text:
RE CIARlO Bethel College St. Paul. Minnesota December' 12. 1975
G. W. Carlson, Political Science professor and chief organizer for
"Evangelicals and Politics" conference.
Integration of faith an,d pOllitics
to be topic olf Janua;ry conference
by Kathleen Asselin
"Hopefully, students will more intelligently
integrate their faith with the local
and state politi<;!al questions," commented
Prof. G. William Carlson on the
outcome of next month's conference, "Evangelicals
and Politics in Minnesota."
The conference, which is on Monday,
January 12, will feature two key speakers
and four panels including local and state
politicians on four major Minnesota political
issues. The lectures and panel
discussions will be held in F A312 here
at Bethel.
Dr. Paul Henry, author of the book
"Evangelicals and Politics," will speak
in convocation. A· professor of political
science at Calvin College in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, Henry is the head of his
county's Republican Party which is also
the home territory of President Ford.
The second speaker, whom G.W. Carlson
calls "a provocative person," is Dr.
Erling Jorstad of St. Olaf College's history
department. Jorstad will deliver the
evening lecture on "Keeping the Faith
in the '20's: Minnesota Model Then and
"The first panel will discuss what roles
the Church plays in politics under the
topic of 'The Church and the Political
Arena,' " said G.W. Carlson.
"Criminal Justice and Evangelicals"
will be investigated in the second discussion
including panelists Dean Nyquist,
Republican candidate for Attorney General;
James Robertson, Lieutenant, Minneapolis
Police Department; and Norman
Overby, minority leader of Minneapolis
Urban League.
The relation of women with evangelicals
and politics will be covered in
the third panel, perhaps leading to discussion
of the ERA, abortion, and employment
The final panel is on ethics of evangelicals
and politics. G.W. Carlson suggested
such topics as open meeting laws,
campaign tactics, and the role of interest
groups in political questions as possible
The cost of the conference is $5 for
those who eat at the luncheon and dinner.
However, students can attend the lectures
and panels free of charge.
"Our purpose is to acquaint students
and faculty and interested people in the
community with the significant evangelicals
in Minnesota politics," said Carlson,
"as well as assisting us in thinking
through the political issues."
Schedule of events
11 :15-12:00
"Evangelicals and State and Local Politics:
Some Reflections"
Dr. Paul Henry
Calvin College
Professor of Political Science
12 :15-1:00
"The Church and the Political Arena"
Rev. Curtis Hereon - Minister, Zion
Baptist Church
Rev. Curtis Akenson-Former Pastor,
First Baptist Church (Mpls.)
Chairperson: Dr. Millard Erickson -
Professor of Theology, Bethel Seminary
"Evangelicals and Crimi~al Justice Policies"
Chairperson: Dick Ericson-Director,
Correctional . Service of Minnesota
Panelists: Dean Nyquist - Attorney,
Former Chairman Senate Criminal
Justice Committee, Republican Candidate
for Attorney General 1974
Jack Tierney - Attorney, Office of
Public Defender, Hennepin County
J ames Robertson - Lieutenant, Minneapolis
Police Department
Tad Jude - DFL State Representative
Norman Overby - Employment Counsellor,
Minneapolis Urban League
Schedule continued on page 6
on the insi'de ~
'Uncle Wiggily'
tourney info,
insights, p. 7
Enrollment limits n,ee-de-d
Guessing next year's student enrollment at Bethel is as
impossible as attempting to comprehend New York's financial
situation. The best way is to throw out the projections
and add, add, add .. and keep adding. For instance, look
at last year. The Board of Regents and the President's
Office informed us that the enrollment was projected to be
1565. Guess what. This year's enrollment is 1641. Now we
are told that next year's enrollment will be 1650. It would
be safe to assume, from past history, that the Bethel student
population will approach 1700.
Sure, this can be interpreted as a healthy sign. While
other schools fight to maintain enrollment levels, Bethel's
is skyrocketing. But the fact is that the quality of education
is declining as fast as the population is rising. The
college complex was built to hold 1500 students ... maximum.
We have exceeded this by 10 percent already. Students
pack the halls in passing periods like sardines, while the
average class size is rapidly rising beyond the bounds of
quality educational interaction. Teachers, due to this oppressive
weight of overcrowding, are forced to double up in
offices, and even to carve sections out of women's restrooms
for faculty space. Also, far too little student housing
is available for this overload of students, considering the
incredible lack of housing on New Campus (note: Nob Hill).
The argument, as has been expressed within the Board
of Regents, for the continual allowance of this overcrowding
is that some year Bethel enrollment will peak and decline,
and it is necessary to maintain a high student population.
This point is valid, and should be one of the factors in
considering enrollment. But the obvious question is : where
do we draw the line? When do we come to the point
where the quality of education cannot be diluted further so
as to maintain the numbers game?
We feel that we have ,reached this point now. We feel
that the present cannot be further destroyed for the sake
IRE CIi!1RIO
V'ol. 51 - No. 12
fhe Clarion is published weekly by
fhe sfudenfs of Befhel College and
welcomes concise leffers fo fhe
edifor. All leffers should be signed and
senf fo P.O. 91 by fhe Sunday preceding
Paul Healy
Bill Trollinger
Carla Hage
Mary Norton
Arlan Swanson
Duane Turner
managing editor
copy coordinator
production supervisor
business manager
of an unknown future. It is time for the Administration
and the Board of Regents to quit making "projections"
and start making "limits."
Studen1ts vote NO
The Bethel Heritage Project is now officially dead. The
Student Senate voted to end the program by a one-sided
vote of 29-2 Tuesday night, following the announcement of
the student referendum results. In voting on Monday and
Tuesday, the Bethel student body (or the 463 who did
vote) rejected Heritage by a slim 233 to 230 margin.
The Senate, by their vote, obviously took into account
that a program of Heritage's magnitude demanded a much
higher level of commitment than was shown by the student
In the final analysis, the death of Heritage can be
traced to two major causes. First, it suffered serious organizational
and management difficulties. It simply took Heritage
too long to decide just what it was, where it was going, and
what would be needed to get it there. Constant changes
in plans did little to spark student interest in the project.
Second, Heritage failed to communicate with students from
-the beginning a bout the aims and goals of Heritage. Illj
reality, few people really knew about Heritage, and fewer
Merry Christmas, Bethel
Much has been written decrying the materialistic glitter
attached to twentieth-century Christmas. Much has been said
arguing for a return to basic values underlying this holiday
season. We agree with this, and join in criticizing
much of what has been attached to Christmas.
Essentially, though, we love Christmas. Of all the holi ..
days that are celebrated in the year, Christmas is the most
meaningful spiritually. In addition to this, other by-products
of the Christmas holiday are treasured throughout the entire
year. For instance, the strengthening of family ties at
this season is important.
We hope that each student carries home with him/her
the very sacred and personal nature of Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
______________F_r_e_e_ __C__o_u_p__o__n_ _____________ II
1748 N. Lexington
Coupon entitles Bethel students to
75c off on any Large Pizza
or 2 Spaghetti orders
Delivery of same.
Eat In - Carry Out
"--__Le t_te_r_s _- --II
KABYo'dded to fu,tili,ty list;
dou'ble s'to:ndo1rd deplored
Dear Sir:
In recent weeks we have been entertained with 'articles
on efforts in futility. We would like to add to this list.
Rumor has it that there is a radio station on Bethel's '
campus. At least we have heard many sounds (?) in the
third floor hallway by the LRC. KABY has been accused
of being the source of much of this racket. After Thanksgiving
vacation these sounds took a marked turn for the
worse. Our ears were no longer caressed by the delightful
sounds of Christian music. The ev:il of secularism had onXe
again invaded our campus.
To be specific, KABY played secular Christmas music.
We strongly feel that this is a double standard. We were
told last year by the KABY manager (Clarion, February
21, 1975) that this year KABY would play "music that is
definitely Christian." Why was this principle compromised
during the Christmas season? In our opinion, Christmas is
the most important time to emphasize Christ's birth. Secular
Christmas songs can only detract from the incarnation of
Christ and all the religous significance which we as Christians
place upon it during this time of the year, while
the rest of the non-Christian world sees it increasingly as
a secular holiday, which their Christmas music so typically
Don't get us wrong. We enjoy "Frosty the Snowman"
just like the rest of you. Our point is that KABY should
be consistant. If we can listen to secular music at Christmas,
why should KABY ban it for the rest of tbe year?
But, to truly be honest, we, with the majority of the
Bethel community, don't really care because we never listen
to KABY. In fact, we just wish that it would quit wasting
our money and cease to exist. KABY, in our estimation, js
the pinnacle of all efforts in futility.
Merry Christmas!
Yours when things were rotten,
Larry Caldwell
Paul Berry
Olivet a,ap,tist def,ends ;,ts uso'ge
of ,obsu'rdit;es in' o'dvertis;'n'g
Dear Sir:
In' a letter to the Clarion a few weeks ago, the Olivet
Baptist ad was classed as an absurdity along with the
anti-erosion creek walls and the short banking-window hours
at Bethel. We are glad that people notice our ads. True,
they may be ridiculous, but we thought the Clllrion needed
a touch of the absurd. We never thought that such ridiculousness
would spread to the letter section. But we hope the
people will keep on reading our ads. (They won't even need
a dictionary to do it!) If they come to Olivet they might
find it is not so ridiculous after all.
tJohn. Hoeldtke
In my opinion -
Betheillgal, II tired of women/s lib
gripes, argues f'or new outlook
by Joan Brand
I do not claim to be a literary wizard nor a woman
with a background in theological whatnot. I am a gal serving
the Lord, and that alone should give me some qualifications
to write on this subject. I have been at Bethel for three
years, although my class has left. During my times here
and away, I have watched with observant eyes and listened
intently to the opinions concerning women.
Put the article aside, if you wish, muttering under your
breath, "Another one of those." But may I remind you
that avoiding it will nat bring about any helpful answer.
It is and will continue to be a concern among Christian
circles as well as the secular ones. I request your prayerful
attitude as I seek to express what has long oeen on
my heart.
I, too, tire of the cries to liberate the women, However,
if we search our history we cannot blame their outbursts.
It is a known fact - our sisters of yesteryear were
considered inhuman. I agree we have come a long way since
then; I am very thankful for those women who fought so
earnestly to gain what we now have. Yet, I fear to what
extent we may go.
As Christian women, our outlook should not be through
our eyes, as our nature desires, or as the world's, but
as Christ's. God created male and female according to His
design. We are made to compliment the man, not to compete
with him. Personally, I love being a woman and have no
desire to compete. When will we realize that Christ has
given us a high place? By accepting our place, we make it
our business to understand what our heavenly assignment
is and what we are capable of doing now. If it is God's
order for our life to have a career in marriage, then
we may do it. We are ordered, however, to fit into the
plans, and decisions our husbands will make. Before you throw
this out, may I say the man has definite tasks as well!
I am already liberated. Christians have the advantage
of being saved by grace in Christ. No freedom is free,
however; everything is bought with a price. The Christian
life is a disciplined one which stems from our love. I am
liberated by keeping God's rules, not breaking them. • Now, gentlemen, this is where you come in. I am not
pointing a finger at the female only. Please open YOUR eyes.
God has set at your feet definite responsibilities. y'ou love
as Christ loved. In marriage you equate your behavior toward
your wife, in the way Christ showed love toward the church.
You are' rolling your eyes, "Ah, I'm not married." So
you are not, but it is never too late to think. As Christians,
we are commanded to uplift one another. Your atti-
/ tudes need to be positive and your sensitivity keen to both
sexes. Looking for opportunities to encourage the opposite
sex should be continuous and genuine. This awareness is
essential for the single person but the practice should carry
on into a marriage.
Be alert, for your part is equally as important if not
more. Number one, a . Christian, whether m'an or woman,
must have a deep walk, a victorious walk, with the Lord
continued ,on page 5
Bethel graduates avoid
"dole" line; large percentage
employed or studying
by Gino Asselino
Not many of last year's Bethel graduates are in the unemployment
lines. A survey conducted by the Pla<;ement
offic~ showed that out of 141 questionnaires returned, 136
of the class of 1975 are employed or in graduate school. The
survey revealed these figures on the breakdown of -Jobs:
Business and Government e
Medical Technicians 2
Military Service 1
Miscellaneous Occupations 39
Graduate School 41
Homemakers 2
Seeking teaching positions
IIW'e alre ready to a'ssist anyone in
finding 01 job, p/an'nling' gradua,te.
-stu'diles, or c-ounsf}/ing towatds a
/I car'e'er •..
According to Paul Redin, Director of Placement and
Career Counseling, only 89 out of last year's graduating class
of 209 were registered with this office. Of these, 56 students
were ed~cation majors and 33 were non-education. While the
Placement office maintains' a good reputation with the Education
Department (out of 47 seeking jobs last year, 44 are
now teaching), Redin stresses that all students can use this
"We are ready to assist anyone in finding a job, pla~ng
graduate studies, or counseling toward a career," he said.
"Our services are available not only to up-coming graduates,
but also to students looking for part-time work, alumni,
or anyone who has ever attended Bethel."
Redin, whose office is just inside the chemistry lab
on the first floor of the AC Center, said that the Placement
department assists job applicants in improving interviewing
techniques, representing themselves well in resumes,
and presenting good, honest credentials on letters of application.
The State Employment Service has agreed to provide
Bethel with a microfiche feed of daily job openings, according
to Redin. This service will begin in early January and
will include a listing of Civil Service jobs and about a hundred
part-time positions.
For non-teaching jobs, Redin is "making contacts with
industries and personnel offices for a file on company
resources and postions." Last week, some personnet directors
were introduced to the school by attending the Christmas
Festival and the President's reception. Redin said that
he invites key personnel people to come to Bethel and "take
a fair look around."
"They are constantly amazed that they haven't heard
more about Bethel," he said.
"Our aim is to help companies think 'Bethel students'
when it comes time to hire," Redin continued. "If they are
given some exposure, I'm confident our students can hold
their own in landing the job:"
Now Featuring
Steak & Lobster at $4.69
While Supply Lasts
Breakfast - ' Lunch - Dinner
West Co. Rd.. E at Snelling
Across from Flaherty's Bowl
continued from page 3
,continually. Two, do not abuse your God-given rights as a
man. Remember to be sensitive to a woman's emotions. Along
with this comes the basis for any relationship - communication.
How vital it is to express feelings and thoughts;
don't make us guess what is going on in your head. Last
of all, I have learned for myself and from others that a
domineering woman does not desire to be that way. Rather
she finds joy in allowing the one she loves to take control.
It will not work if her man is not a man of God; a woman
must feel she is submitted to a wise man (and a man is
lost without the Lord's wisdom). She MUST be able to
respect and admire any decision he may make or else she
will take control of the situation, leaving her miserable . .
My plea goes out to the older Christian man, whose
life can be an example to our younger men. There are
so many women's' groups and I hope these elders will be
convicted to begin men's classes. I fear men are becoming
passive, backing away from their responsibility as leaders
in their homes. They are becoming more willing to sharethe
work load in their' marriage, in order to gain material
things, and in turn, are weakening their role.
Yes, we are one in Christ but given distinct instructions,
both as individuals and as a . sex. I pray our hearts will
be open to these things ' and may both sexes be freed.
Academic, Professional and
Spiritual Development
for Church Leaders
Eastern is a seminary of the American Baptist Churches
. ... interdenominational in student body, adjunct faculty
and board of directors .. . . approved by the Philadelphia
Presbytery and several Methodist conferences .... A.T.S.
and Middle States accreditation.
Degrees offered: M.A.R., M.Div., D.Min.
For information, write to Dr. Daniel E. Weiss, President
.Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary
PleaJie send Eastern Seminary information to:
Address ______________________ _
College ________ --'-________ _ year _ __ _
Broken Arcs
by Bill Trollinger
I suppose that if we allowed ourselves, we could really
become depressed. I~ we were ' realistic, if we were honest
with ourselves, if we looked at the facts, life would tend
to be a rather oppressive weight. Why? Because most of us
are basically losers. Think about it. For every twentypoint-
a-game basketball star, there are five hundred hapless
intramural players. For every straight A, three-scholarship
intellectmll, one thousand last-minute, test-cramming, barelypassing
students exist. For every beautiful blonde or Joe
Atlas, ten-thousand stringy-haired brunettes or gangly, bonyelbowed
stringbeans file through life.
No question about it, life is unfair. While a few, a miniscule
few, get the talent and the looks, the rest of us
remain in futile obscurity. This is not sour grapes; this is
not pathetic whining for glories lost or chances missed -
this is life.
Or, maybe, this was life. Finally, the day has come
·for the talentless mob to step forward and claim an equal
right to victory. That's right, an equal and fair chance.
Now it is possible for you, no matter how luckless, worthless,
or hapless, to shine. The chance of a lifetime is
here! This Interim 1976 will see the first annual Bethel
College "Uncle Wiggily" Tournament. Yes, an "Uncle Wiggily"
Tournament. For the uninitiated, Uncle Wiggily is a box
game in which the players "hop" through a series of
adventures (fox dens, etc.) to reach the final goal. The
"hopping" consists of each player alternately choosing a card
which tells how many hops you can take. ' The card also
provides a rhyme, i.e., "Take two hops as you know you
should/ For Mrs. Wigglewumps thinks you have been good.
(Lit students take note: the rhyme scheme is a rather consistent
As should be obvious, "Uncle Wiggily" is a game
that requires no talent, no athletic prowess, no int~
lligence. It is time for the 99 percent of us who are
basic losers to stand up and participate in a contest that is
lair. And so, we (Bethel Foundation for the Obscure Majority)
invite you to register for this event. Put your name
and P. O. number in P. O. 1404 or 1405 (entry blank
provided below). Elimination games will begin in January.
Two quarters will be collected in January for each contestant,
because an "Uncle Wiggily" trophy (a rabbit with the
inscription underneath: "1976 Uncle Wiggily champion") will
be awarded the winner. Also, it is hoped that an "Uncle
Wiggily" T:shirt will be given to all semi-finalists. Enter
immediately! Don't miss this chance to enter the only
totally fair tournament!
(One final note. This tournament might appear to be
purely Calvinistic, with all moves and outcomes determined
totally by fate. Free-willites might be offended. Thus, let it
be emphasized that this tournament is not-attempting to make
a theological statement, although a cha~l lecture series in
February concerning the impact of this tournament could be
considered. )
• -II-Un-cl-e W-igg-i-Iyll-t-ourney-e-nt-ry-b-Ia-nk-1
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ~
continued from page one
"Evangelicals, Women and State Politics"
Chairperson: Margaret Dewey - Director,
Bethel College Learning Resource
Panelists: Carolyn Ring - Co-chairperson,
State Republican Party,
Evon Baccheus - Minnesota ~OW
State Board
Harlan Christenson - Sargeant at
Arms, Minnesota House of Representatives
Joyce Wilde - Administrative Assisant,
City of Richfield
"Evangelicals, Ethics and Politics"
Chairperson: Dr. Al Glenn - Professor
of Theology, Bethel College
Panelists: Arlen Erdahl - Public Service
Quenton Alfors - Director, Greater
Minneapolis Association · of Evangelicals
Peter Meintsma - DFL Mayor of Crystal
Glen Sherwood - DFL State Representative,
Pine River (4B)
6:00-7 :00
"Evangelicals and Politics in Minnesota:
Historical Perspective" Dr. Erlng
J ors.tad ...:... Professor of History,
St. Olaf College
1315 4th St. S.E.
Dinkey town (Mpls.). 378-1161
Xerox 6e. w fRog paper 7e
Typing available - I-day binding
1713 N. Snelling
For Appointments
call 646-2323
In short • • •
Lundquist to go on sabbatical;
DeVries tofill presidential shoes
by Dawn Hart
Anyone who visits the President's office
of Bethel College and Seminary between
February 1 and August 1 will be greeted
by the congenial face of Harvey
DeVries. , DeVries, the Vice President
of Public Affairs, will be filling the
responsibilities of the office while President
Lundquist takes a six month sabbatcal.
LundqUist's present proposed sabbatical
includes research ' and writing on
the development of a balance between
the devotional and intellectual life of
the Cl1ristian.
DeVries' job will be a period of de-veloping
external pUblicity for ,the college
which will include the annual tour of
the country concluding in a report to
the Baptist General Conference. Other
responsibilities will be on-campus administrative
matters, such as the budget
"I expect that I will be generally
working with the other administrators
on the campus and the Board of Regents,
and will assume the full responsibility
of the President during Lundquist's
term of absence," DeVries said. "The
Deans will run the College and Seminary.
I'll be keeping them accountable for
what goes on."
Forensics team continues rebuilding,
sweeps Hennepin CC tournament
A cause for thanksgiving at the Bethel
College chapel service of praise on November
26 was the presentation by David
Lee, Instructor in Speech, of the Sweepstakes
Trophy earned by Bethel students
at the North Hennepin Community College
Forensics Tournament last Saturday.
Ten colleges and universities from
Minnesota and Wisconsin competed in
this day-long event where -Bethel accumulated
25 points for the first-place award.
Second place was awarded to Macalester'
College on the basis of 19 points.
Of six categories , entered by Bethel's
16 entrants, Mark Thorson placed first
in Poetry; Michelle Fransen and Larry
Jacobs placed first and Mary Fiess and
Mark Thorson placed second in Dramatic
Duo; Bill Fraatz placed first in Extemporaneous
Speaking and second in' Expository
Speaking; and Linda Hermann
placed second in Prose Interpretation.
Other Bethel finalists in these categories
also helped in attaining the Sweepstakes
In his six-minute extemporaneous addres,
s. Bill Fraatz chose to sp&ak on
the question, "Can anyone stop the rush
for Hubert Humphrey in the 1976 Democratic
presidential nomination?" As a
se:lsoned Minnesotan, Bill opened his remarks
by stating, "if politi.cal prognostication
is anything like weather forecasting,
get ready for a snow job!"
After several years lapse, Bethel is
in the rebuilding stage of its forensics
program. In juniOr varsity competition '
November 14-15 with 25 schools at the
University of South Dakota, Brookings,
J 0 Beld and Bill Fraatz of Bethel placed
second. David Lee, a graduate of Whitworth
College and the i Unversity of
Minnesota, is in his first year as forensics
coach at Bethel.
County Road E2 & 35W
New Brighton, Minn. 55112
Complete Auto Service
Tune Ups - Air Conditioning - Brake Work
Complete Exhaust Systems
Towing - Car Starts
IIWe serve many satisfied Bethel patrons"
1I0ver-the .. hillll applicants note:
. Sem lifestyle expectations systematized
Each year numerous Bethel College graduates make the
short trip "over-the-hill" to attend Bethel Theological Seminary.
Many present Bethelites are even now considering the
possibility of "going on" to Sem, and I'hay be wondering
just what will be expected of them academically, socially,
and even spiritually.
Truly, Bethel Seminary is an excellent school that prepares
many fine young people for church work. It is a strong
school academically, and students must keep on top of their
work to succeed. Lifestyle requirements are quite similar
to the college and should provide no major problems for
.Bethel graduates. It would seem that one would have little
trouble adjusting to Sem life, since a Bethel grad is well-acquainted
with studying and lifestyle requirements.
There does seem to be a number of unwritten rules, however,
that could be classified as social mores. To the beginning
. Sem student, these could cause some initial adjustment
problems. Much of one's on and off-campus behavior
is determined by these mores, so pre-Sem students should
make a concerted effort to study them and prepare themselves
for their new life at Sem.
The following is a semi-organized listing of these mores.
(It should be noted that these are a result of our observations
of Sem students over the past several years.)
DJ,"ess and General Appearance
I. A beard is virtually mandatory. Pencil line beards appear
to be "in" of late. Note, however, that mustaches are taboo
- beards only.
.II. High-water- flares seem to always be in order for oncampus
dress. Optional clashing shirts (top button always
buttoned) are also quite popular. Remember, taste will not
be tolerated!
III. Attache cases (note: not brief cases) are a must for the
Sem student. They should have the following characteristics
in order to be acceptable:
1) They should be the variety that makes a loud click
when opened, in order that the entire class may know that
you are present with your attache case.
2) It should have an ichthus sticker on it.
Special Vocabulary
IV. A workable theological vocabulary is important, if not
I fast efficient service at the
John W. Ivance Compan,
1618 Pioneer Bldg.
John W. Ivanee, Sr.
John W. Ivanee, Jr.
John G. Chisholm
Russell Akre .
Life - Auto - Home
St. Paul, Mn. 55101
essential, for Sem life. Terms like dispensational, eschatalogical,
and hermaneutical are only basic. Be prepared to
work these words into every conceivable conversation, even
if they don't seem to fit.
V. Name-dropping is a must for the Sem student. Examples:
"How would Tillich respond to that," "He's as far off
base as Bultmann" and "What would Bernie Ramm do?"
VI. It is very important that Seminary students have a
working knowledge of 1960's "youth culture" language. You
never know when you might become a youth pastor, and will
need to "relate" with kids. Phra,seS such as, "get your
head together," "put it all together," "get inside my head,"
and "find out where he's coming from," are of significant
value to any youth leader. Warning: Do Not Be Current!
Cars a.nd Driving Etiquette
VII. Make sure that you have either a foreign car or
a van.
'VIII. Whatever you do, DON'T STOP AT THE STOP SIGN
NEAR THE GYM AT THE COLLEGE!! This is an absolute
must! If a college student does not give you the rightof-
way, honk at him!
IX. Bumper stickers are fashionable, and .to really be accepted
at Sem, one should display at least two. Favorites include:
"Honk if you love Jesus," and "God loves atheists
X. When parking at the College make sure that you take
up more than one spot. Vans are expected to occupy at
least three spots. Some third-year diagonal specialists have
been known to get five or six spots.
General Behavior
XI. Greek flash cards should be carried at all times. When
there is a noise lull in the coffee shop or library, ripple
them so that one and all can hear.
XII. When at a party or Sem get~together, Billy Graham
impressions can serve as the ' Sem students' lampshade. For
the untalented, Bob Jones and Oral Roberts jokes are in
order. For the experienced card, Calvinist jokes wiJl bring
a consistant laugh.
Xli. When participating in athletic events, g is essential
that you lose your temper. Injuries are a must; don't stop ,
a game until somebody has to be carried off the floor.
on any large or X-large Pizza!
(ollege Night
Tuesdays 5-12
Falcon Heights Pizza Hut
'Acmy Nurse' returns after 16 years to finish studies
by Kathleen Asselin
Valerie Buchan, part-time nurse in the Health Service,
is prepared to handle any emergency with military efficiency,
A reserve officer in the Army Nurse Corps, Major
Buchan has served five years on active duty since she last
attended Bethel in 1959.
"Being in the Army has been a good experience for me,"
she said.
After basic training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas,
Valerie worked for two years in an Army Hospital north
of Tokyo. Then in 1968, the Army assigned her to an
-evacuation hospital in Vietnam near Tay Ninh.
"The hospital was locat~d in Cu Chi which is northwest
of Saigon and close to the Cambodian border," said VaL
"My job was head nurse in the emergency room or
sorting area."
She served the remainder of her active duty at Fort
Falcon Heights Pharmacy
1797 N. Snelling Ave.
(Larpenteur at Snelling)
9 A.M to 10 P.M. Daily
(including Sun.)
• Free prescription delivery to Arden Hills campus
• We cash checks for Bethel students with 10.
Devens in Massachusetts before returning to Minnesota. Four
years in the coronary care unit of the V. of M. Hospital
preceded her move to Bethel.
"Within the profession, the pressure is on nurses to
continue education beyond the two or three-year diploma,"
said Valerie, "and I was never satisfied with the amount
of education I had."
Registered as a second-semester sophomore, Valerie completed
three semesters at Bethei in 1958-59.
"Although I was unfamiliar at first with the new campus,_
I don't find much difference in Bethel's attitudes and interests
since then," she commented.
"I enjoy being able to learn in an atmosphere with
Christian emphasis as well as high scholastic standards,"
Val continued. "The competition is keener here at Bethel."
Valerie said that she feels accepted on campus by students
and faculty alike. She chuckled as she added, "Sometimes
students walk up to me and ask if I'm the professor."
Assigned to the 55018t V.S. Army Hospital, Valerie said
her unit is known at Fort Snelling as the "Hospital in
Mothballs." According to Val, this name is due to the
fact that their equipment is locked up until the unit is
activated in a national emergency. Her reserve training of
one weekend a month is spent at St. Paul Ramsey HoS'
pital in nursing care.
Studying sociology "for a better understanding of people,"
Val claims she has enough time outside of her Health
Service duties to hit the books. _
She explained, "We've got a healthy crowd here at
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Bodienites fiddle
as tro'sh burns
by Dawn Hart
Monday morning at Bodien started off
with a little heat and smoke as a fire
raged in the waste bin located in the
back of the dorm. At 9 :20 the firetruck
was pouring cold water on the
blaze ' under the watchful eyes of the
firemen, Bodien's houseparents, and several
heads peering through the dorm
The mishap occurred when the ashes
from the Bodien lounge fireplace were
tossed into the paper-filled bin. The
ashes, from the previous night's entertainment,
were supposedly cold, but were
still smoldering and immediately caught
the papers on fire and caused the aerosol
cans in the bin to explode. After
attempting to put the fire out with fire
extinguishers and water, the fire department
was called. It was explained that
the fire department was called as a
precautionary measure to be sure the
fire was out before the garbage truck
The three perfo'rmances of Fe'stival of, Christmas this last weekend
drew 5,500 people, the best attendance in past years.
Narrations during the performances were done by Pastor James
Spickelmier and hi$ wife, Carole. Paul Feiler on the trumpet, Dennis
Loong, Marcia Palmquist, Wanda Truehl, and Jennifer Woods performed
solos backed by the cho,irs.
Money received from the ticket sales ov.er and above costs for
the productions -will be given for student' aid scholar~hips.
Foreign student adiusts to college life
by Beth Klingensmith
, Lalrinpuii Chhangte (Puii) came to
Bethel from Assam this fall with her
sister (Lalnunthangi). She will probably
not return home until she gradua!es.
_ "Bethel and America have really been
nice to us," says -Puii.
Puii speaks fluent English, having
learned it at home and having attended
English schools in Assam. (Her own
Indian language is called "Mizo.") Puii
estima tes she has spent a total of seven
years away at schools in Assam.
"Being away at school teaches one
to be an individual and how to live
with other people," she says. The adjustments
Puii has had to make here
have come easily, she thinks.
Puii and her sister were encouraged
to come to Bethel by qer father, C.L~
Rema, who attended Bethel Seminary'
for one year in 1972. PUii's father is
a Medical Administrator and Field Coordinator
for the Baptist General Conference
in Assam. Puii and her sister left
one sister and three brothers at home.
The political upsets that have taken
place in India over the past few years
have been a part of Puii's life" too.
In 1964 Puii's father resigned from a
high government position to accept the
administrative post with the mission after
most foreign missionaries were expelled
from the country.
When the Bangladesh confrontation
came about, Puii's parents and' her brothers
were here in the U.S. Refugees
came as close as 60 miles from the
school which Puii attended. Older students
went down to help with the dis-tribution
of food.
"It was a very tense time," says
Puii. Puii her self worked every Saturday
for three years in an orphanage near
her school. The orphanage was run by
the Sisters of Mother Theresa and Puii
did everything from washing floors and
vvindows to caring for the children.
About the controversy concerning Mrs.
Ghandi, Puii S:lYs, "She is a great lady;
she has done a lot for women in India.
She had to do what she did because
the opposition was so extremist."
Puii likes Bethel's campus and enjoys
being included in the activities here.
"I went to the first football game,"
says Puii, "but I didn't understand too
much of it." Soccer and field hockey
are the main sports in her own country.
REJOICE with U'S"
After 3 years, the Christian
Service van is paid for. Thank
you all and· to God be the glory!
'Christian Service
revi'ew ,
Chri's,tmas Carol superb
,by Kathleen Asselin
New spice has been added to Charles Dickens' classic
tale of "The Christmas Carol. " In the Guthrie Theater
production, Dickens himself narrates the dramatized story.
The author, played by Peter Michael Goetz, struggles to complete
his boo~ on Christmas Eve amidst interruptions by
well-wishing family and friends. '
Goetz~ as Dickens, glibly escorts the audience from one
scene to the next. From the bleak offic.e of Scrooge and
Marley, to the cheery Cratchit home, and through the
ghostly night before Christmas, the stage melts from one setting
to another.
The arrival of each ghost covers the gamut of technical
wizardry. Marley emerges in chains and smoke from
a fiery chasm; the Ghost of Christmas Past is a silverlamed,
neon-lit apparition; Christmas Present rolls on the
stage as a mound of blubber, spouting flames from his
horn-of -plenty; and; lastly, the phantom of Christmas
future appears out of a fog.
Although the kids in the cast nearly steal the show, no
one touches the King Donovan performance as Ebenezer; .
Scrooge. He is as snide and sardonic and believable as
a 17th century Archie Bunker. With his "tight-fisted hand
at the grindstone," the rascal grabs every available laugh
and "humbugs" his way into your heart.
After his reluctant journey through time with the Christmas
spirits, Scrooge repents for his greedy life, fervently
promising to "honor Christmas in my heart and try to
keep it all the year!"
The hilarity of the show is undone by Scrooge's antics
as he discovers the magic of giving. If anything can renew
the charitable spirit of Christmas an<~ make "goodwill among
men" an earthly possibility, the Guthrie Theater's "Christmas
Carol" can.
Matmen fall to Tommies' . .
by Bruce Olsen
The Royal wrestling team lost a close match last Saturday
to the College of St. Thomas by a score of 25:"
19. Two Bethel forfeits at the 126 and the 142-pound
weight classes were main contributors to the loss.
After a loss at 118 and the forfeit at 126, Bethel finally
found a winner in freshman Scott Urquhart. It was
Urquhart's first victory of the season and probably the most
exciting match of the afternoon. A nice comeback effort
in the third period helped to nail down a 14-7 decision.
After the second Bethel forfeit at 142, Mike Reeves
decisioned his opponent in a close match, 5-4. Reeves, another
new wrestler this season, has been filling in nicely at the
150 class.
A decisioned loss at 158 brought on Rick Smith, Bethel's
167-pound wrestler. Smith, who is the captain of the
team, had his opponent eating the mat or looking at the
ceiling for most of the match, as he won 20-6.
At 177, Jeff Zitzloff won by default when he applied a
bear hug on an opponent and apprently squeezed too hard.
Mike Kingbird obtained a draw at 190 when his opponent
seored a point on advantage time. The score of the match
was 2-2. The Royals lost at heavyweight.
Bethel's next meet will be tomorrow in a triple dual.
It will feature a rematch against St. Thomas, plus Concordia
College and Jamestown. The meet will begin at 12
noon and be held in the Bethel gymnasium. The Royals are
expected to have wrestlers at all weight classes.
Fraud charges levied against Bethel, Lundquist
by Patrick Repp
According to a recent article in the Minneapolis S1ar
(Tuesday, December 2, 1975), Bethel College and Seminary
President Lundquist and two oil promoters have been sued
for $800,000 by persons who claim they were bilked into
investing in worthless oil and gas leases.
Dr. Lundquist and Otto Janke, former administrator of
St. Paul-Ramsey Hospital, have been charged by 17 plaintiffs
- St. Paul businessmen, doctors, their wives, and others
- with having been "used as fronts to give credibility and
legitimacy" to leases sold four years ago by two West
Virginia oil and gas wells developed by the Prior Oil Well
Drilling Co., Parkersburg, W.Va., and Joseph P. Smith
Builders, Sanford, N.C.
According to Robert King, Bethel attorney, the college
became involved in the matter during the 1971 convention
of the Baptist General Conference here in St. Paul. Joseph
P. Smith, attending the convention, donated some shares
of the leases to the college through Lundquist and Janke,
who was director of the college's fund raising committee.
In rebuttal to the claims of the plaintiffs, King argues that
Lundquist and Janke were merely among investors who
lost money in the venture and had nothing to do with
promoting the sale of the stock.
The investments, designed for the purpose of seeking tax
shelters to reduce tax liabilities, produced some small returns
at first, but eventually fell off. Janke and Lundquist claim
losses of $30,000 and $12,000, respectively.
On Monday (the 8th), Judge Edward J. Devitt of St.
Paul U.S. District Court dismissed four of the eight counts
in the suit, but left four remaining in the case, which is
expected to go to trial today. Devitt dismissed three counts
that deal with the offer for sale of unregistered
securities on the grounds that the complainants failed to
comply with the statute of limitations. Also dismissed was
a charge dealing with failure to comply with state registration
laws. Remaining in the case are the four other
counts which concern the alleged fraudulent actions on the
part of the defendants.
Various sources, some of whom are close to the case,
feel that an out-of-court settlement is imminent, but neither
Lundquist nor the lawyers involved in the case were willing
to confirm this before the Clarion went to press. All those
who are closely involved with the matter are extremely
cautious in terms of the information that they are willing
to release, for fear that it might hurt their case.
Third Annual Track Maratho-n
Runners set record - 245 miles
Last weekend the Bethel Track team held their Third
Annual Track Marathon. Starting at 3 :15 on Friday afternoon
and continuing for 24 hours until 3 :15 on Saturday
afternoon, one member of the track team was always running
around the track at Ramsey High School. This year
the team set their goal at running 235 miles in that 24-hour
time span. Last year the record was set at 225 miles.
Under the expert leadership of team captain Bruce Peterson
and with the weather conditions cold but favorable
(except for the snow which had to first be swept off
one lane of the track), the track squad smashed last year's
record and their own estimations by running a brilliant
245 and one-half miles. Individually, Larry Caldwell totaled
the most miles with 16 and one-half while Dave Clapp
ran 16 miles and Curt Brown ran 13 miles. Over 25 people
participated in the event.
The purpose of the marathon was three-fold: to send
qualifying runners to national caliber track meets in the
spring, to help defray spring break track expenses, and, with
any of the left-over monies from the above, to increase
the fund which will eventually be used to build a track
on Bethel's campus. Money will be received from students,
faculty, alumni, and friends who pledged a certain amount
of money for each mile run in the 24 hours. After the holidays
those who pledged money will receive a statement in
the mail telling how much they will donate to the track
team according to what they pledged per mile.
"I was really proud of the guys who ran," Bruce Peterson
commented afterwards. "I really didn't think we'd
get that many miles because of the cold weather. Special
thanks goes out to all of you who pledged."
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OC West dominates 1M basketball
by Scott Anderson
1M basketball, part one, ended last week. The second
stage will begin in January and run through Interim.
Off-Campus West dominated the first half of the season,
winning all nine scheduled games and defeating TH I,
53-51, for the championship. Off-Campus East picked up the
consolation title when the Faculty did not field a team.
Looking back over the season, the unanimous winner of
the fictitious MVP award was Dan Taylor of the Faculty.
Taylor was ubiquitous and nonpareil. He brought his own net
to every game. The stats prove his greatness. In eight
games, Taylor scored 189 points for a 23.6 average. No
other player came c'lose in total points or average.
Rounding out the top five in individual scoring were
Rich Gustafson from Off-Campus West with 147, Pete Anderson
from West with 120, Greg Wilcox from TH II with 116,
and Dave Hepburn from TH II with 114.
Below Taylor in seasonal averages was John Van Loon
from Edgren Gold with 15.6 a game, Rich Gustafson of
N. P'o'rk S,a'turday
Roya'ls drop 5th straight
by Daniel Swanson
Last Saturday night the Bethel Royals went to visit
Augsburg and dropped their fifth straight basketball game,
88-49. Augsburg, defending MIAC champions, left no questions
as to the superiority of their club as they dominated the
game from the outset.
Augsburg, displaying a big, quick team, came out with a.
full court zone defense. They almost blew the Royals off
the court and after five minutes, the Royals were all but
out of the game. Numerous turnovers, including 28 bad
passes, accounted for the Royals' poor performance. Unable
to cope with the press, Bethel was down 49-24 at the half.
The Royals shot 38 percent from the floor while Augsburg
hit at a 40 percent clip. The difference was made
as Augsburg, through pressure defense and rebounding
strength, was able to get off 38 more shots than the Royals.
The second half of play did not see too much change
in the pattern of the game. Paul Healy led all Bethel
scorers with 14 points as he hit on six of ten shots. Craig
Oslin contributed ten points and Curt Oslin added nine.
Final score again was Bethel 49-Augsburg 88.
Last Wednesday, the Royals played St. Olaf at home.
Tomorrow night at 7 :30, Bethel will host North Park College
from Chic'ago. The two schools have met only once previously.
Two years ago, the Royals beat North Park in overtime
down in Chicago. North Park will surely have that in
mind as they come to play. The Royals will have to start
soon to change things around this season. This game is as
, good as any.
West with 14.7, Pete Anderson of West with 13.3, and Dan
Visel of Bright-N with 13.3. Van Loon was the unsung hero,
playing on a team that won only two games. Without any
help from his comrades, he totaled 94 points in only six
In other statistics, Off-Campus West generated the most
offense, averaging 164 points a game. They also recorded
the season high in a 109-26 shellacking of Edgren Green.
The faculty set the season record in team defense, holding
New Dorm to 22 points. Edgren Green, with an unscathed
record of 0-9, set two records: most forfeits (staying home
four times) and most impotent offense (scoring only 35.6
points a game).
The final standings:
New Dorm
IS around
bend .. "
d re.co,d al bUWl
-9r1end ., ..
Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.


text:
Back in May, a major study, California's Energy Future — the View to 2050, was released by an independent state science and technology advisory panel. It had two central findings:
- California can achieve emissions roughly 60% below 1990 levels with technology we largely know about today if such technology is rapidly deployed at rates that are aggressive but feasible.
- We could further reduce 2050 greenhouse gas emissions to 80% below 1990 levels with significant innovation and advancements in multiple technologies that eliminate emissions from fuels. All of these solutions would require intensive and sustained investment in new technologies plus innovation to bridge from the laboratory to reliable operating systems in relatively short timeframes.
This report is an incredibly strong endorsement of the "deploy, deploy, deploy, research & develop, deploy, deploy, deploy," strategy that I and others have been advocating. In fact, the report explicitly states that failing to adopt "Aggressive efficiency measures for buildings, industry and transportation" and "Aggressive electrification to avoid fossil fuel use" would "significantly increase the 2050 emissions."
Amazingly, Revkin asserts the exact opposite in "A Reality Check on Ambitious Climate Targets." Certainly misreporting on energy and climate in the NY Times is legion, as we've seen. But Andy Revkin's latest head-exploding post easily wins the "Charlie Sheen" award.
A leading journalist and climate expert, Robert Collier, debunked Revkin's "real spinning of the report" — see "Sticking the long knives into energy efficiency" (reposted below). It's worth spending some time on this because the report's actual conclusions and implications are very important to understand.
I have long asserted that it is not possible to make a positive contribution to the climate debate if you don't spell out what your emissions or temperature target (or range) is. Revkin's post proves that conclusively, as I will show.
Revkin claims in his post:
Given that California is a best-case scenario* compared to other states (and, of course, countries) far more dependent on coal, Long's piece and the underlying report pose a strong challenge to those calling for a "deploy, deploy, deploy" approach to cutting climate risks.
This is a link to — and swipe at — me, needless to say.
Blunder number one is for Revkin to assert the report challenges the aggressive deployment strategy for meeting ambitious climate targets. Quite the reverse. The report makes clear that without aggressive deployment, the target can't possibly be reached.
Revkin added the asterisk (*) because, buried way, way at the bottom of his post is this Postcript,
In a Twitter reaction, Alan Nogee, the former clean-energy program director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, noted that California's lack of coal dependence makes it more a worst case than a best case, because it doesn't have a lot of coal emissions that might be relatively easily displaced.
Duh. Rather than an asterisk, Revkin should simply remove his misleading error.
The fact is that California has been pushing efficiency and low-carbon electricity aggressively since the 1970s. It is considerably more efficient in its use of energy than almost every other state. For a long time now the CO2 intensity of its electricity (CO2/Mwh) has been nearly half that of the rest of the nation. So obviously the rest of the country — which is far more coal-intensive and inefficient — has considerably more low-hanging fruit for emissions reductions.
That's blunder two.
Blunder three is really the most amazing and amusing.
Revkin appears to be unaware that a 60% reduction vs. 1990 levels is the target that the IPCC believes the rich countries (Annex I) should adopt if the goal is to stabilize at 550 ppm CO2-eq. I discussed the science underlying this at length two years ago. Here's the key chart from the full Working Group III report (Box 13.7, page 776):
Now 550 ppm CO2-equivalent is about 450 ppm CO2 (because of the warming from the other greenhouse gases), and it means ultimately stabilizing at 3°C (5.4°F) above preindustrial levels using the "best estimate" of climate sensitivity — see the IPCC's Synthesis Report "Summary for Policymakers" (Table SPM.6).
Of course, Revkin continues to this day to only endorse his vague R&D-focused "energy quest" and criticize those of us (including the National Academy of Sciences) who push for strong emissions reductions starting now. Since Revkin refuses to tell us what level of concentrations he thinks the world should aim for — even a broad range, say 450 ppm to 550 ppm — he retains the luxury of attacking those who are willing to state what their target is while maintaining a faux high ground that they are being politically unrealistic while he can pretend his essentially do-nothing do-little* strategy is scientifically or morally viable, which it ain't.
That said, based on his new post, Revkin apparently thinks the target should be stronger than 550 ppm CO2-eq. After all, it's quite clear from the California report, which he does not dispute, that we should be able to meet the 60% below 1990 levels target by aggressively deploying existing technology. And yet Revkin says the report is a strong challenge to those of us who believe our climate strategy should be based on aggressive deployment. So apparently that target is too weak for Revkin since you only need the major technology advances for the stronger target.
On the other hand, it's hard to believe that he supports the 450 ppm CO2-eq target, which is roughly stabilization at 2°C given the IPCC's best estimate for climate sensitivity. He has spent so much time criticizing me and others who do lay out strategies to meet that target (and yes, those strategies include more R&D — everybody but the hard-core libertarians and fossil fuel types support more clean energy R&D).
Moreover, if Revkin does believe in the stronger target, his post makes even less sense. He would be implying that because we can only go most of the way with existing technology therefore we MUST NOT START aggressive deployment until we have every piece of technology available. Otherwise, why not start aggressive deployment now?
Obviously, the report he cites doesn't take that absurd view since it would mean a staggeringly greater amount of emissions in the near term — which means we would need even more breakthroughs and an incomprehensibly fast rate of deployment. There just is no logic underlying Revkin's post or his critique of aggresive deployment.
The bottom line is that by failing to spell out what target or range he supports, Revkin's critique of aggressive deployment implodes. Indeed, it backfires. It proves he cannot make a positive contribution to the debate until he spells out his climate target.
For the record, I do not know a single environmentalist who would not gladly agree to a bill requiring a nation-wide 2050 GHG target of a 60% reduction below 1990 levels — with aggressive deployment plus R&D and a reevaluation of the target every 10 years based on advances in science and technology.
Revkin seems painfully unaware of the fact that one of the best way to get major technology advances — if not the best way — is by deployment, not R&D (as I've explained many times, see "The breakthrough technology illusion") and in any case the two aren't mutually exclusive.
Finally, it bears repeating that, as we learned in 2009, "The world will have to spend an extra $500 billion to cut carbon emissions for each year it delays implementing a major assault on global warming, the International Energy Agency said on Tuesday."
Aggressive deployment (along with more R&D) is the only cost-effective strategy if you want to avoid catastrophic global warming.
Here is Collier's must-read piece:
Sticking the long knives into energy efficiency
A new, authoritative study has concluded that California can reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 using technologies that already exist or are in demonstration. By nearly any measure, that's good news. It shows that serious action on global warming is feasible right now and does not require futuristic technological breakthroughs that might never come to fruition.
But this message appears to have been bungled with a miserably bad communications strategy by the report's managers. As a result, the report is being spun as bad news that undercuts California's strategy of using energy efficiency regulations to reduce emissions.
The study, California's Energy Future — the View to 2050, was released in May by the California Council on Science and Technology, an independent state advisory panel. The document received almost zero coverage by the mainstream and new media, and it sank like a stone from the public view.
This past week, however, the study's co-author, Jane Long, a top official at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, wrote an article published in the scientific journal Naturethat subtly changed her own report's emphasis.
Long focused on the glass half empty — the fact that California's global warming law mandates that 2050 emissions reflect a reduction of 80 percent, not 60 percent. She explained at length the perfectly valid point that reaching 80 percent would require major technological breakthroughs. Yet she twisted a knife into the report's main strategy for getting to 60 percent:
Some say that we can radically reduce emissions with only a major emphasis on efficiency, or just by changing our behaviour. But what if it doesn't add up?
One might reply that in the current and foreseeable political climate, simply reaching 60 percent would be a colossal achievement. Getting to 80 percent is a pipe dream. Starting now with the politically accessible, low-hanging fruit — regulation-driven efficiency improvements — is what's needed.
A cynic also might say that Long's spin dovetails with Livermore Lab's deep vested interest in obtaining research funding for so-called "breakthrough technologies." Unlike the nearby Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, with which it is often confused, Livermore Lab focuses most of its energy/climate work on next-generation technologies, such as carbon capture and storage and nuclear fusion. Berkeley Lab, in contrast, is the Vatican of energy efficiency work, and it has played a central role in the development of California's global warming policies.
But the real spinning of the report was done by Andrew Revkin at the New York Times. Revkin is a prolific and often interesting blogger who also is a highly partisan advocate of the "breakthrough technologies" camp in climate politics.
Revkin devoted a long column Friday to Long's article. He gave only a brief, dismissive mention to the 60 percent angle and made a not-so-sly dig at his longtime nemesis in the intramural climate wars, blogger and energy efficiency guru Joe Romm of the Center for American Progress:
Given that California is a best-case scenario compared to other states (and, of course, countries) far more dependent on coal, Long's piece and the underlying report pose a strong challenge to those calling for a "deploy, deploy, deploy" approach to cutting climate risks.
But let's look at the report itself. It says that getting to the 60 percent mark can be accomplished through several key strategies:
- Aggressive efficiency measures for buildings, industry and transportation.
- Every existing building will either be retrofitted to higher efficiency standards or will be replaced.
- Electrification of transportation and heat wherever technically feasible.
- Developing emission-free electricity production with some combination of renewable energy, nuclear power and fossil fuel accompanied by underground storage of the carbon dioxide emissions, while at the same time nearly doubling electricity production.
- Finding supplies of low-carbon fuel to supply transportation and heat use which cannot be electrified, such as for airplanes and heavy duty trucks, and high quality heat in industry.
- 60 percent of light-duty vehicles will use electricity, so that the average fuel economy will be roughly 70 miles per gallon.
- The electricity generating capacity of the state will be almost entirely replaced and then doubled, and all with near zero-emission technology.
- Infrastructure to produce biofuels — costing tens of billions of dollars — will have to be built.
Not easy, but not impossible. Certainly a good strategy for the short and medium terms. Why has this good news gone so unheralded?
The good news has gone unheralded because most reporters ignore reports like this and the few that write about it, like Revkin, devote so much time to misleading or erroneous spin.
* The asterisk of mine above is because science journalist John Rennie — in his critique of any earlier Revkin post — balked slightly at my describing Revkin's "energy quest" strategy as "essentially do-nothing": "I'll differ from Joe in that I don't consider Andy's favored approach to be a do-nothing strategy: a quest for cleaner, more affordable energy would be scientifically and morally desirable for plenty of reasons, and it would almost certainly help to reduce future warming eventually. The problem is, there's a very good chance it would do too little, too late." Point taken. It is a "do-little" strategy.
Recall the words of Jigar Shah, a solar-industry rock star who founded the pioneering solar company SunEdison. In the first Climate Progress podcast, he candidly shared his views on why doubters of today's renewable energy technologies are so wrong:
It depends on the person … but often they're just too ignorant to know better. For some people, technology is not their sweet spot. They have other skills. And so when someone tells them, "technology is not ready," they just eat up those words … hook, line and sinker and then decide that's what their talking points are going to be. And with those people it's just sad that they don't read more.
Then there are actually people who are diabolical… This is by far the most interesting way to foil the progress of new technologies. That is, by saying that they're not ready. You know, you see this with the big oil companies. They'll say: "we need all of the above." Or they say: "we are huge supporters of solar and wind if only their costs would come down by 20%. Then, you know, if there were big breakthroughs in the technology, we'd be huge supporters."
No, that actually just means that they don't love solar and wind. It actually means that they hate those technologies and that, in fact, they are trying to figure out, using white lies, how to undermine those technologies. So we just have to call their bluff, as opposed to saying: "oh my god, they're our friends because they said something that seems to resonate with me." They're not your friend. They're actually trying to figure out how to play a nice PR trick to marginalize you.
Jigar actually thinks we could reduce CO2 emissions about 50% cost-effectively with existing technologies, but that by the time we finished doing so in a couple of decades, we'd have another array of cost-effective strategies to take us down another 50%.
The time to act is now. Anyone who says otherwise doesn't know what they are talking about — or is intentionally deceiving you.
Deploy, Deploy, Deploy, Research & Develop, Deploy, Deploy, Deploy.NOTE: I realize that both Revkin and Dr. Jane Long, the study's co-leader whom he cites, don't understand Rob Socolow's wedges and their relationship to these IPCC targets, so I am going to do a separate post spelling that all this out.
Related Posts:
- World's Engineers: "The Technology Needed to Cut the World's Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 85% by 2050 Already Exists"
- Breaking: Socolow reaffirms 2004 'wedges' paper, urges aggressive low-carbon deployment ASAP

subset: commoncrawl