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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1994)
Speaker tells garbage ‘truth’ Many have misconceptions about landfill contents, he says By Ann Stack Staff Reporter Garbage is a pretty dirty busi ness, one archaeologist says. Dr. William Rathje of the Uni versity of Arizona spoke Wednes day as part of the University of ■ Nebraska-Lincoln’s Environmen tal Studies seminars. His topic was “Digging Up Garbage: The Archae ology of Us.” “Garbage is the truth,” Rathje said. So, in 1987, Rathje set out to uncover that truth — literally. He began to dig up landfills. What he found may surprise some people. “There are two realities — the one that’s in our heads about the way we think things are going, and the reality of what’s going on every day. Those two realities are often very different from each other,” he said. The reality, he said, is that Styrofoam, fast-food containers and disposable diapers make up less than 3 percent of the space in land -it Garbage is the truth. —Rathje archaeologist -ft - fills. Even plastics make up only about 16 percent, Rathje said. Paper products, however, make up 40 to 50 percent of landfills, while construction demolition de bris makes up 20 to 30 percent. Rathje said among his main con cerns were misconceptions and ig norance about the composition of a landfill. “What worries me the most is the misunderstanding of what’s in a landfill — not that we won’t be able to deal with it,” Rathje said. “We need to use the fact that people believe there’s a garbage ‘crisis’ as efficiently as we can. As long as there have been humans, there’s been the problem of too much garbage,” he said. Rathje said that while recycling was a valiant effort, it was some times in vain. “Most people are not recycling. It isn’t taking stuff out to the curb. You collect and separate, but you don’t recycle. “Companies are not willing to buy a recycling plant until they know they’ll make money from it. In the United States of America, it’s politics and economics as usual,” Rathje said. Rathje said the term “recycled” was misleading, as most products were composed of reused materi als. He said the percentage of recy cled material in a product should be at least 15 percent. Rathje said the most practical solution to cutting down on gar bage was to create less from the beginning. Rathje is scheduled to speak again Thursday on the “History of the Garbage Project” and Friday on “Landfill Archaeology and Ground water Contamination.” Both seminars are sponsored by Environmental Studies and will be in the Bessey Hall auditorium. Wendy Wasserstein’s The \ Heidi Won 1989's Pulitzer Prize, Tony for Best Play, Drama Critics & Outer Critics Circle Awards! I^HRONICIvES Heidi Holland and friends zigzag through the perplexing times of their lives! February 17,18,19 & 22 thru 26, 1994 at 8:00 pm Howell Theatre - First Floor Temple Bldg - 12 & R Sts tickets: $8 General Public, $6 Students and Senior Citizens Group Rates Available Box Office: (402) 472-2073 hours: Noon to 5pm and three hours before curtain A University Theatre Lincoln production IN YOUR FACE 2*18*94 Bike opposition withdrawn By Heather Lampe Staff Reporter ASUN senators decided Wednes day to withdraw a resolution that op posed a proposed bicycle dismount zone within the core of campus. Ryan Hughes, student representa tive to the Parking Advisory Commit tee, fielded questions about the pro posal during openfonim and asked for opinions and ideas. Deb Silhacek, senator for the Col lege of Arts and Sciences, said the students she had talked to said the bicycle issue was just a matter of cour tesy. “They think it should be a courtesy type of thing, an understanding. Watch out for the other guy, and things would be fine,” she said. J.B. Howell, RESUME presiden tial candidate for ASUN, said in open forum that ASUN needed to take a strong stand against the proposed dis mount zone because, for the most part, bicyclists tended to be courteous. Howell also suggested that lines be painted on the larger campus side walks for bicycle paths. In other action, ASUN passed a bill suggesting the evaluation of teaching practices for first-year graduate assis tants. The bill calls for studying current practices of evaluating first-year grad uate students, conducting evaluations by students, and requiring formal train ing for first-year graduate students and faculty who have received little formal training in the past. Silhacek said she wrote the bill because during her years in college she had been focusing on the teaching quality at the university. “There needs to be some sort of class to prepare a first-year graduate student to teach. This prepares a per son to enter a classroom,” Silhacek said. Jolly Continued from Page 1 think about minority issues, Jolly said. “I can’t be the only person that holds responsibility,” he said. “Ifsome one else will take it, too, we’re moving forward as a university.” The Affirmative Action and Diver sity Office has two responsibilities, Jolly said. The office must first make sure that Affirmative Action laws are followed — that qualified people are given the opportunity to compete for positions. The Multicultural Affairs Office did this, Jolly said. He said the percentage of Hispanic applicants for a recent opening in the office was higher than the national and regional average. Of the five ap plicants who were interviewed, one was a Mexican American. The Affirmative Action and Diver sity Office’s second responsibility is to make sure Equal Opportunity laws are followed, Jolly said. These laws require that no appli cant be discriminated on the basis of sex, age, disability, race, color, reli gion, marital status, veteran’s status, national or ethnic origin or sexual orientation. Fair hiring, Jolly said, is only the beginning to creating a better envi ronment at the university. But focus ing only on hiring detracted from more important issues, he said. NU Press moves to campus hub From Staff Reports The University of Nebraska Press has a new home. After five years in the planning, the University News Service reported the press finally relocated its operations to the former Union Insurance Build ing, 14th and Q streets. The press had been located in Ne braska Hall. Despite the hassles of moving,press Director Willis Regier said he and his staff couldn’t be happier with their new home. “The location is much better. After being on the fringes of campus for so many years, we finally feel like we’re a part of the university,” he said. “We’re delighted to be just a block away from the State Historical Soci ety, a block away lrom the library anu a block away from the largest book store in Lincoln.” University Press employs more than 50 regular personnel and more than 50 students—far too many people for the press’s old site, Regier said. “We were so cramped, we literally had people working in closets,” he said. “The new location is so much more spacious.” Renovations at the new press head quarters will be complete as soon as a women’s rest room is finished, Regier said. And, although parking has be come a challenge for some, Regier has heard few other complaints. The University of Nebraska Com puting Network will move into the area vacated by the press. Employees may get tax break From Staff Reports Employees who receive tuition help from their employers may not have to pay taxes on it, according to the Inter nal Revenue Service. Employees may exclude up to $5,250 worth of qualifying employer provided educational assistance they received. This program is retroactive to July 1, 1992 and extends, currently, until Dec. 31, 1994. An amended return, Form 1040X, for 1992 can be filed by employees who were required to include in in come the value of educational assis tance provided by the employer begin ning July 1,1992. An educational assistance program is a written plan an employer estab lishes for employees. The employer may provide courses directly, pay for courses directly or reimburse employ ees for their educational expenses. Graduate-level courses also may qual ify for the exclusion. Employers and employees do not pay employment taxes on qualifying amounts and the value of the Qualify ing assistance is not included in the employee’s W-2 form. Employers may claim the value of the educational assistance they provide under a qual ified plan as an ordinary and neces sary business expense. IRS Publication 535, Business Ex penses, gives more information on educational assistance programs for employers. Employees can refer to Publications 508, Educational Expens es, and 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income. All are available at no cost by call ing the IRS at 1-800-829-3676. 11-Police Report Baginning midnight Monday 10:54 a.m.—Two-vehicle accident, Area 20 lot at 14th and W streets, $450 dam age 12:38 p.m.—Vandalism to vehicle, west Memonal Stadium meters, $75 damage 1:37 p.m.—Wallet stolen, Selleck Quad rangle, $22 loss 1:46 p.m. — Accident, Stadium Drive, $1,000 damage 1:58 p.m. — Supplies stolen, Architec ture Hall, $584 loss 8:41 p.m. — Purse stolen, Nebraska Union, $140 loss. 10:16 p.m.— Phone calls, Selleck Quad r angle. Baginning midnight Tuesday 7:49 a.m.—Radar detector stolen, Area 6 lot near Burr Residence Hall, $60 loss 12:46 p.m. — Wallet stolen, University Health Center, $90 loss 4 32 p.m.—Hit-and-run accident, S Street between 15th and 16th streets, $200dam age 6:50 p.m. — Burglary, Abel Residence Hall, $100 cash stolen. 6:52 p.m. — Phone calls, Smith Resi dence Hall
