Monday, Aug. 16, 1971
State of the Ecology
As he fingered a thick, blue-covered volume last week, Richard Nixon quipped to Russell Train, head of the Council on Environmental Quality: "Is there any color in here? Environmentalists aren't against color are they?" Train started to explain the high cost of using colored pages in Government reports, but the President raised his hand and went on: "What we want to do is get the color out of the water. Let's see," said the President, looking at the book's blue cover again, "blue skies, blue water. Maybe we should make that the slogan for next year. That's not a bad idea."
A pretty good one, in fact. But the book in the President's hand, the second annual report of the Council on Environmental Quality, presented a somewhat cloudier picture of the present state of the ecology, while pointing out a few bright spots. Some of the highlights:
AIR POLLUTION has generally increased since 1969. However, emissions from autos, a major source of air pollution, "have apparently reached the peak level," and may now be on the decline as older cars are replaced by newer ones with antipollution devices. There has also been a slight drop in solid-waste emissions into the air, probably because there is less open burning in municipal dumps.
MONITORING of the environment has been sharply stepped up. There are now, for instance, 10,000 water-quality stations to constantly check the nation's fresh waters. In New York State, 22 monitors, linked by special telephone lines, transmit data on pollution levels to a central computer located in Albany. By pinpointing unusual concentrations of air and water pollutants, officials can more easily locate sources of trouble. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency is working on plans for an integrated monitoring system to provide similar data for nationwide pollution control.
TOXIC MATERIALS are a growing worry, particularly lead and mercury. The amount of mercury in fish is expected to rise because more microorganisms are being produced by the increased amounts of nutrients, mainly from industry and agriculture, in U.S. waters. The microorganisms move up the food chain into fish, and man eats the fish. Heavy doses of mercury can result in nervous-system damage, even death. Lead, long a factor in urban air pollution, has now been found in the oceans. The upper layers of the oceans seem to be polluted with industrial lead, says the report, and "atmospheric levels of lead may be reaching the point at which widespread adverse health effects are likely."
INNER CITIES present the worst concentration of nearly every kind of environmental problem. The urban poor breathe the nation's worst air because polluting industries and business districts tend to be concentrated near their neighborhoods. Vacant lots and streets are often littered with garbage, a sight, says the report, that might well lead an inner-city inhabitant to conclude "that his neighborhood is being discriminated against," while others may add to the litter out of frustration and anger. In addition to these problems, the urban poor must contend with possible lead poisoning from peeling paint and ancient water pipes joined with lead compounds. Most ghetto dwellers, moreover, cannot escape their situation. Superhighways, while speeding the more affluent out of cities to parks and beaches, cut inner-city people off from nearby river and lake fronts, and reduce recreation areas. As a first priority, the council urges reform and revenue sharing to help shore up urban tax bases and thus help cities build rapid-transit networks, better parks and better homes. There are signs of local political action by inner-city residents themselves. In several large cities, "environmental" groups have sprung up to help battle the worst problems.
SOLID WASTES are an increasing problem, though more industries are re-using waste products in the factory. At the consumer level, the use of packaging materials is expected to jump from the 1970 level of 578 lbs. per person to more than 660 lbs. by 1976. This upward trend will continue unless industry recycles many more of its waste products.
The council is hardly precise on the extent to which the nation's environment is actually getting better or worse. The reason is the lack of statistical information on pollution. What the report does suggest is that fighting pollution will take time and money--about $105 billion by industry and the various levels of government by 1975. The cost will obviously be borne by consumers and taxpayers, quite possibly aggravating inflation. But putting the best face on the situation, Train judged that the immediate costs of controlling pollution will not constitute a strain on industry, as such costs "are well within the capacity of our economy to meet." Many businessmen will disagree.
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