Environment

To the Editors of The Crimson:

I was pleased to see Mia Kang's editorial "The Enemy Is Us" (Oct. 14); I feel it is terribly important that publications like The Crimson devote attention to the environmental issues that face us all. I felt, however, that Kang could have expanded her discussion of what we can do, and so I would like to offer my own suggestions.

Use glasses and mugs instead of paper cups in all dining halls besides the Union Even in Adams and Quincy--which try hard to hide their reuseable cups--have mugs or glasses that you can use. Bring your own mug for take-out coffee--it's nicer than paper anyway. Save old handouts and notices and write your rough-drafts of papers, problem sets or letters on the back of them, instead if using fresh paper. Take lecture notes on both sides of each sheet of paper in notebooks or yellow pads. Use handkerchiefs instead of paper tissues--they are cheaper; they don't break; they absorb well and they worked fine for our grandparents. Don't accept bags when you buy things--bring your own if you need one. Use recycled paper; the Boston Food Co-op in Allston sells a limited selection, along with many other environmentally unsound products. Another good source is the Earth Care Paper Company in Wisconsin.

Beyond Harvard, there are other ways to act to bring change. Consider the ethics of the firm you may work for after graduation. Is it a company with values like Exxon's or Union Carbide's? Does it finance "development" projects that lead to destruction of native cultures and rainforests? Does it exploit laborers such as native American migrant farm workers? By making far-sighted choices about who we work for and how we live, we can help to bring about the changes which must by made if we are to move beyond this time of crisis and create a permanently sustainable way of life. Sarah K. Highland