European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 23, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday May 23, 1987 the Star Sand stripes some students hopelessly lost in geography Oshkosh wis. A the soviet Union May be the largest country in the world and take up about one seventh of All land but nearly a Quarter of the students in their first geography class could not find it on a map. John a. Cross an assistant professor of Geog Raphy at the University of Wisconsin of Hosn said none of the students confronted with a world map could find All 11 countries involved in major news events. According to the study 11 percent could not locate any of the countries involved in current issues while on a map of the 48 contiguous states just 22 percent could identify 40 or More states. Cross found a direct correlation Between those who earned High test scores and those who regularly read newspapers and news magazines and watched National news on television. Students who relied on newspapers or news magazines for world and National news were most Likely to be Able to correctly locale at least half of the countries Cross said. Nearly half the students either never read the National or world news sections of a newspaper or read them less than once a week. Cross conducted recognition tests on the first Day of class for More than 1,000 students most of them freshmen in january 1985, january 1986 and september 1986. None of the students had previously taken College geography. The results of the study ran in the journal of geography published by the National Council for geographic education. Hodel s Oil drilling program designed to hold Bock open Washington up Interior Secretary Don Ald Hodyl under attack for planning to increase off Shore Oil and Gas drilling says his recently announced five year plan will help Stop open from getting Back into the Driver s  testifying thursday before a House of representatives merchant Marine and fisheries subcommittee Hodel said the reasonable and balanced plan under review by Congress was developed after reviewing several thousand comments and the writing of thousands of pages of  in Early july i plan to give final approval to a new program he said. Hodet who has of ii n warned the nation May again face Long gasoline lines says offshore drilling should be stepped up because falling Domestic Oil production portends serious problems for the  open is on the verge of getting Back into the Driver s seat he said. In my judgment. Open May have a More serious Impact today than it had in the 1970s when it used an embargo successfully to escalate prices in an attempt to blackmail us on foreign policy  that strategy he said backfired because it drove prices so High non open countries came into the world Petroleum Market. Now whether by Accident or design ii has a potentially More powerful weapon the whips wig of prices which undercuts potential Competition in non open nations he said. In defending the proposed opening of the outer Continental shelf to increased Oil drilling Hodel said Many areas proposed earlier have been withdrawn in response to environmental concerns. Rep. Leon Patina a Calif said the Hodel plan is Little belter than in ensling one approved in 1982 by Secretary James Walt and May succeed Only in unify ing coastal slates in opposition 10 its  changes made in the plan were largely illusory he said because most withdrawn areas arc in deep water and would not be leased in any event. To believe he plan is an answer to America s Energy problems he said would be pure fantasy because the . Oil imports in percent of consumption 10 1973 75 january to August Chicago Tribune graphic source . Energy information administration the famous Golden Gale Bridge at dusk with old lights left and with new permanent floodlights. A Ponio Interior department s own studies show Domestic Oil production will fall even if we sacrifice the California  rep. Mel Lovinc a Calif joined in the attack say ing proposed offshore drilling would add to air pollution in los Angeles and pollute coastal Waters. But rep. William Danny Meyer r-Calif., defended the Hodel plan calling it a a balanced reasonable  san franc so Marks 50 years of Golden Gate san Francisco