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Wednesday, febaiary 1 3, 1 974
nnco!n, nebraska vol. 97, no. 1 7
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energy crisis real
The three speakers at the UNL
convocation, "Energy Crisis-Real or
Contrived" agreed the energy crisis is real,
and according to one, the worst is just
around the corner.
'The next two or three years will be the
hardest," said Milton Russell, professor of
economics at Southern Illinois University.
"The increase in energy demand must
fail," he said. "That will mean we drive less
miles, we keep our houses colder ... we
produce less as a nation, and more of us go
unemployed."
Russell was joined on the panel by Willis
G. Meyer, a consulting geologist at Dallas,
Tex., and James R. Newman, acting regional
administrator of the Federal Energy
Regional Office, Kansas City, Mo.
The 3-man panel gave their views on
whether there is really an energy crisis, .d
what might be done about it, to an audience
of about 175 people in the Nebraska Union
Ballroom Tuesday.
Russell said the energy crisis, "is both real
and contrived." He blamed government
mismanagement in handling a real energy
shortage. But, he added, "crisis is much too
strong a word to use."
He listed nina conditions that have
produced the shortage. Among them were
the failure of nuclear power to take on the
energy load it was predicted to take, a
"continued American love affair with the
automobile," increased energy uses by
countries other than the United States and
no technological breakthroughs in new
energy sources.
While listing the increased costs of
importing petroleum products and the Arab
oir'emtVargo as " factors contributing to the
shortage, he termed them as only having
short term effects.
He said the U.S. government was making
mistakes in dealing with the shortage,
including an energy self-sufficiency program,
called "Project Independence" by President
Nixon.
The project's aim is for the U.S. to be
self -sufficient in energy needs by 1980.
According to Russell, that might be a costly
mistake.
Ha said the cost of Imported Arsb oil hat
risen to about $7 a barrel, but the rise is
only the effect f tha wilSSrsgnest of
oil-exporting countries to pay tha price at
the beginning of the shortage.
He said that as oil-exporting countries
adjust to the shortage, they would not pay
the cost, and the price of Arab oil would fall
to $2 a barrel.
The cost of technology and exploration
in developing the United States' own
petroleum resources to be self-sufficient
would result in American oil costing $7 a
wrel, Russel said.
He also advocated allowing petroleum
prices to float according to supply and
demand. The price would rise to the point
that people would not drive because they
could not afford jt, he said.
"It will not be necessary for Nixon to
convince people that lower temperatures are
good for their health. The lower temperature
will be good for their pocketbooks," Russel
said.
Petroleum prices currently are controlled
by the federal government as a part of the
wage-and-pnce control program.
Meyer said man must develop a "new
man-earth ethic." Noting that energy
consumption rates have overtaken' energy
production rates, he said developing tha new
ethic means man must conserve energy.
He listed energy sources such as wind,
nuclear fission and fusion, high-sulfur coal,
and solar energy as possible solutions to the
energy shortage, but, he said, these will not
be adequate to silve energy shortages.
The convocation was a part of Charter
Week at UNL It was sponsored by the
departments of geology and agricultural
economics, the University Convocations
Committee, The Water Resources Research
Institute and the department of public
relations.
r
Prof. Miiton Russell
Alcohol,
regent bills
advance
The Legislature cast a favorable glance toward students
Tuesday by advancing both the student regent bill and the
bi'l which would allow the sale and consumption of alcohol
on campus.
With no discussion and a 35-9 vote, the legislators voted
in favor of placing three students on the NU Board of
Regents. ,
The bill, LB323, now will be placed on the November
ballot for final approval, according to Mark Hoeger, ASUN
first vice president. The passage of the bill is significant, be
said, because "this is the first bill that has been initiated,
drafted and put through by students."
LB783, the bill to permit alcohol on campus, was
advanced to the floor of the Legislature by a 5-0 vote of the
Miscellaneous Subjects Committee.
acuny oenaie
emir nlan
By Lynn Silhasek
The Faculty Senate voted Tuesday
to accept the Academic Planning
Committee's report to review UNL's
new and existing academic programs in
light of enroilment changes, possible
budget cut bakes and shifts in academic
interests.
Entitled "Resource and Allocation
Report: Essential. Fuctions of UNL",
the document will ba used by
committee members and department
chairmen to evaluate how programs
coincide with the University's
functions.
Functions of the university
outlined in the report include
providing a quality education for all
Nybraskans, increased recruitment of
minority students and increased
student financial aid.
The report contains proposals for
resource allocations in three different
areas: for non-traditional, non-campus
programs; undergraduate programs
especially on tne rreshmen ievei; and
graduate programs.
Smaller class size and the use of
senior faculty members to instruct
freshman level classes are proposed for
the report
The report also advises that all
graduate programs need not ba
retained in their present form.
Both undergraduate and graduate
programs should involve the same
teaching faculty, according to the
report.
Proposals to strengthen UNL's
educational and research programs in
arees such as agriculture and rural
development also are encouraged,
according to the report.
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