European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes Anthony Lewis economics still outweigh environmental woes it was 1974 when scientists first calculated that chemicals used in aerosol sprays and other products would deplete the Earth s Ozone layer. The Dupont co. Dismissing the finding As specs fought proposed legislation. To restrict the chemicals would cause tremendous economic dislocation a Dupont Olti Cial said. Today just about everyone agrees that we must Stop using those chemicals. Dupont has begun to phase out production. Hut the resistance by Dupont and others helped to cause 15 years of dangerous additional damage to the Ozone layer. The moral of that 51917 is an unhappy one. In a democratic society where the eco nomic motive is Strong it is extremely difficult to give up Short term economic Bene fits for a Long term reason even compelling reason one of life and death. The same Point underlies the latest controversy about government handling of environmental challenges. That is the Flap about official rewriting of scientific testimony on global warming. Or. James e. Hansen director of the National aeronautics and space administration s Goddard Institute for space studies prepared a statement on global warming for a Senate hearing. It dealt with the greenhouse effect or the changes in climate caused by Carbon dioxide and other gases released into the atmosphere in modern Industrial Socie ties. Hansen s testimony was in the nature of an extremely serious warning. He said computer projections showed there would be substantial rises in tempera Ture drought and severe storms. Those changes he said would affect the Earth s biological systems. He submitted the in it in Advance to the White House s office of manage ment and budget which is supposed to make sure that High officials hew to established policies. But in this Case the office rewrote Hansen s scientific conclusions. For example Hansen said he believed William Safire that gases causing the greenhouse effect came primarily from human activities such As burning Coal and Oil and destroy ing rain forests. The budget office re wrote that Section to say that the relative contribution of Man s activities and of natural processes to the greenhouse effect remains scientifically they arc scared of the truth sen. Albert Gore or. Said of the budget officials. No doubt they arc. For recognizing the seriousness of the global warming trend its threat to life 9n Earth would require Swift and painful adjust ments. Burning Fossil fuels the Coal and Oill hat mostly propel and heat our societies adds Carbon dioxide to inc atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and of her Chat Refl cycling gases Are believed to cause the Green House effect. So if the Prospect of global warming is taken seriously we need urge Nelly to reduce our use of Fossil fuels. Merely to state that is to understand How daunting the Lask is. It would Call for enormous efforts Al Energy conservation and development of alternative sources such As solar Energy. The essential Challenge is to political leadership. And the record on that front gives Little ground for optimism. The official censorship of Hansen s testimony this week was not the first such incident in fad. In 1987 inc Rea Gan budget office made him remove a recommendation for increased research on global warming. The episode was de scribed last january in an article by Dick Russell in the weekly in these times. The Reagan adminis Lvalion ran away from Long term environmental Chal Lenges slashing research and other funds. In this As in other areas it left the Price to be paid by future generations. But the Reagan years were Only an extreme expression of a tendency inherent in democratic societies. That is for politicians to gratify the immediate de sires that dominate the thinking of their constituents. To build a constituency for Well
