Current Controversy

Although there are many "sides" in the alternative fuel controversy (solar, hydrogen, nuclear, etc.), it makes the most sense to sum up the two most extreme views: the view that says we can continue to use gasoline as long as we continue to increase fuel efficiency, and the view that says gasoline must no longer be used as soon as possible (no matter which alternative is used). Of course, there are numerous views in between these two extremes.

The one extreme side of this controversy says that there is no problem with continuing to use gasoline as the main fuel type. They point out that, although we may have reached "Hubbert's Peak" (a predictive model that shows that we have reached the maximum production capabilites for fossil fuels), trends in vehicle development will decrease the use of gasoline to such a degree that the amount of oil left in the world will be a non-issue. Some believe that achieving 200 or even 300 miles per gallon in normal vehicles will be possible. Plus, it would be impossible to change today's fuel infastructure from gasoline. And, on the pollution side of the argument, they point to advances in plasma technology which could allow these high-efficiency gasoline solutions to have significantly reduced CO2 emissions.

The other extreme view in this controversy states that we must cease use of gasoline as a fuel as quickly as possible. They say that the fact that we have reached Hubbert's peak should be cause for alarm, and that, although this "peak" still means there is gasoline left in the world, the remaining fossil fuels will be extremely difficult and expensive to procure. In addition, some state that CO2 levels in the atmosphere are becoming dangerously high, pointing to the global heating trend over the last century or so. They support supposed "zero emissions" solutions like hydrogen power or electricity generated from solar, wind, or nuclear power.

Listening to Mrs. Micikas talk honestly about her faith was hugely encouraging to me and a pretty big highlight of senior year so far. I think that's mostly because, as Vandy puts it, most students go from being terrified of her as freshmen to loving her like a grandma. Hearing her story, particularly the parts about the shock of being suddenly introduced to culture, really affirmed my views of how Christians should actively engage culture, not ignore it. And like so many other people in the class, it's encouraging for me to see somebody that's so incredibly intelligent both struggle with Christianity and, in the end, come back to it. Now does this mean I can suddenly accept Christian beliefs without scrutinizing them? Of course not. What it does mean is that I can now think logically about different beliefs with yet another person's real-life experiences in mind. To me, other people's experiences carry a ton of weight. This just shows how we can learn from other people's stories. Too often people think they need to experience absolutely everything in life to have any sort of grip on it. Still, one of the most moving statements I ever heard was from Mrs. Gunnink after giving her testimony (this is it more or less...): "Don't ever wish that you had a 'story,' because God may just give you one."

The Voysey Inheritance

The day at the Denver Center for Performing Arts was an interesting one for me. While I generally liked the tour of the complex and getting to see some of the behind the scenes work, I wasn't so sure about the play itself. I can't say the topic was one of particular interest to myself, and I imagine it was of even less interest to the younger people in the audience, but was impressed that the cast still stayed professional--that had to have been difficult. The most interesting part of the play to me was the moral dilemma in which the main character found himself and the way he handled it. It seemed unfair that he should have to deal with such disaproval and financial hardship all because of a decision his father made. Like Timmer said in class discussion, I too think I wouldn't have handled it the same way. After all, it's hard enough to provide for oneself in general, but to do that on top of trying to dig out of a financial hole of hundereds of thousands of pounds seems borderline impossible. Morally, I think it's difficult to say whether or not he made the right decision. Did the clients have the right to know that they had been robbed? Or wouldn't it have mattered if, financially, everything was made right? No matter the choice made, life became much harder for a number of people as a result of this ponzi scheme. So, while the play (particularly the lack of action and extreme prevalence of drawn-out discussion) wasn't my idea of "good entertainment," the moral dilemma brought up some decent discussion points. Plus, I'll take a mediocre play and a tour over a bunch of classes any day.

Homecoming

Homecoming is always an interesting experience. I think what many people have been saying, that people often take it for granted or look at it in the wrong way, is often true. This week has the potential to bring a class together, but that takes a pretty good attitude from pretty much everybody, which is incredibly hard; maybe impossible. In my experience though, the more you put into homecoming the more you get out of it. If you get into the events and just have fun with it (don't take it too seriously... I mean we have girls playing football... honestly...) then you can get some pleasure out of it and even a sense of accomplishment. Plus, it's just some time to get out of the daily routine of school. Now, the dance itself could be a topic all on its own. For myself, dances have always been just so-so (my favorite part is always the after party if that says anything...). They're fun, but probably not what I would choose to do with my free time, which is fine since they're only a few times a year. They're a good time to let loose a little and have fun, which I believe is healthy. Of course, people will always take it too far, as seems to happen with many good things. But overall I think homecoming always has potential to be a fun, unique, memorable time. The rest is up to the students.

Movie Review

The movie that I've seen most recently that memorably shows some unique values and worldviews is Green Street Hooligans. The different worldviews can be seen most clearly throughout the development of the main charcter, Matt. Matt is a relatively nice kid who is wrongfully expelled from Harvard (because of his roomate) but, because he is a cautious, no-conflict person, he accepts his unfortunate situation and goes to England to see his sister. It is here where his views of the world would change most significantly. He meets his brother-in-law's brother who, grudingly, ends up taking Matt to a soccer game and exposing him to the ultraviolent, ultra crude world of soccer firm (basically gangs) hooliganism. They fight the firms of other soccer teams for nothing more than reputation and adrenaline. Though frightened by this world at first, Matt soon falls in love with the lifestyle. He says that the best part isn't knowing that your friends have your back, it's knowing that you have your friends' backs. The prevailing values are pride and fighting no matter the cost. Later, though, Matt sees the dark side of this violent lifestyle as close friends are seriously injured and even killed for no reason other than revenge. He then turns away from the firm, but takes a self-confidence and willingness to stand and fight with him. He now knows that there is a time to fight and a time to let things be... what makes a man great is being able to discern between the two. This last view, at its core, is something I agree with very strongly. It is, however, something that is incredibly difficult to apply to real life.

An Over Exaggerated Issue?

We hear about the issue of alternative fuels in many different forms. Often it is mentioned by car companies that are producing more fuel efficient cars or cars that run on electricity or ethanol. Other times we hear about it from politicians with opposing views regarding the subject which can also be filtered through the media. But but how significant do you guys think the related issues (global warming, pollution, etc.) really are? There are significant numbers of people that think the issues are over exaggerated, including influential politicians. Do car manufacturers simply take advantage of the increased awareness of fuel usage to sell more cars, selling us brand new, "bleeding-edge technology" cars? Do politicians focus on these issues to garner more support for themselves? Doesn't the world have more pressing issues like world hunger or raging wars?

Fossil Fuel Consumption

It's interesting, when studying the history of fuel in general, to consider why we chose to run our vehicles on such pollutant fuels. After all, the Model T was originally designed to run on ethanol, but was re-worked to run on normal gasoline because of cheaper prices and availability. In addition, electric cars were fairly common (compared to today) for a number of years, making up as much as 7% of all of the United States' cars. But, for whatever reason, gasoline became the fuel of choice. Now, over 60 million barrels of oil are produced and consumed every day. As a result, a pollution issue that was considered negligible when the first automobiles were produced has become the source of major controversy worldwide.