Being a teacher, I am a firm believer that EDUCATION is the key. Granted- some
peoples minds are already made up and don't want to be confused with any "facts"
and education won't insure that a person has any environmental morals. But with
a groundswell of environmentally educated youth (and adults for that matter) we
can hopefully encourage people to be more politically active and environmentally
responsible.
The delivery of the education can mean everything-
Last summer my wife and I were banding birds in our front yard and we saw a
handful of young kids (6-10 years old) walk into the field in front of our
property and start taking pot shots at birds with a BB gun. I wanted to cuss
the little vermin out but I refrained. I walked down to the kids and invited
them up into the yard to see the banding project that we were working on. We
showed them the net, the birds, bands, etc., and explained to them that the
birds they were shooting were protected. They asked a pile of questions and
stuck around for about a half hour. I think that had a much better impact than
cussing them out. Every once in a while one of those kids will ask us how our
birds are doing... (Alas- this is another sad commentary of parents not being
responsible for their childrens actions...)
Earth Day is Saturday... What will each of you be doing?
Roger

> Environmental education of the ambivalent and of the unknowledgeable
> citizen is the other "job" that must be made significantly more
> effective. This group may be the silent (or perhaps the inattentive and
> unaware) majority we often refer to (so hopefully but futilely until they
> get motivated).
>
> I don't think we have a more cheap and universally available solution
> to our environmental problems than the (political) ballot box.
> Peter


################################################################################
Roger Peffer- rpeffer at ctc.edu 509-662-1651 X2017
Wenatchee Valley College
Biology/Chemistry Departments
1300 Fifth Street
Wenatchee, WA 98801