Most college freshmen believe the federal government is not doing enough to control environmental pollution.

Figures from a fall 1989 survey conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles show 86.3 percent of freshmen questioned feel the government should do more to protect the environment.

This figure is up 2.4 percent from 1988 and up 5.4 percent from 1987.

Results of the survey also show growing student interest in becoming active in the crusade to help the environment, up 10.2 percent in the last three years.

“Those figures sound right in line” with figures on most Americans, said Michael Baltasi, founder and president of NIU’s Student Environmental Action Coalition. “Typically, people are very much for helping the environment,” he said.

However, “people talk, but don’t always do,” Baltasi said.

Baltasi founded SEAC in September 1989, and said the group has enjoyed “tremendous response.” About 60 students have joined in the five months since its start.

“General interest is there,” he said, “and there is great diversity of backgrounds, too.” Baltasi said students in the group come from a variety of majors. Students are interested and have recognized the “grave danger the environment is in,” he said.

NIU Recycling Center Director Dave Broustis said, “I wasn’t too interested when I was a freshman.” He explained that when he was a freshman, there were few campus environmental groups to join.

Broustis added he is now involved with recycling to help improve the environment.

“Now people are really interested,” he said. “We get at least two calls a week from people who are interested or want to volunteer.”

Broustis said last weekend 15 or 20 volunteers helped at the recycling center and he expects 20 to 30 volunteers to come out this weekend.

Both Baltasi and Broustis said they believe the government should be doing more to help the environment. “The government gets in trouble and they deserve it,” Baltasi said.

Broustis said the government seems to be “breaking under the pressure of environmental groups” and is taking some positive steps.

Andrea Allen, a freshman political science major, said her interest in the environment has grown in the past several years, but she has not done much to help.

“The government should do more,” Allen said. “Our environment is all we have so we should keep it clean.”

Broustis said, “I strongly feel the interest is going to keep going. There is an environmental revolution in this country and people are more aware of problems with pollution and waste.

“It costs a lot to control pollution, but people are finally willing to spend the money,” he said.