This letter is in response to the letter by Josh Marsh [“Recycling not without several major flaws,” Sept. 20], who does not see any reason to recycle paper.

This idea is not a new one, and originally it was proposed in an article written in 1996 by John Tierney, libertarian writer for the New York Times.

Josh states in his letter, “Recycling requires energy ... more energy than was required to make the original product in the first place.”

According to the EIA Web site, a paper mill uses 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled paper than it does to make paper from fresh lumber. However, a recycling mill may consume more fossil fuels than a paper mill. Paper mills generate much of their energy from waste wood, but recycling mills purchase most of their energy from local power companies or use on-site cogeneration facilities. Also, making recycled paper does require fewer chemicals and bleaches than making all-new paper.

So, by the off-chance that these EIA facts are wrong, can you possibly think of another good reason to recycle paper and cardboard? Josh, did you ever consider that recycling paper also reduces landfill space. Do you really want more landfills? Paper is the No. 1 material that we throw away. For every 100 pounds of trash we throw away, 35 pounds are paper. Newspapers take up about 14 percent of landfill space and paper in packaging accounts for another 15 to 20 percent. For this reason alone, I would say recycling paper is a good idea.

I think the main reason people do not recycle – Josh, in particular – is because they are lazy and do not have any incentive to do so. No one is going to give you a gold star for recycling, this is true.

But do not try to justify your sloth by saying it is for the good of society and the planet.

You are not kidding anyone but yourself.

Renee Kopulos
PhD candidate, biology


There is no double standard when it comes to Jena 6 and black music. Everyone always wants to take the notice off the unfairness of the judicial system and apparent racism that still exists in 2007 and automatically blame it back on black artists and their music.

Why is it that people can’t take responsibility for their own actions, and instead blame the next person? I don’t condone fighting as the answer, but you can apparently see that the charges were a little extreme. Attempted murder for a fight, and the victim was out of the hospital the same night.

Being that Jena, La., is still full of racism and still has that old, Southern mentality, you can’t say those charges weren’t brought on for the simple fact that those six individuals were black, regardless of previous convictions.

If the tables were turned and six white males were accused of jumping a black male, they definitely wouldn’t be charged with attempted murder. People continuously put down black artists because their music is “so disrespectful to the black community,” but those same people don’t do anything to correct an unfair judicial system that clearly promotes racism and classism. Why is that?

Kelly Newsome
Senior, accountancy

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