Show n Love Save and Use the Planet Weekly Whine B By Y 1 John Nielson J J y a. a Editorial Writer One of the great things about is the abundance abundance abundance dance of bulletin boards in the various buildings on campus They are there to benefit us they tell us what is going on and who wants to sell their used wares It was with glee that I noticed an essay entitled Ecological Decay on the bulletin board in the hall with the Coke machines in front of the bookstore I hope the students at the other campuses received this same treat The anonymous author Ill I'll call them freak Eco-freak wrote down some interesting thoughts I agree with the first sentence of the manifesto freak Eco-freak said We the Human Race cannot continue continue contin e to ignore the environmental environmental environmental environ environ- mental destruction we have and are creating on this planet I could not agree more with the statement It is definitely definitely definitely def def- the time to pay attention to the earth and to realize realize realize real real- ize that humans have indeed destroyed much of the earths earth's natural beauty Recycling reducing waste and using re-using materials when possible help to preserve our natural resources If everyone does their part recycling will be effective in saving the earth from further destruction freak Eco-freak continues the manifesto by describing how humans have raped the earths earth's natural resources and stripped its beauty away While these statements are true the benefits to mankind caused by these actions far outweigh the problems they may have caused All of us can name industries that destroy the earth Mining timber and oil are probably the biggest offend offend- erS ers They are also the biggest contributors to the comforts comforts comforts com com- forts of the present day The very paper that freak Eco-freak used to print the manifesto manifesto manifesto man man- probably can be blamed for destroying some fish in a lake downstream from the plant it was created in due to the harsh chemicals used in the paper making process The toner it was printed with pollutes the air near the factory it is made in The staple used to hold the two pages together is made of steel Can anyone grow v a steel plant in their backyard I haven't seen it yet and it will never happen Does freak Eco-freak drive a car to school I hope not because then they would be a hypocrite Does Docs Eco Eco- freak ride a bike to school I hope not The earth was raped when the metal was removed to make the bike frame Does freak Eco-freak live in a house I hope not f 1 r because all the wood metal and plastic would be enough to cause Eco Eco- freak Eco to go into shock I could goon go goon goon on and on with this freak Eco-freak needs to realize that every tangible thing we have in society today raped the earth in its creation The manifesto gets fairly comical by the bottom of the first page freak Eco-freak advocates a Save the Planet campaign that should dwarf all other scientific sociological sociological socio socio- logical and economical attention Is that really a serious serious serious seri seri- ous idea I would like to see a cure for cancer and AIDS before all research in these fields is slowed down so we can save the planet Would freak Eco-freak be content if the earth were made perfect again at the cost of intense human suffering I need to share one more excerpt from the manifesto freak Eco-freak said Our enemy are the toxic waste producing producing producing ing industries that continue to use our bad backyards ards as their garbage dumps as well as those government leaders that allow this to happen I guess that I will always be the enemy of Eco I will continue to support the industries that make my life enjoyable I will even support the politicians who make it possible for me to enjoy these conveniences I call the implements of earth conveniences conveniences conveniences because that is exactly what they are to me I Ilove Ilove Ilove love th the fact that I can get running water in my house whenever I want it The water might not be as pure as asit asit asit it was when wells wens were the only source for this precious resource But wells tend to run dry while the modern modem water reclamation facility can give me an almost endless endless endless end end- less supply The issues that freak Eco-freak brings up in the manifesto are important I disagree with almost everything that was printed but it stirs up a conversation All of us need to figure out what part we can do to protect the earth while not going overboard Rational thought should be all that is required to accomplish this There are many beautiful parts of the earth that have not been raped at this time We should preserve what we vc can but a balance is the only way that society cancon can con continue m e to function on with all the comforts it currently enjoys If every inhabitant of the earth were willing to sacrifice modem science and technology freaks freak's ideas might be made into reality I doubt this will hap hap- pen Right now most third world countries cant can't wait waitto to get newer technologies that benefit them Telephones and sewer systems are still not available inmany inmany in inmany many under-developed under parts of the world The freaks freak's manifesto is supposed to be posted on the bulletin board until May Go read it and you will get the other side to this argument A fello fellow student has already written their response on the manifesto manifesto manIfesto mani mani- manI- manI festo itself I 11 t makes for some interesting reading Go ahead enlighten yourself and read it Send any y of to the Horizon your letters comments or responses We still welcome your opinion J |