Recent South Carolina newspaper editorials:
The Post and Courier
December 22
Bill would strengthen partnerships between HBCUs, agencies
Among the notable projects awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature during his final weeks in office is a welcome bipartisan move to help strengthen partnerships between historically black colleges and universities and federal agencies.
The HBCU PARTNERS Act transforms a Trump executive order into law by raising the profile of HBCUs within the federal government and establishing an advisory body at the White House, ensuring a dedicated path for their concerns. The measure, introduced by US Sens. Tim Scott, RS.C., and Chris Coons, D-Del., Should also help minimize shocks on HBCUs highly dependent on changes in federal policies that inadvertently damage their finances and their students’ well-being.
About 70% of the more than 225,000 students enrolled in the country’s 107 HBCUs require financial assistance that comes largely from federal sources.
The lack of an active channel for the White House to address HBCU’s concerns and priorities has led to an sometimes rugged path for these critical institutions during President Barack Obama’s term. Obama’s first budget cut funding for these schools by more than $ 70 million, and his subsequent decision to federalize student loans and restrict credit requirements for educational loans to parents has had a devastating impact on several HBCUs. Many parents found that they could no longer qualify for an educational loan, leaving their children already enrolled in college with little choice but to give up.
The advisory body, which will include several HBCU presidents, will allow the community to bring their concerns to the attention of the White House before they are harmed by possible policy changes.
The HBCU PARTNERS Act also encodes the requirements of the Trump executive order for all the federal agencies in question to prepare an annual plan of action on how they will engage with HBCUs, inform Congress of their plans and monitor their progress, all essential to improving the transparency and accountability.
HBCUs, which exist in 20 of our 50 states, have been the main path to higher education for many blacks since before the Civil War, and these institutions have gained particular influence in creating a large cadre of black professionals in law, medicine and education for the past century.
The federal government has been the main source of support, but this month Claflin University and Voorhees College were among the various HBCUs across the country that received huge financial incentives from MacKenzie Scott, the philanthropist and ex-wife of the founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos. Claflin in Orangeburg received a $ 20 million gift, the largest in its 151-year history. The promising interest and financial assistance from the private sector could help universities establish or build funds that can support scholarships, research programs and other needs.
This support is critical for HBCUs, whose endowments traditionally lag behind non-HBCU schools by around 70%, according to the American Council on Education. Even many of the 57 private HBCUs have not had alumni support available to other well-established private colleges and universities and are sensitive to changes in federal funding.
It is also important for HBCUs to be heard when their interests are at stake in federal decisions and to receive the support they need from federal agencies. The HBCU PARTNERS Act is a step in the right direction.
The Times and Democrat
December 18
Increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, people are drinking more.
TOP Data analyzed consumer tracking data from visits to liquor stores, online beer purchase data and a survey of 1,000 people.
Online alcohol sales are 262% higher than last year, and alcohol consumption among Americans aged 30 to 59 has increased 19% since the pandemic hit the United States. There is also a 41% increase in cases of women who drink four or more drinks a day.
The health impacts are certainly real, but they probably won’t be known as quickly as some other measures of problems caused by drinking more. One is the stability of relationships.
American Addiction Centers, a leading provider of substance addiction resources, conducted a survey (3,400) that found that almost one in five (16%) of South Carolina relationships that have broken since the start of the pandemic cited alcohol as the significant factor.
Besides, besides:
– 1 in 5 admits keeping the drink a secret from their partner during confinement.
– 25% of couples admit that they argue when they drink.
Enter the holiday season, a traditionally festive season, when more alcohol is consumed. Hook coronavirus problems to normal December stress levels and there is the potential to drink even more this season.
South Carolina police do not want the drink to be carried on the roads.
This week, the South Carolina Department of Public Security and law enforcement partners across the state announced the kickoff for Sober or Slammer! – a campaign that started until January 1 in coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled campaign, which started on December 16.
While the holidays may look different this year, soldiers are encouraging drivers to make a plan for a safe trip home before any holiday celebration. South Carolina Highway Patrol and local law enforcement agencies will also conduct a series of public safety checkpoints throughout the state during the New Year holiday period.
The SCHP urges drivers to take the following measures to ensure a safe journey home, even in times of a pandemic:
– Designate a sober driver.
– Use public transport, such as buses and coaches.
– Call a local taxi or taxi service, or plan a taxi in advance. (Some local towing services also offer safe trips home and tow the driver’s car home for a fee).
– Download and use travel sharing apps like Uber, Lyft, Sidecar, etc.
NHTSA is also doing its part to encourage safe travel and has developed the NHSTA SaferRide app, available for Android and Apple mobile devices. Users can create a profile in the SaferRide app and use it to call a friend or a local taxi service for a ride home.
The US National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that drunk drivers play a role in 40% of traffic deaths during Christmas and New Year. That’s an increase of 12% even over the rest of December.
The year has been deadly enough, from the pandemic to the roads. Do your part to make the season safe.
The Post and Courier
December 19
Reducing plastic consumption and pollution
Those most concerned about the health of our oceans and their inhabitants are increasingly alarmed by the accumulation of plastic pollutants, and a new report provides more evidence that they are right. Last month, the non-profit conservation organization Oceana released a worrying analysis of marine mammals and turtles found dead or trapped between 2009 and 2020: almost 1,800 of them ate or were trapped in plastic waste.
The analysis analyzed about 40 species, including manatees, turtles, whales, sea lions, seals and dolphins, and was motivated by both the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act. Loggerhead turtles, the official reptile of South Carolina, which shelter a large number of nests along our coast, were particularly afflicted, suffering from plastic bags, fishing lines, empty balloons, packing handles and food packaging. The report did not examine the effects of microplastic particles, also abundant in water and known to be ingested by animals across the food chain – and eventually humans.
Oceana’s discoveries added a dark and authoritative perspective to what many have seen. Kelly Thorvalson, who manages SC Aquarium conservation programs, told reporter Chloe Johnson that 39 turtles treated by the aquarium’s Sea Turtle Care Center ingested plastic. Of these, 34 were brought in in the last five years. “This plastic pollution problem is at a crisis level, and the convenience of these single-use plastics just doesn’t outweigh the environmental impact,” said Thorvalson to Johnson.
So we were encouraged last week to see Senator Lindsey Graham join fellow Sens. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, Sheldon Whitehouse, DR.I., and Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, to present the Unification of Nations in Waste Disposal for our Oceans Aja. If approved, the United States government will work with international partners to “finance promising projects that promote sustainable material management and reduce the amount of plastic and other waste that pollutes the world’s oceans”.
Graham said the bill is “an effort by America to put our money where our mouth is and will be used to leverage other nations to contribute to a hands-on approach to address the oppressive problem posed by plastics in the ocean. “This bipartisan approach to dealing with oceanic plastics has won praise from environmental heavyweights like the World Wildlife Fund, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation Group and the Ocean Conservancy.
If passed, the so-called UNITE Law would direct the Secretary of State to work with federal agencies, other countries and international groups to establish a trust fund to prevent and reduce marine litter and plastic pollution. The fund would provide grants to national and local governments, non-profit organizations and others. The United States would contribute $ 150 million in each of the first two years. It is a start, and if the trust fund can show success, more money from these and other sources will certainly come.
Oceana notes that half of all the plastic in the world has been made in the past 15 years and about a tipper truck load reaches the oceans every minute, creating a global crisis in a relatively short period. Plastics float on the surface of the sea, reach our most remote coasts, emerge from melting arctic ice and rest on the deepest ocean bottoms.
While federal action is welcome, more is needed, starting with a more deliberate effort by all of us to limit single-use plastics in our daily lives and recycle those plastics we use when possible. Business leaders, from the smallest to the largest companies, can and should focus on alternatives to single-use plastics and not simply wait for the government to regulate them.
Local and state governments also have a role to play, as we have seen along the coast, with many cities, towns and counties banning certain plastic packaging due to its potential environmental damage. As voters and consumers, we can also reward elected leaders and business owners who act on this issue.
Public pressure and private sector innovation successfully tackled the scourge of chlorofluorocarbons a generation ago, after scientists discovered that their popular use was creating a dangerous hole in the Earth’s ozone layer. Disposable plastics present a different and more ubiquitous type of problem than CFCs, but we maintain our faith in our collective will to find a solution.