editorial
Acid rain problem
cannot be ignored
There is an environmental plague spreading itself
across North America. Most of us are just vaguely familiar
with it. Yet, every day this plague is killing aquatic life in
thousands of lakes and streams in our country. It is con
taminating reservoirs and waterways, leaving death in its
wake.
The plague is “acid rain,” a term used to describe the
natural processes through which pollutants in the at
mosphere are converted into particles, among them nitric
and sulfuric acids, which are then spread over the land by
prevailing winds. These pollutants enter the atmosphere
chiefly through industrial and power-plant smokestacks and
automobile tailpipes. Acid rain is one of the most serious en
vironmental problems of the 1980s. It destroys the life
giving qualities of one of our most important natural
resources: water.
The enects or acia rain nave aireauy ueeu wen
documented. Results of a survey of more than 4,500
Massachusetts lakes, ponds and streams were released in
mid-April. They showed that 225 of Massachusetts’ main
waterways are already “dead” from acid rain. The number
is growing. In a total of 23 eastern states, 9,400 lakes have
already been “seriously altered” by acid rain. More than
17,000 other waterways are on the “sensitive” list. Nor is
the problem restricted to the eastern United States and
Canada. A report by the World Resources Institute in
Washington D.C. cited three areas of the West as “par
ticularly vulnerable” to acid rain: the Cascades, the Rocky
Mountains, and the Sierra Nevadas. Researchers are also
concerned about how acid rain may be killing-off red
spruce, pines and hardwood trees.
Despite the clear danger that acid rain poses to the
United States and Canada, the administration of President
Ronald Reagan has largely ignored the problem. Reagan has
refused to renew the Clean Air Act, which expired in 1982
but remains in force pending congressional action. At an in
ternational conference on acid rain in Quebec City, James
Hoyt, Massachusetts secretary of environmental affairs, an
nounced, “We’re not going to wait for Washington to take
action.” The result is that environmental groups are
organizing across Canada and the United States to seek solu
tions to the acid rain crisis.
Part of the problem is that the Reagan administration
has refused to enforce harsher laws regarding the emission
of pollutants from industrial smokestacks. The argument
behind this is that pollution control devices on smokestacks
would cost industries between $4 billion and $7 billion a
year. Industries claim that the burden of increased costs
would then be put on the taxpayer. While true to a certain
extent, this kind of argument tends to ignore the reality that
acid rain is literally killing our country’s fresh water systems
by turning them into lifeless lakes and streams.
Although the Reagan administration has shown an un
willingness to deal with the acid rain problem, individual
states are trying to get things done. New York, Penn
sylvania, New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, Maine, Massachusetts,
Michigan and others have all initiated state-sponsored pro
grams to monitor and deal with the threat of acid rain.
The acid rain problem will not go away unless the U.S.
government is pressured by the American public into ensur
ing that industries responsible for acid rain follow proper
pollution control guidelines. Acid rain is a crisis that can no
longer be ignored. It’s time for the Reagan administration to
show more concern for the environment and less concern for
industrial profits.
letters
No Moore
In his most recent letter to the
editor entitled “Bombs Away,”
Brian Moore suggests first of all
that it is morally (a term which
he uses as if he, solely, is fit to
judge) reprehensible to allow
the U.S. to interfere with other
countries. He even sites ex
amples of unsuccessful in
tervention in Vietnam,
Lebanon, Iran, and Central
America to support this moral
obligation.
Then, as if he were struck by
lightning, he completely
changes his argument. “Let’s
not mess around with divest
ment and trade embargoes,” he
says; “Bomb the crap out of
them.” It’s clear to see that this
is just another attempt at being
satirically funny {I hope) which,
of course, fails.
Maybe we should examine
the psyche of such a mind who
might, if given ability, cause the
destruction of all of South
Africa.
It’s a shame that Brian
Moore’s letters of “moral
justice” ever make it to the
Emerald. Let’s hope that we
never see these dangerous
views in any position of power.
Michael Laschiver
Student
Hard pressed
The University students’ pro
test and the subsequent arrests
will cost the City of Eugene tax
payers more than $10,000. The
cost of housing more than 80
demonstrators overnight at the
County Jail, plus overtime for
police, jail, Municipal Court
and City Prosecutors is
Oregon daily _ _
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expensive.
There probably aren’t many
people in Eugene who would
disagree that South Africa’s
government is racist and in
credibly cruel.
Instead of wasting $10,000 in
City funds, why don’t these
well-meaning young people
stage a fundraiser and send a
lobbyist to Salem or
Washington D.C., where deci
sions influencing South African
investment can be made?
I’m hard pressed to figure out
how clogging the local judicial
system will help one single per
son in South Africa.
Maybe I shouldn’t complain.
I was one of the public servants
who made a few extra bucks in
overtime.
Aaron Douglas
Eugene
Oil spills
Imagine. A break from school
at the beach and a favorite
picture-postcard stretch of
coast: dead gulls and other
seabirds, seals and fish, all, as
well as the beach, covered with
oil. A scenario never to happen
in Oregon?
The U.S. Dept, of Interior
recently included Oregon and
the Washington waters in a pro
posed lease schedule which is
the first step in offshore oil
development on the Oregon
coast.
This means oil spills covering
the coastline and killing marine
mammals, birds, fish, plankton
and shellfish larvae; air and
water pollution; toxic chemical
discharges; economic losses to
fishing, tourism and agriculture
industries and strains on local
economies.
Any benefits from develop
ment are minimal: There might
be oil off the Oregon coast but
tests have shown this to be
highly unlikely so far.
However, it is time renewable
alternatives are developed in
stead of depending on this
faltering fossil fuel.
Gov. Vic Atiyeh has schedul
ed a public hearing in Salem,
May 15, to formulate a State
position on this issue. For infor
mation on who to write and
how to testify to protect the
coast, contact the Survival
Center at Suite 1, EMU or call
686-4356 and help us protect
the Oregon coast.
Brett Fisher
Survival Center t
Closed minds
Never in my college career
have I witnessed such im
maturity and short-sightedness
as was demonstrated by the In
cidental Fee Committee (IPC) at
the 1985-86 EMU budget re
quest. The 1FC showed com
plete disrespect for Program
Coordinator. Bruce Mason. The
committee talked and laughed
among themselves while Mason
presented the budget. It is a
shame that the student body of a
fine University are represented
by such an unprofessional and
uninformed student
government.
The IFC threatened to “take
an axe to the entire budget..."
and said that the Outdoor Pro
gram gives “free rides to the
community.” Members of the
community have supplied a
great deal of equipment, exper
tise. and energy to the develop
ment of the Outdoor Program.
Participation in the program by
non-students does not result in
higher costs. In fact, they
decrease the cost of trips and
other resources offered at the
Outdoor Program.
Lori Lieberman suggested
that the program charge com
munity members for activities.
This would destroy the co
operative nature of the program,
founded by both students and
non-student members of the
community.
Rather than the Outdoor Pro
gram having “the gall,” as
Lieberman said, to ask for a
budget increase, I see the IFC as
having “the gall” to cut a pro
gram that is better able to serve
the students through its com
munity outreach.
It is typical of a Reaganistic
mentality to cut a program that
it knows nothing about, and
when justification is offered, to
listen with closed minds.
Michael Kirwin
Recreation, Business, English
Humboldt State University
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the letter is turned in. The
Emerald reserves the right to edit
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ters to the editor should be turn
ed into the Emerald office, Suite
300 EMU. „
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