The Politics of Ecology

"There will be no change in the environment without first enacting legislative change," Conservationist John Zierold told a recent meeting of California's Planning and Conservation League. He should know. Zierold is the league's full-time lobbyist in Sacramento and represents 70 separate conservation groups. At the meeting, Zierold joined State Assemblymen Peter Wilson and Alan Sieroty to discuss "The Politics of Ecology."

What, specifically, can the concerned citizen do? First, the panelists agreed, he should stop acting as an individual. Instead, environmentalists should unite to present their case to lawmakers and to pool financial resources for campaign contributions to sympathetic politicians. Other practical guidelines:

> Environmental problems are still so new as political issues that they must be patiently explained to legislators --preferably before formal hearings.

> Every environmental cause must be directly equated with votes for the legislators.

> Proposals should call for positive action like new laws to protect the shoreline, rather than negative action like stiff fines for polluters.

> Once bills start moving through the legislative machinery, their progress should be widely publicized.

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