Herald & lantern 24 February '82

27

‘1981 Was Not Vintage Year*

‘Quality of Life’ Dropped-in 81, Study Concludes

With environmental laws and programs of*the last 15 years under the harsh scrutiny of a new Administration, the "quality of life" in the United Statfes, as measured by seven environmental indicators, declined in 1981, for the second year in a row, according to the National Wildlife Federation’s 13th annual Environmental Quality Index

(EQD study.

Of the seven natural resourcs measured, four—vater,

while funds for nuclear powefr and coal exploration were boosted I . * ' \ "FOR AMERICANS CONCERNED alwut the envii*pn ment," concludbd the NWF staff, "1981 was not a vintage

year."

On the bright side, the American public appeafjTto ' stand strongly behind environmental goals. "Every ma-

' lat mofct

joi* public opifrion poll, taken in 1981 showed thi..

living space, soil and wildlife-all suffered losses over the \ Americans still Support' strong environmental past year, while three others-forests. air and safeguards." according to the ^QI report \

minerals—held their own. For the second consecutive year, none of the indicators showed any improvement. In fact, #>e NWF said, the last time an improvement

ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS 1960-81

registered on Jhe EQI was during 1979, when air quality, began to show the effects of 1970's Clean Air Act—a law that is up for Congressional renewal this year. Air quality, is still the only indicator that is higher today than it was in 1970, when the first EQI survey was published. PUBLISHED IN THE NWF's bimonthly magazine, National Wildlife, eafch February, the EQI is a combination of objective measurements and subjective, informed judgements (5t environmental trends. Estimates are made by NWF staff in conjunction with government experts, privirte specialists and academic researchers. Data was obtained from six federal agencies—the Bureau of Land Management, the Council on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service and the Soil Conservation Service. r According to the 1982 EQI, conservationists faced a new challenge in 1981—a "conflict between the conservation community.and the new Administration." Staunch critics of several resource and regulatory programs were called upon to head the very program they had once opposed. Conservationists took it on the chin in the Reagan budget proposals too, says National Wildlife. Funds for air, water and hazarouds waste cleanup programs were reduced, and the budget of the once influential Council on Environmental Quality was slashed by 72 percent. Energy conservation and solar energy programs were gutted, British Seagull 387 — (From Page 26' peacefully with others. But with the problems emerging in El Salvador and the idea of chemical warfare being touted by the Reagan administration, she is certain that things couldn't be worse. But what is one dove of peace to a world full of war mongers. I felt sorry for my little friend and told her to take heart, that all the people hadn’t given up the great peace hope. But she didn’t want to hear it, she didn’t want to hope anymore for mankind. "They don't need me," she said. "They don’t want to be reminded that this is their only world, their mainstay for life. They don’t want to know that because they WANT to push the button of world destruction.” After a long while I finally persuaded Dove to come with me. She flew beside me feeling the cool breeze ruffle her worn out feathers and in one instant she looked down on the Earth below and a great sadness swept between us. I REACHED OVER AND MOTIONED TO HER to head down over the library in Cape May Court House. She looked confused as I headed for the basement and flew onto a seat in the meeting room. Dove followed. The people in the room had just shown a picture War Without Winners and were discussing — peace! When they saw dove sitting there with her tattered feathers they were overcome with a deep sense of joy and love. Dove looked into their souls and into their hearts and a great new surge of enfergy put the spark of hope back into her little eyes. The roomful of people gathered around the dove and they all looked at her magnificent little body Something happened between them, an understanding, a dedication to uplift humanity from the hateful course it had set. The meeting continued and dove sat there listening to the concern, the'intelligent conversation — all geared to peace. I watched her as a smile formed on her beak and the new light in her eyes got stronger. Then I knew that the secret to a peaceful society was just as simple as it could be — a joining together of peoples with good hearts and pure souls. It is a force greater than war.

As Dr. Jay D. Hair, ex«:utive director of the NWI^put it, ehvironmenfalists are prepared to help the president achie^his go*ls. but only if environmental safeguards

are mAtained. “

"Th^resideht vowed jn his inaugural address to bring/ them a ‘new beginning' Tor America," s^id Hair "We stand ready to help hirq achieve that goal—as long as the

integrity of our natural resources is protected."^

Summaries of the EQI reports on the seveh resources

follow: % “ • " * •

THE NATION’S WILDLIFE suffered a decline Tor a variety of reasons, the most threatening of which was continued habitat Ibss. Despite the efforts of conservationists, some of the mpst important habitats the marshes, swamps, and tidal basins known as "wetlands"—are be ing destroyed ift an alarming rate. Residential, commercial, agricultural and energy development over the last 20 years has swallowed ap more than 12,500 square miles of

U.S. wetlands. I

Economic hard times take their toll on wildlife too, as. the agencies cheated to conserve wildlife find it harder to come up with the money to run tljeir programs. According to one NWF sorvey. 21 of the nation's 50 state fish and wildlife agenci|*s are without the mqney to effectively conduct their.conservation programs. Other events around the country point to the flare-up of an old problem for wildlife-chemical poisoning The powerful pesticide endrin, found in waterfowl of 17 western states! almost forced the cancellation of hunting seasons in the hardest hit areas. In Montana, poisons used

miff

W CAPE MAY - CHR/Ccta’s | Women In Touch Program will sponsor a one day workshop for current and prospective Shark Films MIDDLE TWP - The Wetlands Institute on Stone Harbor Blvd i will present two films 8: id p.m. Feb. 27 on one of Itie most interesting creatures of the sea — the shark. In Search of Sharks will reveal how and why mako sharks are caught and tagged off the New Jersey coast. The second film. Shark, takes vitfWers to Australia in aeareft for the great white, shark and other inhiabjtants of the deep.

Quality wasn't the only water problem in 1981 Shortages of wa’ter were widespread aus a drought-shrank waterTevels to record lows in v many states m WITH THE HOUSING SLUMP keeping a tight hd oq timber demand, forests hCId their own But the pressure for increased cuts on national forest lands is running strong. EQI reports In addition, dc|mands for minerals and energy are creating other pressures on national timberlands. r So far. wildlife and recreation uses of national forest lands have bee# balanced against the other demands, but conservationists aren't convinced that the trend will con tinue. - WHEN FARMLAND-DOES, so does wildlife habitat And farmland is going—at a rapid fate, says the EQI The -U.S. Soil Conservatidn Service reported that nearly 8 million tons of soil v^ere washed or blown off America's farmlands in 1981. That’.* 35 percent worse than it was in the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s-at a time when the de in«lnd for food is growing Though wind and water technically carry the sod off. • the underlying problem is not weather, says the EQI It s ovefgrazing. needless plowing, the destruction of windbreaks, and the failure of farmers to follow anti erosion measures • Uhless thb federal government, develops policies that encourage soil ennsergation. NWF predicts that croplands will continue to vanish LIVINCi SPACE ALSO SHRANK last year, Simply because there arc too many people and not enough room Although the growth rate- in the U.S is down, jhe U.S population will continue to increase for the next HO years, according to a United Nations’ projection What’s more, our nation is adding another 3 rhillion people annually through legal and illegal immigration The swollen population puts increasing pressures on federally owned lands, on mass transit systems, on schools, and on sewage^treatment fapilites It also means that.there's less open green space to go around, Conserva tionists think thdt 1982 might even Ho worse

Canada geese and other wildlife. "We may be returning to an era of indiscriminate chemical use," warns NWF’s Wildlife Direcfor Alan Wentz WHEN THE REAGAN BUDGET proposals slashed the federal goveriment’s energy conservation programs by 86 percent and the splar energy development program by 60 percent, environmentalists were puzzled, according to the NWF. becauife they had just begun to see signs that renewable soUjrcAof energy were paying off. The Administratfqn earmarked more funds for nuclear. 1 power and proposed opening up more federal lands and ofto coal, oil and other mineral move that conservationists say could * environmental consequences But gains made in renewable energy sources •ar, minerals held their own in the EQI Y ALSO IVELD r its own. but just barely. Council on Environmental Quality reported Air Act is saving 14,000 lives a year and i in health, property and other damages, "watering doUn" the act appears to be a goal of the new #

administration.

And despite the improvements in air quality, mostly a reflection of Reduced levels of soot. dust, other par ticulates and fculfur dioxide, the problems of ozone and acid rain remain largely unsolved. Ozone, or pHotochemical smog, formed by the action of sunlight on vipors like auto emissions, is still at high levels in urbarj areas. Acid rain, formed when sulfur diox-» ide and nitrogfen oxides from power plants and cars com bine with moisture in the air, has spread dramatically in recent years, j virtually eliminating wildlife from'some lakes and waterways. WATER QUALITY SUFFERED last year, in spite of ambitious goals of the Clean Water Act of 1972. Thirtyseven states hbve said that they’ll be unable to meet the act’s mandate! for "fishable and swimmablo" waters by 1983 The biggest problem is the task of controlling non point source pollution, such as the toxic contamination of underground Water and the pollution of surface waters by runoff The Administration was in no mood this year to spend the vast bums of money-perhaps $100 billion—that it might take tb clean up the nation's water supplies. WIT Plans Workshop

businesswoman 12:30 p m. Saturday. March 13. in Borough' Hall, here, it was announced by WIT Program Coordinator Elsa Vernon CONDUCTING THE workshop will be Ann J Jawin. Grace Welch and Wendy Lazar Jawin. who Conducted a similar workshop through the WIT program last winter, is an author, lecturer and women’s resource specialist. She has served as the Education and FImployment Counselor for the New York City Chapter of the National Organization for Women Interested parties may contact the Women In Touch Office at 465-2263 for more information.

Doing MORE...With LESS

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> ^ MAKE MUSIC / ON THEHARMONICA! Playing the harmqftica is one of life's little pleasures. Most harmonicas aren't, expensive, you can easily carry one hvyour pocket or purse, and, whenever you need a lift or the spirit moves you. your little musical companion will be right there ready to play a tune ( First, you nerd to learn how to Hold the harp Cradle the instrument in a.'iUn-fingcr sandwich" by placing your hands around it as if you're braying arrange the organ between your palms (with the "blow" part toward youl and aligned with your fingers. Then’rotate your hands one way hr the other (whichever feels most comfortable to youl so that one winds up with the-fin-gers on top of the mouth harp and the thumb on the bottom . and the other hand is wrapped around’the first with the heel of its palm squarely facing your mouth. The high notes should he to your right This grip creates a sort of "chamber" around the harmonica. producing a richer tone. The manner in .which you "kiss" your instrument al so has a lot to do with the sound you'll get out of it. The best way to get a pure note from your harp is to ex periment and practice until you've trained your lips and your tongue to direct a breath of air (either in or out) through just one of the openings in your instrument at a time. This will produce ohe.steady, clean tone after another which is what bade harmonica playing is really all dbout. Next, you’ll want to get some emotions . . .feelings .. . into^our music. The simplest way to add this flavor to your tunes'iii by varying the volume at which you play. Make ybur harp's sound rise and fall according to the character of the song. Expression can also be added to harmonica music by soulful use of the wavering tones made possible >rhen using the "ten-finger 'sandwich "grip. Of course, when you really want to add, something special you’ll just have to teach yourself to play some chords on your ol'- harmonica. To do so, you'll need to open your Ups enough to allow you to blow through four of the organ's openings at once. At the same time, though, press your tongue up against the wooden partitions on the instrument's front and use it to cover either the three holes to the left (if you want to add a low chord Uf your melody note from time to time) or the three holes to the right (if you wish to add a high chord). And then-while one corner or the other of your mouth concentrates qn blowing a steady tone through the single hole that's uncovered-your tongue is moved (In rhythm!) to cover and uncover the other three openings, thereby adding and subtracting the high or low chord. That's right: To play chords you have to be able to do two things afonce. It isn't eaey but it sure can drive an audience wUd! Fof rREE additional intorfnation on homamada mure o* on TmE MOTHER EARTH NEWS maoarina aand yovf nama and addiaaa and aak lot Rapnnt No 6S2 How To Play Harmonica Mail to Doing MORE V9itn LEAS'. PO Bo« TO. Handaraonviiia. NC 28T0t or m car* oMhlt papar. Copyright iM2 THE MOTHER ( EARTH NEWS. Inc.