Show hr 3 1 Y 1 c. c f S Spring Offers Solutions To Environmental Problems Americans have never needed spring more than they do this year For many months now we have been saturated with talk about the seriousness of our nations nation's environmental problems We Ve are convinced of the urgency of water and air pollution of constantly increasing noise and of declining standards of beauty We can indeed agree with those concerned Americans who are calling this a crisis of survival But the more that we the individual individual individual indi indi- vidual citizens hear about the scope and complexity of ecological problems the more frustrated we become Faced with the mammoth scale of the problems what can any of us do to help Certainly there must be more than using unleaded gasoline and drinking soda pop from returnable bottles This is where spring comes in There is something about the vernal vernal vernal ver ver- nal equinox that makes all humans take a new fresh look at the world and all its problems We Ve begin to see the fundamentals of our lives and problems more clearly and with the fresh breezes and sprouting sprouting sprouting sprout sprout- ing life solutions begin to form in our minds But this year spring has an even greater significance for those of us who are frustrated ecologists By Bythe Bythe Bythe the very nature of spring itself we get some specific ideas of solutions to our environmental problems Take a look at the elements of spring the spring the budding trees thee the sprouting flowers Here are some are some of the most valuable commodities known to man and they're available available bl ble to to each and cv every ry one orie i onus ortis f Their assets are many manyi including the obvious th the oft-forgotten oft and the newly discovered The most obvious of course is beauty A tree for instance is beauty in any environment regardless of its cies By multiplying the number of trees and by creatively planning their planting the beauty is multi multi- plied But the most obvious asset is not the most important The greenery greener that makes up our spring landscape is the fundamental sustenance of life for it supplies oxygen upon which all life depends Which one of us has not studied photosynthesis thesis in biology classes And yet how many of us have forgotten this critical role that greenery plays in our lives We Ve must remember it and use this asset to the fullest advantage Plant life is also the best means man has found of preventing ero ero- sion According to the American Association of Nurserymen large scale plantings of trees grasses and shrubbery can literally stop pollution pollution pollution tion of lakes streams and even oceans by stopping the erosion of soil And we are discovering more more assets of plant life life assets assets that plants have always had but which man has only recently recognized For instance trees shrubs vines and flowers act as natural traps for polluted particles in the air The leaves then hold the particles until natural or controlled washings return them to the ground And the polluted environment is not just the physical environment It is the inner mental environment of each of us us as well We Ve are arc bombarded bombarded bombarded bom bom- barded by noise from all sides at all hours The most obvious noises such as electronic guitars and supersonic planes are conscious irritants to our comfort Buy Biu th few of ofus ofus ofus us are aware of the damage being caused by the less obvious the noises-the incessant or slightly audible sounds that irritate our nerves and increase our tensions often to the point or of physical or or mental damage But amazingly plant life can help solve these pollution problems problems problems lems too Those invaluable creations crea crea- lions called leaves have acoustical characteristics as well as s 's trap char- char v uy planting grass and many shrubs or trees together we can create living sound barriers Thus spring begins to point the direction to some solutions Open your eyes Observe spring Analyze its plants its tulips its azalea bushes its magnolia trees its budding budding bud bud- ding birches its birches ts redwoods its maples There are arc beginnings of hope here Find them and make use of them I. I t I i 1 PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENT ENVIRON ENVIRON- MENT The MENT-The The systematic planting of trees shrubs vines grass and other ground covers can successfully prevent prevent prevent pre pre- vent erosion along the miles of stream and river banks in inthe inthe inthe the United States Some million acres of crop land lose fertile topsoil through wind and water erosion a loss of at about out SI 51 S I billion annually to the nations nation's productivity Furthermore much of the soil ends up in rivers and streams accounting for some million tons of sediment a year Removal of sediment from channels harbors harbors harbors har har- bors and reservoirs costs approximately approximately approximately million a year t i iI I r rry ry J JY Y SUSTENANCE OF LIFE The LIFE The greenery that comprises the spring landscape landscape landscape land land- is the fundamental sustenance of life The trees shrubs and grass that man takes for granted supply him with oxygen upon which all life depends |