It is time for the American public and the big whigs in the corporate world to start exercising some social responsibility and start paying for the conditions of our environment.

For too long we have heard the blame put on the shoulders of the government. Even though members of the government are somewhat responsible for the lack of legislation protecting our health and our natural landmarks, we cannot wait for action any longer. We, as members of this country and this planet, need to start paying for the mess we have created.

This week, a House subcommittee broke a decade-long stalemate on clean-air legislation. Two representatives who have been on opposite ends of the clean-air argument, have joined forces to support the long-overdue limit on emissions from automobiles, which are one of the largest contributors to the smog problem around our cities.

Modeled after a California plan, the strict auto-emissions policy will go into effect around the nation. Hopes are that the plan will be fully implemented by 1996.

Environmentalists finally have something to be happy about, but wouldn’t you know it?—the auto industry says it is disappointed. Well, tough beans. The auto industry is one of the richest in the nation, and it is about time they shared some of the burden. If we continue to use cost effectiveness as an excuse to avoid overdue solutions to our environmental problems, it will be too late.