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The Environment by Janet Banting I know that almost everyone is well aware by now that the world is in bad shape, and yet sometimes I wonder if most peo- ple know just how widespread the problems are. It seems to me that it's time we all recognized that the problems we face are not only numerous, they are also very complex, and global in scope. To get the point across, I thought it would be effective to do a column containing a number of rather disturbing statistics. These would, I think, convince even the most un- concerned that our planet is in extremely bad condition, and that emergency measures are needed NOW. It certainly isn't my in- tention to fill readers with despair by reporting these statistics, although admittedly despair is a fairly natural reaction to some of this bad news. While there will be no "quick fix" solutions to all of these problems, there IS much we can all do to help pull the earth back from the brink of disaster. The figures I am going to quote have been gleaned from Michael Keating's 1989 paper called ' 'Toward A Common Future. A Report on Sustainable Development and Its Implications for Canada." This report is now available on loan from the Scugog Memorial Library for anyone who would like to learn more about the facts behind these statistics. 730 million people in the world cannot get enough to eat. 1 billion people live in poverty and squalor. 1.3 billion people cannot get adequate supplies of safe drink- ing water. Every year 25 million people (the equivalent of Canada's population) die from preventable waterborne diseases. In 1988 the Science Council of Canada reported that as many as a million Canadians may already be risking their health by drinking contaminated well water. The 26 percent of the world's population that lives in the developed world consumes 80 percent of commercially produc- ed energy, 79-86 percent of metals, and up to 34 percent of the North America has 8 percent of the world's population and produces 50 percent of the world's garbage. The Recycling Coun- cil of Ontario points out that, while a standard goal for recycl- ing in Ontario is 50 percent, in Europe the goals are between 60 percent and 80 percent. Scientists believe that 14,000 lakes in Canada are biologically dead. They estimate that 100,000 out of 700,000 lakes in eastern Canada have been damaged by acid rain and that 300,000 more are at risk. Acid rain has destroyed half of Germany's forests and the forests of central Europe, and is dissolving buildings and statues such as the Taj Mahal of India and the Acropolis of Athens that have stood for millenia. Even our own Parliament Buildings are being eaten away. Air pollution, consisting of sulphur and nitrogen gases and numerous other chemicals and metals, can circle the planet in 11 days. It poses a definite threat to our health. Children who live with high levels of air pollution experience decreased lung function. Trees, which the planet desperately needs to soak up car- bon dioxide from our industries, are being cut down at a terri- ble rate, Worldwide, only one tree is planted for every ten cut down (in Africa the ratio is one to twenty-nine!). The rapid loss of tropical forests is leading to the loss of an estimated one thousand to ten thousand species a year. The Brundtland Report calls this "the greatest setback to life's abun- dance and diversity since life first emerged over 3.5 billion years ago." Much farmland in Canada is being lost to urbanization and/or damaged by salinization, alkalization, acidification, waterlogging, and compaction by heavy farm machines. In the Prairie provinces, 300 million tonnes of soil a year are lost to erosion. The world produces 158 million tonnes of plastic a year. 80 percent of the wastes found in the ocean are plastic and they choke, strangle or poison about 100,000 marine mammals a year and hundreds of thousands of seabirds. Canadians have a disproportionate impace on our environ- ment considering the size of our population. It is estimated that we, with our 26 million, have the biospheric impact of a country the size of India, with 800 million! Pretty depressing stuff, isn't it? Warnings have been com- ing for a long time about the need for man to tone down his demands on the earth, but we've taken a long time to heed them. Now, if we don't start moving pretty fast, it may be too late! Next week's column will discuss the need for the countries of the developed world to set an example for the rest of the world by moving ahead with the concept of sustainable development. It will also comment on the need for all of us as individuals to change some of our long-held attitudes and beliefs if we hope to pass on a liveable planet to our children. The Scugog Chamber of Commerce held their semi-annual meeting last Thursday eve- ning, with about 80 members attending. Guest speaker for the evening was Warren Evans, a service management consultant, who gave an informative about retailing from the small business perspective. Mr. Evans will return to Port Perry on Tuesday, October 23 to con- duct an all day seminar aimed at helping small retailers compete in the marketplace. Tickets and Information about the seminar are available by contacting the Scugog Chamber of Commerce. Above, Robert Kroonenberg, chairman of the annual meeting; Ken Carruthers, sponsor of the guest speaker; Mr. Warren Evans, and Chamber president Warren Strong. Chamber of Commerce secretary Bill Barr really didn't do a striptease act at the annual meeting last week, but he did get his share-of wolf whistles for the above act. Bill was en- couraging the merchants to participate in Festival Days by dressing their staff in native cos- tume and demonstrated, by changing his pants, adding a couple of scarves and a hat, how easy it is to become a Mexican. Other countries participating In Festival Days this year are Spain, Bahamas and Great Britain. Please recycle | this newspaper | Kelly, Zuly, Greenway, Bruce BARRISTERS and SOLICITORS Motor Vehicle -- Criminal Personal Injury -- Wills Real Estate -- Family Law Corporate & Commercial EVENINGS & WEEKENDS BY APPOINTMENT 114 King St. E., Oshawa 1723-2278 The Heart Facts ri WIN up to 50% OFF wart | major signs of a 0 The Price of Your Dry Cleaning Order AND STROKE | hagrt attack? 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