delivery, training, advocacy, and research initiatives. Prior to her current work in Haiti, Cate served as assistant to PIH's Executive Director, Ophelia Dahl. She began her work at PIH as a volunteer while still a student, and later served as a summer intern. Cate has experience working on issues of social justice and equality locally in Rhode Island and Massachusetts through homeless rights initiatives, especially in access to nutrition, housing, and health care. Internationally, Cate has worked in Sub Saharan Africa, South America, and the South Pacific on projects aimed to understand the social context of disease while working alongside communities to improve health outcomes. She holds a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in International Health and Epidemiology and is a 2004 graduate of Brown University with a B.A. in International Development Studies. She believes strongly in students' ability to positively impact the global health movement.

• In addition to these three view points, we welcome Matthew Imm, a medical student involved with the global health issues group at OSU.

• Students from the Columbus Academy, Anna Thompson, Jon Razi, Lauren Falkenberg and  Courtney Miller, who have been involved in a seminar on global health issues along with staff from the Columbus Council on World Affairs will also participate in the chat.

Recently, the Council Fellows (CCWA’s youth group) held a viewing of the film Black Gold, a documentary about the coffee industry and the fair trade movement.  In addition to discussing the choice that we have between non-fair trade and fair trade coffee, the film introduced viewers to the difficult choice that faces many African farmers: grow coffee and struggle to survive, or grow khat, an illegal narcotic, and potentially escape poverty. The choice to grow khat over coffee is not an issue that affects just African farmers.  As recent reports in the Columbus Dispatch have shown (see Dispatch article “Somalis Try to Eradicate ‘Bad Habit’ from Africa”), khat is a drug that has a direct affect on communities right here in Columbus!  

     
For readers who are unfamiliar with khat, it is a flowering plant that contains the stimulant cathinon, which can cause euphoria.  It is illegal in the United States and has recently been banned in Somalia.  The chewing of khat leaves has been a traditional a social activity in Eastern Africa much the same way chewing coca leaves is in South America or drinking coffee is here in Columbus.  However, the abuse of Khat can lead to psychological dependence and in turn wreck havoc on society.  As Hassan Omar, president of the Somali Community Association of Ohio, notes in the Columbus Dispatch “It’s not good for the community. It’s not good for the family.” 

Yet with legislation being pushed by Columbus Senator Steve Strivers (R-Upper Arlington) that would make it easier to prosecute the use of khat the question still remains:  should we actively look to prosecute the possession of khat, a drug viewed by some in the Columbus Somali community as an integral part of their tradition?  Also, if farmers in Africa are chopping down coffee plants and planting khat, as Black Gold shows us, what types of policies here in the U.S. would encourage farmers to not grow khat?  And what is our relationship as consumers of coffee to farmers in Africa?

 

It is great to have this chance to introduce myself to you.  My name is Jeff Tinley and I am a graduate student in English at The Ohio State University.  For the next three months, I will be interning at the Columbus Council of World Affairs.  I completed my undergraduate studies at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., interned at the Irish Parliament, and the Program on International Policy Attitudes, an organization that asked American citizens their views on a wide range of foreign affairs issues.  I am fascinated by the way organizations like the Columbus Council on World Affairs add to the life of our democracy.  I am excited to join the conversation with all of you!       

With Yeon Hee graduating from OSU,  the Columbus Council on World Affairs is in need of a talented new intern.  We are looking for a good writer who is deadline-oriented.  S/he should follow international news and be able to create discussion prompts that encourage the greater community to participate in our blog.  Must respond to editoral direction. In addition to the blog, the Web Content Intern is responsible for attending 1-3 of our programs per month and writing synopses for our website.  Other duties as needed.  

Our internships are unpaid, but you can arrange for credit through your university.  It is a great way to make connections, work in a professional environment, and build your resume/portfolio.  Hours are flexible, though we ask for a MINIMUM of 10 hours per week (for credit, each school has it's own guidelines, which we can honor).

If you are interested, please submit resume, references, and 2-4 writing samples to Stephanie Calondis Geiger at scalondis@columbusworldaffairs.org.  You must put "Web Content Intern" in the subject line.   

CCWA partners with the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, an organization dedicated to making visible the importance of government funding for programs related to all things global (including diplomacy, education, cultural exchanges, and much more!)  They seek to allocate more of our tax dollars to these ends.

Why the FY09 Congressional Letter to the President Matters

Whether your priority is global health, basic education, peace keeping, refugees, HIV/AIDS, Export-Import funding, educational exchanges or the hundreds of other critical programs housed in the International Affairs Budget - you need to care about this letter. The President's budget is always the high-water mark for funding these vital programs.

It is essential that we demonstrate strong bipartisan congressional support to ensure a robust increase in the FY09 International Affairs Budget. Members of Congress who sign the letter are on record supporting increased funding for international affairs programs, allowing us to go back to them during critical points of the budget and appropriations process.

Take Action Now!

    by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern
 
 Hello everyone, my name is Yeon Hee Im. I am originally from Seoul, South Korea. I am currently a senior in journalism at The Ohio State University and a new intern at the Columbus Council on World Affairs. I came to America to study two years ago and expose myself to cultural diversity. I usually like to read the newspaper and watch the news so that I can discuss current world events with my friends.  I have an open mind and like to meet new people. I am ready to meet all of you and talk about current events.

 

   by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern  

Since last August, there has been a series of peaceful protests across Myanmar(formerly known as Burma) as monks, activists and ordinary citizens challenge their government’s misrule and repression. On September 26, inspired by the participation of monks, thousands of people turned out on the streets to resist against the country’s military regime. Some innocent people were killed when protestors clashed with the police and soldiers. (see CBS News article “9 Dead As Soldiers Fire On Myanmar Protest”) The news of Myanmar’s pro-democracy protests and bloody crackdowns are continually updated from professional journalists as well as from citizen bloggers. In 1988, when the military last crushed an uprising, at least 3,000 people were killed, but that was the pre-Internet age, and most of the repression took place away from the world's view. However, in this time the Internet, mobile phones, and digital cameras provided as powerful weapons and helped ordinary people to report after witnessing these events. At one point, it caused the Myanmar regime to completely shut down the Internet connection across the country. Although many people tried to fight for pro-democracy, unfortunately their resistance movement failed. However, it was not end because this movement continues with the Myanmarese and other activists from all over the country. I wonder why the U.S. sent troops in Iraq but they did not want to intervene this time, because there was absolutely nothing to gain? I think it is time for the international society to be interested in their condition and help them. I strongly believe this needs to be a prime topic in political discussions both here in the U.S. and in the U.N. meetings as well and these discussions need to happen fast to help the Myanmarese survive.

   by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern

The casual international dinner party held on Oct. 23 at El Arepazo Latin Grill, a Venezuelan restaurant, was a chance to chat over authentic cuisine and wine, and learn about the beautiful South American country. The Columbus Council on World Affairs invited a guest speaker for the event, Carlos Briceno, a native Venezuelan (working as an attorney in the U.S.), to give some orientation to the land and food while attendees enjoyed the friendly atmosphere.

Briceno was born in Venezuela but he moved to the United States six years ago with his family. He introduced and explained facts about his country, such as the geography, typical Venezuelan music, and history to the audience with numerous pictures. He also talked about the country's economy and popular sports. Inevitably, as happens with an informed crowd such as this, politics did come up as well.

During his remarks, Briceno mentioned that, although Hugo Chavez tries to establish many social programs for impoverished people, he believes Chavez is a dictator because he tried to remove his enemies and made several state-owned companies in order to gain more control over society since he took political power. That was the one of reasons that Briceno decided to move to the U.S. His speech constasted with some of what Daniel Hellinger said at the symposium a few days prior to this gathering. Hellinger spoke about how Chavez was elected as a president of Venezuela in clear and free elections under a large audience of international observers. He does not think that Chavez is a crazy or mad dictator. These two different viewpoints are arising my interest in Hugo Chavez. Why do many people debate about him? Is he an important person to talk about? How can he influence people and the international situation?

 

   by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern

 A famous Spanish singer, Alejandro Sanz, has been banned from performing in Venezuela because of criticizing President Hugo Chavez three years ago while touring in the country. While this is an example of an oppressive measure, it pales with what might happen to an artist in North Korea who attempted to criticize President Jung Il Kim, who does not permit citizens to condemn government policies. I would say that the official North Korean reaction would have been far crueler than Chavez’s. Possibly they and their families both would be executed or sent to jail for their entire lives. In North Korea, there is no freedom of speech so it would be regarded as a serious crime. 

Many reading this might think that government responses like those in Venezuela and North Korea could never occur in a democracy like the United States. Yet, we can see a recent example of government censorship in this country. Last month, the Senate voted to condemn the liberal organization “MoveOn.org” for its publication of an ad questioning the credibility of the top commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. The organization bought a full-page ad section in the New York Times and wrote the headline: "General Petraeus or General Betray Us? Cooking the books for the White House .” 

The reaction of those in power is different in the three examples above, but the concept of free speech is still at issue in each. Both Hugo Chavez and Jung Il Kim seem intent to wipe out the opposition’s viewpoints, which is every dictator’s dream! In contrast, although Moveon.org’s action was controversial, freedom of speech is protected by First Amendment rights in the United States and it is an acceptable action to openly criticize the government if you do not feel they are fully carrying out their duties. Thus, government’s response to the ad is probably in violation of the Constitution. All three countries should try to understand the criticism and solve these problems to make way for a better future. Freedom of speech is a very important part of democracy. However, there are still some limitations in our society. 

What do you think some of the limitations are? What do you think of the U.S. Senate’s motion to condemn MoveOn.org’s ad?

 

   by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern
 
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, gave a speech at Columbia University on Sep. 24. During his speech, there were many protests and counter protests happening on campus. This address at one of the top academic universities prompted debate. Lee Bollinger, the president of Columbia University, invited Ahmadinejad to speak, but verbally assaulted him before his speech. Bollinger described him as a "petty and cruel dictator" and said that his Holocaust denials suggested he was either "brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated.” I was very shocked when I heard that Bollinger assaulted him in front of the audience. I do not believe this would happen in Asian countries. If he were to be invited for a speech in Seoul, he would likely be warmly welcomed as the president of Iran. It is part of the Korean culture to show respect towards him. In my opinion, Bollinger should have given Ahmadinejad advance notice of his opening remarks or he should have reserved it for an appropriate forum where Ahmadinejad would have a fair opportunity to respond. His attitude was not acceptable to Asian people who are not accustomed to openly insulting people. It was inappropriate behavior. Many scholars in attendace agree that Bollinger acted inappropriate, while others feel politeness is not an important matter as Bollinger brought up issues of grave importance that we cannot ignore. (see New York Times article “Columbia Still Reeling Over Visit”) Someone of Bollinger's influence should be expected to handle themselves in a more diplomatic manner. What do you think about Bollinger's action? Was it acceptable or not? 

 

by Yeon Hee Im, Web Intern

Iranian President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, requested to visit Ground Zero when he was in New York for a speech at Columbia University and United Nations General Assembly. However, his request was turned down by New York police (on security grounds) and Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, (citing construction at the site). Many people think there is another reason to reject his request to visit Ground Zero: they believe Iran is a supporter of terrorism and suspected of helping the notorious terrorist organization al-Qaeda when they attacked World Trade Center. Others think we should allow Ahmadinejad visit the site, to pay respect to the victims and commemorate the United State’s tragedy. Should he have been allowed to visit Ground Zero?

   by Jim Baird, Web Intern

  According to a recent report  by the public advocacy group Environment Ohio, the state of Ohio is ranked fourth in global warming pollution.  The report uses data from the US Department of Energy from 1990-2004. 

Major report findings include:

• Ohio’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuels increased 7% from 1990-2004.  Emissions grew from 244.9 million metric tons to 261.8 million metric tons in that time span

• Ohio’s CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants increased 11% from 1990-2004, making Ohio 2^nd in the nation for CO2 emissions from coal-fire plants in 2004.

 
The full report can be accessed here