Earth Alert Saving Our Planet For Future Generations

Today the environment seems to be pressing in on everyone. Pollution of our air, water and land and overconsumption of natural resources are far-reaching. The cure is complex.

Coming from every direction, the environmental problem seems unconquerable in all its enormity. In fact, it stills most people to inaction: “My own meager efforts won’t have any significant impact, so why should I even try?” Perhaps the biggest threat to the environment is not pollution from big corporations and institutions, but the apathy of consumers. Today’s consumers have forgotten that individuals grouped together are what give corporations their power, that the boycott is still a powerful tool, only rarely used.

Luckily, not everyone is consumed by this environmental lethargy. There are still many concerned humans diligently trying to do their part in spreading awareness and working toward this planet’s healing.

Such a group is ! (Youth for Environmental Sanity!), a traveling group of young, theatrical environmentalists who tour the United States and some of Canada spreading their environmental message. The group, with around 40 students, is based in California but has members from all over the country. Spokane was lucky enough to have ! here March 26 to April 1, performing at many local schools and hosting an all-day workshop on April 1. About 40 local teens attended.

The workshop was fun and hard work, consisting of games along with in-depth discussions on stereotypes and other social issues relevant to the modern teenager. An incredible energy and sense of hope surrounded the group all day. It made me feel empowered to face the world again.

Missy Longshore of Gonzaga Prep described the experience as “inspirational.” Holly Arsenault of Ferris agreed.

“We all left feeling we’d taken the first step in moving toward a healthier society and Earth,” she said.

The ! message is a simple one: Individuals can make a difference and should rise to action, conducting their lives to move toward a better world instead of adding to the regression the planet is experiencing. The group talked about how individuals simply being aware of their own lifestyles can make a difference.

One example is our diet, our meat consumption in particular. I learned that 70 percent of all grain grown in the United States each year is eaten by cows as feed. Cows consume 16 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, while worldwide every 2.3 seconds a child dies of malnutrition. If Americans decreased their meat consumption by only 10 percent, the amount of land, water and energy that would be freed would be enough to feed 100 million people.

The leading cause of rain forest deforestation in Central America is cattle grazing. It seems few people realize their own actions can affect the amount of rain forest deforestation and pollution, simply by eating or not eating meat.

! stressed they are not a group trying to scare people into becoming vegetarians and environmental crusaders. They simply want individuals to be aware of how their actions affect the environment.

But some local citizens see !’s efforts in quite a different light, as seen on the Letters to the Editor page of The Spokesman-Review on April 3. There were complaints about a student who had become inspired to turn vegetarian, and this was seen as a negative thing.

I ask why? Aside from the harm overconsumption of meat causes to the environment, the health benefits are amazing. Take the average American man, for example. If he eats meat and dairy products, his risk of death from heart attack is 50 percent. When cutting meat from his diet, his risk declines to only 15 percent; cutting out meat and dairy will reduce his risk to 4 percent. Also, risks for cancer go down exponentially when meat and dairy consumption are stopped.

So with all this info, where does this unjust fear of vegetarianism stem from? The government spends more money annually on advertising for the beef and dairy industries than it does on following the Endangered Species Act. In the last 40 years the global cattle population has increased by 100 percent while projections have been made that the extinction of 50 to 100 species per day could become normal by the year 2000. Now, I don’t see any shortage of cows coming any time soon, so why is the most money going to supporting a food that is bad for human health and the environment?

!’s main message was not one of fanaticism, but one of local action and encouragement to try and promote positive change when possible. They suggested two books for students to look into: “Diet for a New America” by John Robbins and “Students Shopping for a Better World,” a guide for the conscientious consumer.

The group came in to stir things up, raise awareness and motivate people to work toward change. I only hope that the people affected by this group do not forget the message they learned, that the fervor and energy created does not soon die.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Get involved Want to get involved with a recycling program or an environmental group? Most high schools have their own ecology clubs. Ask a teacher or counselor about it. If your school doesn’t have one, consider getting some friends together with similar interests and start your own. Other resources: The Department of Ecology, waste reduction and recycling department, 456-2947. The Peace and Justice Action League, Molly McCarter, 535-8776. Student Environmental Action Coalition, Becky Statzel, 838-0891. On Saturday an Endangered Species Act conference will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, near Spokane Falls Community College, at 10 a.m. Call 838-0891 for more information.