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Show Lance Christie, and felt he was able to condense an awful lot of information into two pages. It is clear to me (and has been for at least a couple of decades) that the sheer number "QUIT OVER-CONSUMING OR QUIT OVER-PRODUCING CONSUMERS" Dear Stiles: Down here in Alabama, suggesting there might be too many people is tantamount to saying that college football is a communist plot and Elvis was a Yankee. The idea bounces off folks’ eardrums and comes back out like so much brain gas. But, of course, as you note of "us" will be our undoing, and that it was only a matter of time until somebody in the "developing" world (God help us all!) would take violent exception to the United States’ more greedy and bullying aspects . Our "beacon of freedom" shines rather dimly in those parts of the world that have no prayer of attaining our much flaunted lifestyle. Like everyone else in the country, I was sickened and appalled by the events of September 11. But it seems to me that the best way to honor the victims of this attack would be for us all to seriously re-evaluate our relationship with the natural world ( which includes our fellow humans ) and seek to live more lightly upon the land. I also just checked out the new Zephyr website . As my young nephew would say, "Awesome!" — Sincerely , Veronica Egan Santa Fe, NM in your latest polemic (Vol. 13, No. 4), there are way too many people on Earth and intelligent critters don’t argue the point with a straight face. Assuming you can find some intelligent critters.."Standing Room Only” was a fine piece and you are to be commended E Mail Your Feedback Comments for sticking your neck out (again). I reckon you are now, as they say in law school, "sitting on the horns of the dilemma,” whatever that means. I can hear the proverbial knees jerking across America as your gentle readers peruse your latest editorial. My friend Pete Jones has an axiom that goes like this: "If we want a sane tomorrow, either we quit over-consuming, or we quit over-producing consumers.” I don’t see anybody backing off on loading the pantry. In fact, didn’t we hear President Bush recently say that he wants to increase the tax cuts in order to put more money in Americans’ pockets so we'll start spending again? It’s enough to make you think consumption is our patriotic duty. Someone with a keen sense of the obvious could see that America isn’t rushing to emulate the ideology of "Live simply so others might live." I don’t know about Utah, but where I live is becoming an unrecognizable ghost of its former fine self. We're looking at sprawl, air pollution, dying rivers, mega-malls, cell phone towers, an SUV (or two!) in every garage, and traffic the likes of which I haven't seen since, well, sinceI mistakenly drove through Atlanta. You'd think we’d won the lottery and used the money to construct our own private Dollywood into infinity. If and when we’re done then what? Can we ever say there’s an end to growth without admitting the Hlouse of Cards is precariously shaky? Like I said--brain ee There are those who believe in “parsimony” as an antidote to what ails us. To them I say: turn on the TV and locate a show featuring Jane Goodall’s chimpanzees. Watch the chimps very carefully, then imagine them having unlimited access to guns, alcohol and automobiles. Now, allow those chimps to multiply at will and voila!- there we are. No, Homo erectus asphaltus is hard-wired to be acquisitive beyond limits. We are a greedy naked ape and might as well get used to it. In the long run, it’s much simpler to reduce our numbers and behave naturally than to socially engineer our way into more futuristic quagmires At any rate, you nailed it good and now there’s liable to be a rash of hate mail, teeth gnashing, and even a threat or two. It’s in keeping with the times to be reactionary towards ideologically correct publishers. So hunker down and remain brave in the face of those who don’t have the stomach for reality. The truth is a ney business. i the Faith. Yrs truly, Ned. Mudd . Alabama THE NEED FOR Pe Editor, ne’ We prefer email comments to Feedback because we don't have to re-type them. So EMAIL your letters and save someone from developing carpal tunnel syndrome. zephyr@moci.net MORE ON "MARKETING BEAUTY" Hello: liked Alexandra Woodruff’s article on the marketing of the wilderness experience in the "Zephyr." I am of a like mind. I’m sure you're aware that the media has played an overwhelming role in "marketing beauty,” again in the name of a dollar. Journals like "Outside" didn’t just ride the wave of extreme sports and status equated through same. They generated much of the wave. Money + wilderness access = status "Outside" was created by editors of "Rolling Stone" who decided that they didn’t have enough and that we didn’t either. The land and the national psyche have suffered from it. But when corporate America or the media (or legislators) identify a trend in national psyche that might jeopardize profit or when they identify a flaw in their reputation, they either reverse the trend or repair their reputation both (at least in large part) through Public Relations. It has almost come to the point where public opinion is made or changed through PR. PR is vastly underutilized by those who profess to work toward preserving the land (air, water) through either individual or public (legislative) means. I think it’s because the PR industry has had a reputation of underhandedness, corruption, deceit, (etc., etc., etc.) and we believe we dare not go there. But used ethically it is a tool to activate and bring others around to a new (old?) way of thinking. Is that corporate media I see using their PR machine to win the entirety of America over to selfish, pure commerce? Why aren’t we trying to oppose that effort with the same tools? Our job should be easier; after all, once reminded, who could really be opposed to wilderness protection in their heart and mind? Regards, Richard Dixon Salt Lake City, UT AL REEFORM?" Thanks much for Alexandra Woodruff’s "Marketing Beauty" piece; I really appreciate all that you're saying there. It also jibes with Jim Stiles’s opening up the Zephyr to environmental self-criticism. Now if we can just reform the self-centered ETO listen-to-anybody-else varmentalist, maybe some progress can be made. Good luck, NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS If your mailing label indicates a: 12/01 OR 1/02 your subscription is ABOUT THE "SHEER NUMBERS" AND TO EXPIRE! You should have received or you should soon receive a renewal notice. In order to avoid an interruption in your subscription we must receive your renewal before Martin Murie N. Bangor NY SEPTEMBER - JANUARY IS, 2002 11... We cannot include back issues with a bulk mailing. Twas really impressed with the latest Zephyr. It must have been daunting trying to go to press these last few weeks, and you did a great job , especially in retaining your “lead "article. Your article and John Theobald’s were excellent. I especially enjoyed the article by IN SALT LAKE CITY... ruth's diner THREE MEALS A DAY... SEVEN DAYS A WEEK... WHY GO ANYWHERE ELSE??? 2100 EMIGRATION CANYON SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84108 801.582.5807 WWW.CUISCENERY.COM Dream ON, Claus... You couldn't POSSIBLY ANTA GETS FRESH WITH RUTH! 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