University of Virginia Library

In A Jar

We are living in a jar. Although the earth is
suspended in infinite space, we must remember
that we live in an essentially closed system.
The edges of the earth's atmosphere are like
the glass sides of a closed container, preventing
both the life-giving air and the potentially
death-dealing wastes from escaping. Man
can no longer ignore the fact that air and
water, his two most precious natural resources,
are seriously threatened by increasing
pollution.

All over the East Coast this past summer a
pall of smoke hung over towns and cities and
even countryside miles from the nearest
factory. Those who remained in Albemarle
County after the spring examination period
can attest to the fact that there were very few
of those crystal days when the mountains
sparkle in the distance. In fact the Blue Ridge
always appeared touched with a smokier
that has in the past only characterized the
coal mining areas of West Virginia. People
who do not live in the choking atmosphere of
New York or Los Angeles can no longer
dismiss the problem of pollution as irrelevant.
It is beginning to strangle life - everywhere.

No more graphic evidence is needed to
demonstrate the critical nature of the pollution
problem than a look at New York City
during the crisis in July. With temperatures
and humidity hovering in the nineties and
absolutely no cooling breezes New Yorkers
experienced just a tiny taste of what will
happen many more times in much greater
severity if radical measures are not taken to
stifle pollution.

New York City, which has never been
hailed as a cool vacation spot during the
summer months, suffered under blistering
heat and almost toxic air pollution for over a
week. The banks of New Jersey were invisible
from the Manhattan side of the George
Washington Bridge and the tops of the City's
skyscrapers disappeared in the murky air like
THE TOPS f a lofty mountain range hidden
clouds.

Both state and city governments responded
to the crisis by ordering a cutdown of
pollution by governmental utilities and a plea
to industry and to individual motorists to
lower their output of air wastes. Fortunately,
cooler weather relieved the City.

All of the measures taken during the
pollution alert were of a temporary nature.
Once the crisis passes the spiral of pollution
continued to increase at an alarming rate.
Many of us during this age of activism and
causes tend to look with a rather jaundiced
eye toward "concerned" people full of untarnished
idealism and ravenous vigilance, but
we believe that this is one "cause.' that no
one can deny. Unfortunately, it is all around
us befouling our air and our water, eating
away at our future. We need so much more
than temporary measures designed only to
put off facing the realities of the problem.

Not unlike all problems that eventually are
faced and dealt with by government, they
would probably receive better and more
efficient treatment by citizens individually
and by private businesses. Sadly, the private
interests have consistently refused to come to
terms with the most perplexing problems
facing our nation. School desegregation, if
accepted voluntarily and supervised by groups
outside the bureaucracy of government,
would never have cost this country so much
money and anguish. The problem of poverty
has been met much more successfully by
business pilot programs outside the government,
but the dedication to a full solution is
currently lacking. The government inevitably
must step forward.

Certainly the same is true for pollution. It
would be nice if the automotive industries
decided to really commit themselves to
research and development of a non-polluting
car. It would solve a lot of problems of
industries which pollute our rivers, lakes, and
oceans decided to spend the necessary money
to convert wastes to useful products or at
least divert them to less dangerous channels.
The past has taught us not to expect these
types of action by the business community.
Full scale war on pollution will cost great
sums of money, money which would cut in
on the governing profit margin.

The only answer seems to lie with government
action. The government must not only
be a perfect example to private interests
(something that it has not done thus far -
witness this summer's nerve gas ocean-dumping
by the army), but also the leader in
providing the business sector with standards
and orders that must be met within a limited
amount of time. If Congress and the state
legislatures do not force industries to stop
their fatal pollution by enacting new legislation
and if the executive and judicial
branches of government do not force industry
to comply with existing standards, we will
soon suffer more than just having a few tears
roll down our cheeks or losing a few fish in
some streams. Action is needed immediately.