The reasoning used by John McManus, the John Birch Society public relations director, is both appalling and dangerous to our environment.

In the April 20 issue of The Northern Star he is quoted as saying, “All the environmental issues … are in the theory stage yet. None of them has been proven to be true.”

Let’s hope that they are not proven to be true, for this would mean that we would have no clean air to breathe, no water to drink, no protection from the harmful rays of the sun and garbage high over our heads. Proof would be deadly to us all.

It is true that environmentalists are opposed to both coal burning and nuclear power plants as sources of energy, but it is not the case that they haven’t offered alternatives.

Wind power, solar energy and biomass technology has increased in efficiency and decreased in price. It is now up to the public to demand safe, affordable sources of energy.

The idea that environmentalists are “pseudo-scientists” is ludicrous. One need only look at the members of the Union of Concerned Scientists (26 Church St., Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02238) to dispel that notion.

I found it particularly interesting that Mr. McManus noted that, “the trees cause more damage to the anvironment than power plants. If you leave your car under a tree, you come back two hours later and there’s scum and twigs all over it.”

I would like to point out to Mr. McManus that tree sap and twigs are not pollution and that a car can be washed. Toxic waste, smog, and unrecycled trach IS pollution and the earth doesn’t quite fit into a carwash.

As Mr. McManus said, “we’ll never be able to get every pollutant out of the air, it’s ludicrous to think we can.” I guess we should be (cough) happy (cough-hack) with what we have (wheeze) and overlook (cough) what future generations won’t have (hack).

Wes Covalt

Graduate Student

Educational Psychology