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Show Attend today's Environmental Teach-in Wednesday's Environmental Teach-in sponsored I by the Total Environmental Awareness Movement (TEAM) nas been called many things from a communist inspired plot an "environment! conscious." As Dr. Joseph Hickey re- Vat'What is the teach-in, and why should we have one? It has the goal of awakening in people, especially Americans, to an "environmental conscious." As Dr. Joseph Hickey reports, re-ports, "we are dealing with a closed ecological system, and the unbridled use of our natural resources cannot go on without recycling our waste." Why' Because although Americans make up only six per cent of the entire world population, we use over 40 per cent of the world's natural resources. We, as Natures biggest depleter, should be her most able protector. If we are not, she will have no alternative but to eventually desert us. The teach-in then has been organized, not as a Communist Com-munist plot or a a salvation, but as a means of educating ed-ucating college students to the most serious problem facing us. It is well worth the student's time and energy to attend the teach-in and learn the facts of this crisis. They need to become part of the discussion to find possible solutions. The entire nation is slowly realizing that we must do something some-thing about the oil-siicks, about the polluted air, about the dirty water, and about the dwindling forests; for our country, our style of living, and our lives are at stake. Rep. George Bush of Texas and Rep. Lawrence Hogan of Maryland have presented a bill in Congress to create a National College of Ecological and Environmental Studies to be organized under the National Science Foundation. They recognize that few of our institutes of higher learning include environmental studies as a part of their course offerings, of-ferings, and they realize it is imperative that concern for the problem of understanding of Nature and man's relationship relation-ship with the environment must be studied at the university level. Such studies can help lead to the solution of ecological problems. Rep. Bush told Congress that the college's "total merit is realized in recognizing that our social structure lacks an organized non-political youth forum where needed communications could be channeled in solving the problems of an extremely fast changing world." "It is important," Rep. Bush continued, "that we listen to what, our young people have to say on this issue (ecology) for it will be their demands for goods and services in the not too distant future that will influence changes in industry, education and our society as a whole. If we are to be smart managers, we must have the vision necessary to comprehend the true purpose of this national teach-in a need to communicate." Likewise, if we are to be educated citizens of this country and concerned people of a world community, then it is our duty and moral obligation to acquaint ourselves with the environmental problems. An acquaintance to the problem is a step in the direction direc-tion of solution. The environmental crisis cannot be delayed for tomorrow will shortly arrive. |