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•__Carolina News Sage from page 1 gy is to use compact, fluorescent light bulbs. The fluorescent bulbs, which can be found at most hardware stores, produce the same amount of light as conventional light bulbs, but use considerably fewer watts and last 13 years longer. “It’s the easiest thing someone can do, but people aren’t buying [them] as much as we would like them to because they only see that they cost slightly more,” Flow ers said. While that might be the case. Flowers said the products — like fluorescent bulbs and eneigy-efficient cars — help the environment. The vehicles featured at the tour included a Ford F-2-50, which uses gasoline and compressed natural gas (CNG), a Honda Civic GX that uses only CNG and an electric Ford Ranger. They’re priced in the $35,000 range and are sold at 52 dealerships nationwide. , Cars engines that operate on CNG stay cleaner because CNG bums cleaner. They also get better gas mileage and produce 30 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions. There are 30,000 CNG vehicles on the road now, with at least one CNG _:_ •11UUVU Ui VUVil JWtVi According to Flowers, the Ford Ranger is better for commuting than highway driving, but it has no exhaust, which helps the environment. “We are finding that a lot of businesses are using it. If you’re going to be commuting a lot, then it’s ideal,” Flowers said. SAGE president Holly Selvig said she thinks that more ways to conserve en ergy will be created because of informative tours like the Pollution Solution tour. “I expect that a lot of people will become more aware, which could lead to more products being made and sold,” Selvig said. She also said that tours are a way to educate students about the effects of glob al warming, which happens because greenhouse gases accumulate in the ozone layer, causing drastic changes in temperature. Those changes could lead to crop iosses, coastal flooding and the spreading of diseases. “I think global warming is an important issue,” Selvig said. “People say that you can already see the ramifications of it,” she said. “Be cause we students are the future, if we can know about these things, then we can use our purchasing power to make a difference.” H . ■ Conference from page 1 Students and faculty who would like conference’s Wfeb site at www.sec2000.oig. to register for the conference will be re quired to pay a fee. Patterson said those interested can re ceive more information by visiting the i i Speaker discusses HMOs, patients' rights by Campbell Roark Staff Writer HMO reform and patients’ rights were the subject of a lecture by the president-elect of the American Med ical Association Tuesday afternoon at the School of Law auditorium. Dr. Randolph Smoak Jr. of Bambetg gave a critique of existing health management structures, referring to HMOs as “gatekeepers” and calling for efforts to “re store a balance between quality and cost effectiveness.” Throughout his speech, Smoak maintained that physicians were as frustrated as patients by the cur rent state of health care, a condition he characterized as driven mainly by economic concerns, rather than a fundamental interest in human welfare. Smoak was especially critical of the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, which he depicted as outmoded and corrupt. He cited a number of statistics taken from a re cent survey by Pfizer pharmaceutical company, to show his disappointment with ERISA. Smoak called for a Patient’s Bill of Rights in which mamtged care companies would be held accountable for mistreatment and negligence of patients. However, he also said that a federal Patient’s Bill of Rights “should be a floor, not a ceiling. It should not pre-empt state rulings on patients’ rights.” Smoak outlined several key elements of a Patient’s Bill of Rights, including the idea that physicians, not health care representatives, should determine medical necessity. He then accused those who oppose HMO reform of using scare tactics to frighten employers who pro vide medical benefits for their employees. He also criticized the “gag clause,” in which physi dans aren’t allowed by a patient’s health care plan to prescribe alternative treatments to ailments. Smoak ended his lecture with an affirmation of sol idarity among health care patients. In addition to his current status as president-elect of the AMA, Smoak is also a founding member of the South Carolina Oncology Society, as well as a USC alumnus. He served as a governor to the American College of Suigeons from 1992-98. | 1 Oxfam obstacle course I I ... .. . ---1 Amy Goulding The Gamecock Economics junior Kelly Rardon carries rice and water as part of Tuesday's Hunger Relay on Greene Street The relay was held to show how hard it is to get food in other parts of the world. use NAACP to hold social for Harvest Hope by Amanda Silva Staff Writer The NAACP will be host to “Harvest Fest” for the first time at USC. According to NAACP President Dou glas Wilson, Harvest Fest is “a social that’s aimed at unifying the Carolina commu nity by asking organizations to donate canned goods for the less fortunate.” All donated canned goods will be de livered to the Harvest Hope Food Bank, a nonprofit oiganization that collects and distributes food for the needy. Dawn White, director of marketing and public relations for Harvest Hope, said: “Out mission is to gather, store and distribute food throughout central South Carolina.” The NAACP hopes to help the food bank by collecting canned goods through Harvest Fest. According to Wilson, one of the NAACP’s goals is to bring oigani zations together to work for a common cause. He said the event represents one phase of the organization’s vision to uni fy the community. The event, which will be at 6 p.m. to day in the Russell House Ballroom, will have live entertainment, featuring a brief step show and a performance by Basic Theatre. Basic Theatre will be doing a skit on what it’s like to be homeless, Wilson said. Wilson said that although this is the first year the NAACP has been host to such an event, it’s expecting a good turn out. The Harvest Hope Food Bank was founded in April 1981 by concerned cit izens and church-related individuals. Last year, Harvest Hope distributed more than six-and-a-half million pounds of food to needy families. Much of the food donated to Harvest Hope comes from national donors. White said grocery stores also donate food that has been damaged in shipping to the food bank so the food won’t go to waste. Harvest Hope serves 18 counties in central South Carolina, including Rich land and Lexington. More than 23,000 people from Richland and Lexington coun ties received assistance from Harvest Hope’s Emergency Food Pantry last year alone. Harvest Hope has more than 80 regular and occasional volunteers. Admission to Harvest Fest is two canned goods or $1. For more informa tion about Harvest Hope, call (803) 2544432. - 1 i . \ mj lUUKfl mw fresh daily specials. *■*■-'* - -• • •* «•***■■»*■ J IT^MUIB ... .. III r-LIIHB BIBIHI ■■■!■! ' Next to Richland Fashion Mall |_ 787-2595 voted Columbia's best. .4 > 4 < < « *