Auto Makers and Pollution Burden
Martin and Kathleen Feldstein’s column “Environmental Purity Can Cost Too Much” (Op-Ed Page, July 23) failed to take into account the fact that if we do not clean up our pollution problems quickly we will have no need for the educational and housing programs to which they feel environmental funding should be diverted. We will be building our homes on landfills and educating our children in glass houses to protect them from the toxic waste if the government and the people of our communities do not act.
A point was made that for reductions in the annual sulfur dioxide emissions from 20 million tons per year to 15 million tons in 6 years would cost $700 million, a price the Feldsteins felt was too high. To eliminate an additional 5 million tons by the year 2000 might cost five times as much. Maybe we should focus our attention on the overfunded defense budget and the necessity for the 120 B-2s the military would like to have. The price tag on one B-2 was over a half-billion dollars. How about making a few less in the name of cleaning up the environment?
KELLY A. LOPEZ
Los Angeles
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