Saving the Environment

I read with great interest “A Return to Colton: Smog--It Chased Away the Young” by John Johnson (front page, Oct. 9), regarding the environment, because I too have been swept up in the environmental movement in a very personal way.

In my new hometown near the Nasqually River, in a woodland outside of Seattle, the local utility companies have been going ahead with a proposal to spray contaminated sludge over 10,000 acres of pristine forest. This sewer sludge contains heavy metal, pathogens and other harmful pollutants that could easily seep into the ground water and the river itself. The project sent shock waves through our community, and galvanized many, including me, into getting involved.

Throughout my years as an actress in Hollywood, though my heart was always in the right place, I allowed others to fight all the battles that I, as a citizen, should have been waging myself. It was only after I moved to what I believed was “paradise,” that I realized it was up to me, and every one of us, to do everything possible to help preserve our very fragile environment.

Though the challenges sometimes appear insurmountable, there are many steps we as individuals can take: recycle, limit gasoline consumption, limit family size and put pressure on elected officials.

One way or the other, our planet will win in the end but it may come at the expense of life on Earth. Let’s all do what we can now to live in harmony with each other and our environment.

LINDA EVANS

Tacoma, Wash.