Dirty Sheets

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I read Steven J.S. Glick's editorial "C'mon, Change the Sheets," with a great deal of frustration. The author offers excellent suggestions for preserving the world's woodlands, but nevertheless, I am very concerned by the dilemma of those "dirty sheets."

There is a very dangerous trend in this country, and in the world in general, to focus attention on problems of current popular interest, leaving other equally pressing but less publicized matters unaddressed. Saving our forests is certainly a very popular issue these days. Thousands have responded to increased media attention and the pleas of pop stars like the Grateful Dead and David Byrne by hopping onto the arboreal bandwagon. The fate of the world's forests and woodlands is indeed an important issue, but what about the other less trendy "wet spots" on our hypothetical bed?

Americans tend to put off worrying about environmental problems until these problems reach dangerous proportions. For example, we have pushed the fossil fuel problem under the carpet. Forgetting this once-trendy environmental issue, we have begun buying larger, less gas-efficient cars again. Similarly, Americans seem to be all too quick to forget about conserving water until shortages appear. Furthermore, the general public seemed ambivalent about the depletion of the ozone layer until the media sounded a general alarm. As soon as it was popular and politically expedient, thousands chose to "get involved."

Americans could avoid so many severe environmental crises by merely looking ahead occasionally. What can the Harvard community do? We can look beyond the trendy issues of the day and work to preserve the environment as a whole. A problem shouldn't have to reach emergency proportions and appear on the pages of every publication in the land before people begin to address it. Paper recycling is a great idea, but what about a campus-wide campaign to cut down on the needless waste of electricity and water? A sticker on the inside of dorm room doors saying "Are the lights turned off? Are all the faucets completely shut?" would constitute a small step towards preserving our national resources. A University poster drive addressing environmental concerns would also help. Why must the Harvard community only address the most urgent and popular of problems? All I'm asking is that we look beyond the trendy environmental issues of the day and pay some attention to the environment as a whole. A little foresight can go a long way! Jason Kaufman '93