[JSRC 학생기자] The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

The Volkswagen Emissions Scandal

Recently, Volkswagen was discovered to have manipulated its emissions measurements. This scandal has attracted attention worldwide, as Volkswagen is the world’s leading car company and employs more workers than any other German company.
Volkswagen is famous for its fuel-efficient diesel cars. Diesel vehicles emit less carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide than gasoline vehicles; in addition, they are more fuel-efficient. But they also emit harmful gases that gasoline vehicles don’t, such as nitrogen oxide. So governments strengthened the regulation of diesel vehicles’ emissions. Car companies sold cars with emissions-reducing devices to comply with this regulation. It was at this point that the Volkswagen emissions scandal occurred. They programmed cars’ electronic control units to operate emissions-reducing devices only when these cars are being tested. This means that cars run much cleaner in tests than they do on the road.
The truth was discovered on September 3rd, 2014, when California investigators became suspicious of the test results Volkswagen presented. These investigators started to analyze the data and eventually discovered that Volkswagen had implemented software to determine whether vehicles were in emissions tests (and run cleaner if so). Volkswagen then admitted that as many as 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide were fitted with software that allowed the cars to run cleaner in tests than on the road.
As a result of this scandal, Martin Vintercorn resigned as Volkswagen’s president and Volkswagen’s stock dropped precipitously.
It’s disappointing that a global firm polluted the environment through noxious emissions and broke the trust of people all over the world.
Volkswagen should assume more responsibility for this incident, perhaps by recalling their polluting diesel cars.

I hope that people all over the world can become more responsible stewards of our environment.

Youth & Shelter Services Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

Youth & Shelter Services in Ames, Iowa celebrates Red Ribbon Week 2015 from October 23 to 31. The Ames community is encouraged to take a stand against drugs to celebrate Red Ribbon Week. Youth & Shelter Services (YSS) hosted “A Walk Away from Drugs” on Monday, October 26, 2015 at 11:30 am. The walk began at YSS Headquarters (located at 420 Kellogg Avenue in Ames, Iowa). YSS CEO Andrew Allen led the walk around the block and down Main Street. Citizens gathered in the street to share red ribbons, candy, and anti-drug fliers with passers-by.
The theme of Red Ribbon Week 2015 is “Respect Yourself! Be Drug Free!” Red Ribbon Week increases awareness of drug use and other issues relating to drugs that face our community. It encourages all citizens, parents, students, educators, business owners, and other community members to promote drug-free lifestyles.
“Red Ribbon Week gives us the opportunity to be vocal and visible in our efforts to achieve a drug-free community,” said Andrew Allen, YSS CEO. “Research shows that children are less likely to use alcohol and other drugs when parents and other role models are clear and consistent in their opposition to substance use and abuse.”

The true cause of addiction

What is it about heroin that makes this drug so addictive? Of course, everyone already knows the answer: frequent heroin users who abstain from this drug suffer withdrawal symptoms. This situation is known as “addiction.”
Addiction can be seen in animals other than man. For example, put a mouse into a cage and give it two water bottles to drink from. One bottle contains pure water, whereas water in the other is mixed with cocaine and heroin. Soon, the mouse drinks exclusively from the drugged bottle. Then, if deprived, the mouse goes mad—it must have more drugs.
However, experiments show that this progression of addiction doesn’t always apply. In 1970, the psychologist Bruce Alexander discovered that the test was biased, because the mouse was trapped in a cage alone. (We too might want to be drugged if we were locked in solitary confinement.)
To make a more significant test, Alexander created a veritable amusement park for mice, where a mouse can exercise, play, and mate with its friends. Alexander again provided these mice with pure and drugged water. He got an unbelievable result: many mice didn’t turn to drugs, but rather consistently drank from the regular water bottle.
Alexander’s test shows that people don’t turn to drugs when they have a happy life and plenty of social activity. But when this isn’t the case, people turn to consolations that can be dangerous, such as watching pornography, playing video games, or gambling. So let’s live active and sociable lives to avoid becoming addicted to drugs.