Countries are divided along fairly typical lines — global north vs. global south, rich vs. poor. The more than 100 countries in the developing world want advanced developed nations to commit to deeper emissions reductions and more money to finance adaptation and mitigation — essentially a continuation of the Kyoto Protocol. So far, the only country to commit to emission cuts along the lines of United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommendations is Norway . Developed countries have committed to a numerical amount for “fast track” (10 billion U.S. dollars for three years) climate funding, but so far have been silent on long-term figures.

The U.S. has shied away from a more ambitious commitment because of domestic political constraints. The EU is willing to commit to a 30 percent cut from 1990 levels, but only if other developed nations commit to that number as well. On the financing front, the US has balked at the notion that it’ll finance China to adapt to climate change.

This may seem like a redux of disagreements from three weeks ago — even three months ago — but they have still not been resolved in Copenhagen. Most heads of states have arrived by now, with anticipation growing for President Obama’s arrival on Friday. Because so much disagreement still remains, the final deal will probably reflect the commitments each country put on the table prior to the conference. And it’s likely the entire conference process will continue along a two-track pathway.

Whatever the final shape the Copenhagen agreement takes, it is absolutely necessary that it include a time line and a deadline for when a legally binding agreement will be signed. There are many outstanding issues that need to be resolved, climate finance being only one of them. But to leave Copenhagen without a deadline for a legally binding agreement would essentially be a failure.

Outside of the conference, many NGOs who are not allowed inside have been protesting, leading to many arrests. The UN has severely cut the number of civil society participants that can enter the Bella Center, where the conference is taking place. While 45,000 people were accredited to attend the conference, the conference center can only accommodate 15,000 people. The first week and on Monday of this week, no restrictions were placed on attendance. As heads of states arrive, the security has tightened.

—by Simeon Talley

That was the reply from the owners of the Pentacrest Garden apartment complex concerning whether they wanted to sell their property to the UI for the new Hancher/Voxman/Clapp complex.

It was a blunt and stinging rebuke to the UI community — a community hopeful that the downtown location could be a possible spot for the School of Music.

This newfound obstacle places at the forefront an option that will further split the opposing parties: eminent domain.

The owners of the apartment complex have every legal right not to sell to this university. It is their property and theirs to do with as they choose. However, the UI has the right to use eminent domain to secure the property for their disposal. The only requirement is that the university pay fair market price for the land.

In the past, the Editorial Board has been unsupportive of the university’s possible use of eminent domain. It would be a public relations nightmare for the university to try to justify their actions to a community that desperately needs the property taxes this land provides the city.

The owners of the property have left the UI in one of its toughest positions in recent history. The UI has never used eminent domain to overtake a residential or commercial property in Iowa City. And some hope that trend continues.

Unfortunately for those who back the use of eminent domain, the city and many UI officials seem to be growing ever closer in putting their full support behind this option.

Mayor Regina Bailey told the DI that the benefits of the site outweigh the loss of $110,000 in property taxes.

Mayor Bailey is correct in assuming that position. The amount of money that will be funneled into the local economy from having such a large facility downtown will be a windfall for Iowa City.

Nonetheless, we should hope that the decision to use eminent domain is a last resort for the university. Personally, I think the downtown site is the more attractive option. But if we continue to bicker and fight over the future location of Hancher, then this issue becomes more troublesome than is necessary.

—by Michael Davis

The Church passed a resolution supporting legislation that will block bias against homosexuals in regards to obtaining jobs and purchasing residential property. Gay rights advocates have commended the church’s ability to cross the picket lines and strive for mutual respect and compassion. I, on the other hand, am less impressed and more astonished by their hypocrisy.

The only reason that this Utah legislation will pass is due to the rights it will protect for the Mormon church. They will still be allowed to block entry into their church from any gay group looking to express their policies and social freedom.

The church seems content with satisfying their own ideologies at a time when they benefit the most. During the Proposition 8 campaign, the Mormon Church spewed their single-minded hatred towards another group of Americans.

It’s sickening how the Mormon Church seems so dead set on creating a schism between those who want equality and those that fight for it.  In my ideal world, those that create a world where bigotry and hatred are as common as the rain should be locked in a closet until they become a happier bunch of Americans.

Yes, I understand that their scripture and teachings are against this so-called “destruction of marriage.” It’s just so odd that a group who wants to represent peace and prosperity in the world would go so far — and to such lengths — to tarnish any hope for the general happiness of other well-intentioned citizens.

I have respect for all religions. This might be tough to understand given my intense hatred for the Mormon Church and what they represent. We live in a free country where each person or group is free to express their own beliefs in whatever legal manner available to them.

I just don’t have to like it — and nor should you if you believe in freedom and equality.

—by Michael Davis

It’s almost mid-way through the hairiest month of the year. All around the country — and all around the UI campus — men are feeling more like men.

“No-Shave November” has grown into a nation-wide celebration of facial hair faster than it would have taken Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead to grow a new mustache. This week is the first major test of endurance for my fellow participants.

It’s the time when neck stubble turns into full-length whiskers. It’s the time when the uncomfortable mustache hairs start curling over your lips and into your mouth. It’s the time when moisturizing lotion and conditioner no longer relieve your neck of the seemingly unbearable itch.

Instead of giving up and letting yourself take that razor to your face, use the discomfort and dissenting view of your girlfriend as motivation. Even if you have a beard like Michael Jackson did when he was on trial, keep it going.

Every day it seems more and more no-shavers give in, making excuses of why they “have” to shave their beards: You have an office job, you’re going on a date, you can’t bear the itch, you’re grandparents will get mad if you rock that scraggily beard to Thanksgiving dinner.

My response? Deal with it.

Need motivation?

As college students, this could be the last time in years you’re able to see what you’re working with. Sure, there are always times to grow out another beard — your favorite sports team makes the playoffs, you go on vacation, or you just don’t bother shaving for a few days.

But, my friends, November provides us with a unique to become part of a community. Besides just the people you see on your way to class whose faces are just as fuzzy as yours, think about some of the names you can associate yourself with when you finally have a fully.

Chuck Norris: A martial arts master, and a man whose beard doesn’t hide a chin, but another fist.

Zeus: The ruler of the gods. With the power to toss lighting bolts, this guy meant business.

Sean Connery: The original James Bond — one of the manliest of men — has a beard that could steal any woman’s heart.

And Ben Roethlisberger: The man won the Super Bowl earlier this year. Enough said.

So, whatever your excuse may be, forget it. No Shave November is not for quitters.

It’s not for trimmers. It may not even be for swimmers.

No Shave November is for manly men, and manly men we will be.

—by Chris Clark

Sheraton recently celebrated their new power to close off their doors to late night student activity downtown. The bumpy road to its completion is a symbol of the relationship between Sheraton officials and the Iowa City City Council.

In June, the councilors voted 4-3 to go ahead with a project that would allow the Sheraton Hotel to close its doors to through traffic between 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. if the hotel took on half of the cost of renovating the Dubuque Street walkway .

But the renovation didn’t come without some controversy.

Councilor Connie Champion told officials she would not vote in favor of the project until Sheraton representatives vowed to remove a new outdoor ATM from the plans — the ATM that is now located on the northwest wall of the Sheraton. She felt  ATM users would be vulnerable to crime because of its location. Though the Sheraton representatives removed the cash machine from the official plans they presented to the council, city officials really have no way to prevent the new ATM in the hotel.

It was installed long before the walkway even started to take on its new look.

Champion’s concerns were thoughtful but unnecessary. Now that the machine is in place, it seems to be pretty safe. The lighting is sufficient and will continue to improve as lighting is installed in the walkway. There are other ATMs in the area — like next to Brothers Bar & Grill — that don’t cause problems. They are in very visible locations, not somewhere a person could sneak up and steal someone’s money without being seen.

The council should have never agreed to block downtown traffic from using its doors. Now that winter’s at our doorsteps, waiting for a taxi after bar close will be quite a bit colder.

—by Chris Clark

Recent plans to introduce a comprehensive student retention plan in the next three years will now take five or six years, said Wallace Loh, the UI’s provost.

The university’s  retention rate  — 83 percent — is one of the lowest in the Big Ten and is causing great concern among Iowa leadership as the university attempts to find new methods to keep more and more students on campus.

When the state Board of Regents sent budget cut proposals to the three public universities recently, one possible cut was to excise ancillary or unnecessary programs. Iowa’s retention plan seems to fall under that umbrella. However, this decision will have consequences for our future.

As tuition and other expenses increase for UI students, it will become increasingly imperative for this institution to foster better relationships with students, thus providing a welcoming environment for students to return to.

Difficult budget choices abound in the coming weeks, but Iowa leadership must be cognizant of its promise to provide students with a high-class education and a prosperous learning environment. This decision fails to recognize the big picture where that bond is established.

Students are leaving this university at an alarming rate compared with similar institutions in the Midwest. We should not be naive to miscalculate the harmful effects of Iowa City’s downtown bar scene on our youthful students. However, lack of student retention cannot — and should not — be placed entirely at the feet of Iowa City’s cultural and social landscape.

Something is missing in the university’s educational experience that is prompting UI students to vanish. As the university continues its discussions on budget cuts, they should be mindful of how cutting certain programs affect our continued growth as a university and as a student body.

Here’s where the ambiguities arise. Before the incident took place, Bohnenkamp and his wife were inside the Hawkeye Hideaway, a tavern on Prentiss Street. At the time they exited the bar, Deng was crossing the street carrying bags of bottles, one of which spilled its contents. Bohnenkamp then confronted Deng, ordering the Sudanese man to pick up the bottles.

Why in his right mind would Bohnenkamp care, let alone confront, a man who accidentally spilled his means of income? My first thought is that by consuming alcohol, Bohnenkamp’s inhibitions and judgment were to the point that he felt persuaded to do so. We’ve all seen the homeless people carrying garbage bags full of cans, but I have found no good reason to clash with them.

Although the police investigation tested Deng’s blood-alcohol content and found it to be .295 percent, they did not find it necessary to test Bohnenkamp’s. It is unacceptable for the police not to test the alcohol level of a man leaving a bar who was involved for the death of another, whether it was in self-defense
or not.

I say responsible for a good reason.

When Stotler identified himself and drew his gun after Deng stabbed Bohnenkamp, the deputy specifically yelled “Run! Get out of here” to Bohnenkamp, according to the official report. Instead of fleeing the situation, Bohnenkamp escalated it by striking Deng in the head, which prompted Deng to charge with the knife. Then Stotler discharged his weapon.

It’s highly disturbing that the Attorney General’s Office decided to close the books on the case with so many open-ended questions needing investigation. Bohnenkamp may be the victim in this ordeal, but we’re all responsible for the choices we make and the arguments we put ourselves in. Unfortunately, in this case, a man’s death looms as the result.
— by Michael Dale-Stein

Name a controversial scenario or topic, and the issue invariably appears in the discourse. So it’s only natural that it would wind its way into the recent John Deng investigation.

The report, released Sept. 25, found that Johnson County Sheriff’s Deputy Terry Stotler was justified in shooting Deng, who had just stabbed Iowa City
resident John Bohnenkamp.

So did the omnipresent issue have a role in the Deng investigation or death?
Deng’s death was, without a doubt, tragic. He lived an undeniably austere and arduous life, coming to the United States as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan.” The fight between Deng and Bohnenkamp may have been averted if Bohnenkamp hadn’t provoked Deng, who had spilled bottles from his garbage bag.

But we can’t see into Bohnenkamp’s head at that moment or speculate about his visceral prejudices, and I think it’s equally difficult to argue the investigation would have found a different result had Deng been white.

I think class, rather than skin color, played a part in this unfortunate incident.

Iowa City has a large homeless community, which creates a stark socioeconomic schism with relatively well-off city residents.

Questions still remain even after the release of the report, but we know that Deng was confronted for a bag spilt asunder.

Fault can be presumed on both sides. Deng shouldn’t have stabbed Bohnenkamp, just as Bohnenkamp shouldn’t have confronted Deng. Issues of class may have been at work in the exchange.

Bohnenkamp’s actions could have been subterraneously ethnically motivated. But the overt impetus appears to have been class.
— by Shawn Gude

Johnson County Supervisor Rod Sullivan apologized on a radio show last Thursday for cursing out commentators on the Iowa City Press Citizen’s website. For those who’ve not followed this tragicomedy, Sullivan’s user profile on the site is private. Website commenter Donny_Dubrow criticized Sullivan for having a private user profile asking, “Are you afraid of accountability? Being on the public record? Being caught in a lie?”

Sullivan responded in an email saying, “Fuck You, Donny.” Donny, whose real name is Yale Cohn, an Iowa City resident, then forwarded the emails to the Press-Citizen, who broke the story.

Apparently this isn’t the first time Sullivan has gone troll-hunting. Last year he threatened another commenter, Iowa City resident David Dowell  asking in an e-mail, “How about Rod saves you a trip and comes over to personally kick your ass?”

I stopped laughing 15 minutes after reading the articles. You’d expect this type of heated exchange in South Korea, but not in Iowa City.

Lord knows I empathize with Sullivan and sympathize with him to a certain degree. Many commentators on the DI’s website have lobbed their own salvos at me. They’ve called me lazy, a nincompoop, and called my credibility into question on several occasions. They’re trolls — that’s what they do. The lack of personal contact in Internet communication has drawn out the freaky freakies from the woodwork and lowered our inhibitions when it comes to civil discourse.