Earth’s Health Weakens, but Prognosis Shows Hope

On Earth Day, the global news is mostly gloom. The atmosphere is warmer and fouler, another billion babies are on the way, and plant species that just might provide the cure for cancer are vanishing before scientists can put them under a microscope.

Then there is Julia Russell, 54, who offers her Craftsman-style bungalow and yard on an average Los Feliz-area street as evidence that people can change the world’s destructive ways, step by small step.

Russell decided 13 years ago to conduct her life with more sensitivity to the environment. She gave up her Pinto, stopped watering the lawn, and began transforming the 79-year-old house. Today, she lives by an ethic that Earth Day organizers hope will gain favor--that world environmental reform begins with personal choices.

“Julia is the example for everyone to follow,” said Jill Ratner, an activist with Citizens for a Better Environment in Los Angeles.

Russell is not alone in seeking to make her place on the planet more ecologically sound. Americans are buying how-to guides in record numbers and driving up the rolls of environmental groups. The trend could be crucial to the future, environmental leaders say.

“I believe we are facing the equivalent of World War III,” says adventurer Will Steger in his new guide, “Saving the Earth--A Citizen’s Guide to Environmental Action.” “What we need in this war are armies of people motivated by the goal of stopping the destruction.”

Last year’s Alaskan oil spill might never have happened, for example, if Americans used less gasoline and plastic, reducing the need for tankers to ply the waters off Valdez. “So before casting blame on Exxon, first look at your own life,” Steger advises.

Russell has become a star in Los Angeles environmental circles. In the last 18 months, more than 2,000 people have stopped by her house to examine how she lives. She shows them the bicycle she uses for errands. A housemate’s car is used only for longer trips, she says. Wastepaper, bottles, glass and hazardous trash go to recycling centers. Food waste and yard trimmings go in the compost bin out back and become fertilizer for the organic garden.

She points out her energy-efficient quartz-halogen light bulbs and the ceiling lamps wired to solar cells on the roof. The sun also heats her water, cutting her gas use nearly in half. She insulated the drafty old house and in winter burns the prunings off her 20 fruit and nut trees for heat.

Russell grows most of her vegetarian diet for summer and about half of what she eats in winter. When she goes to the market, she brings her canvas bag--to make a point as much as to conserve paper bags. “It gives you a chance to proselytize a little bit,” Russell says with a smile.

Because Southern California is a virtual desert, Russell says, saving water is a passion. She tore out the front yard and planted shrubs and herbs--buckwheat, manzanita, rosemary--that thrive naturally here without watering. Her toilet uses just 1 1/2 gallons--most Los Angeles toilets send more than four gallons a flush toward the ocean--and dishwater gets poured in the garden. “I am very stingy with water,” Russell says.

Such individual efforts are much more than token steps in the face of a deteriorating world and may hold the brightest hope for global changes, Earth Day organizers and other environmentalists say.

In 1970, when the first Earth Day was held in the United States, the thrust was to put pressure on government and on mass polluters who despoiled rivers and fouled the air. Political action and keeping watch on large polluters are still important, but “the biggest impact an individual can have is at home and in their daily life,” said Christina L. Desser, executive director of Earth Day 1990 in Palo Alto.

“It’s up to the individual,” Steger says. “We can’t blame the President. We can’t blame the corporations. We have to look at the fact that we are destroying the Earth . . . we have to look within, become aware, educate ourselves.”

Russell’s conversion has not come without pain. “When I first started this, nobody knew what I was doing,” she says. “My neighbors wondered if I had gone over the edge. Even my own family had their doubts.”

But it has given her hope for the world’s future, she says. “The most encouraging thing is when you find that you yourself can change. That’s when I realized there was hope,” Russell says.

There is also encouragement in the widening world acceptance that environmental problems are unavoidable. The first Earth Day was primarily a U.S. event, and in some cities, little more than an excuse for a rock concert.

This year, there are Earth Day organizations in more than 130 countries. In Japan, more than 100 environmental festivals are scheduled today. Environmentalists in Kyoto will sponsor a “trash pick-up” along the Kamo River, and elsewhere people will plant trees. There will also be an environment walk in the countryside of Cyprus, led by the local chapter of Friends of the Earth, and a tree-planting in Manila. Virtually every large city in the United States has similar events planned.

Unlike 1970, when ecology was just a buzzword to many, people now are “worried about the future of the planet,” says Lester R. Brown, president of the Worldwatch Institute in Washington.

The reason, Brown says, is that the world’s environment has never before suffered a more destructive two decades. In 1970, the “greenhouse effect” from heat-absorbing gasses trapped high in the atmosphere was theory. Now, most scientists accept that it is warming the planet and that the impact could be devastating.

The Earth’s population has also grown about 1.6 billion, while the planet has lost an estimated 500 million acres of forest and more topsoil essential to farming than covers all U.S. cropland. Already, births are racing ahead of food supply in some areas of the world, and many places are running out of fuel for heat and cooking and such raw materials as wood for shelter.

The exploding ranks of humanity is not a problem remote to California, which has added 9 million people since 1970. In the Los Angeles area, although each car’s exhaust is much cleaner, the explosive growth means that the overall emission of smog-producing gasses is way up. The number of cars has nearly doubled, and people are commuting farther each day.

The same is true for water. The average resident of Southern California uses less water than in 1970, but overall consumption has skyrocketed with the population.

Now that most people--at least in the United States and Western countries--accept that the environment is threatened, more yearn for the feeling that they can do something about it, environmental leaders contend.

Membership in environmental organizations has reached an all-time high. When David Brower, an early leader of the Sierra Club, asked at a recent lecture in San Diego how many would be willing to spend a year in the Third World as ecology workers, he was surprised at the reaction.

“There were 4,000 in the audience, and 2,000 people put up their hands,” Brower says. “I’ve never had any response like that in my life. They’re ready to go. All we have to do is figure out how--and we must.”

Book publishers have been quick to tap the grass-roots hunger for change. Sales have rocketed for guidebooks that list steps ordinary people can take to help the environment. Book chains such as B. Dalton and Waldenbooks based promotions around Earth Day.

“We realized there were a lot of folks out there who basically were ready to start looking at a green lifestyle,” says Jeremy Rifkin, editor of “The Green Lifestyle Handbook” and president of the Greenhouse Crisis Foundation in Washington.

The best-selling guide “50 Simple Things You Can Do To Save The Earth” is a 96-page handbook from The EarthWorks Group in Berkeley that sells for under $5. It began last year with a printing of 26,000, but now there are more than 1.6 million copies around.

Printed on recycled paper with recycled ink, it lists simple measures to ensure that your car’s old motor oil is disposed of properly, to save water by installing aerators on faucets, and to cut the need for plastics by storing food leftovers in reusable containers.

Its first tip is to save paper--and trees--by stopping junk mail. “If you saved up all the unwanted paper you’ll receive in the mail this year, you’d have the equivalent of 1 1/2 trees,” the guide claims. “And so would each of your neighbors.”

Some of the guides have been criticized for being short on specifics, but as a group they are doing a good job of spreading the word that people can make a difference, say environmental leaders such as Dennis Hayes, the Stanford-trained attorney who is the lead organizer of Earth Day.

People also are encouraged when they see that progress is possible, say Hayes and others. Global warming is a worldwide threat that won’t be solved unless entire nations change their ways, but people can help in small but significant ways.

They can reduce their use of aerosol cans, air conditioners and such plastic foam products as Styrofoam, which release the man-made chemicals--chlorofluorocarbons--that are a leading contributor to the greenhouse effect.

Buildup of carbon dioxide, another major cause of global warming, can be slowed by planting trees, using electricity and cars less, or taking any step that discourages the burning of fuels such as coal and oil.

Since Earth Day 1970, changing behavior has produced some environmental success stories.

Soil erosion in the United States has markedly slowed, and bald eagles have made a comeback.

Along the California coast, the banning of the chemical DDT--which weakened the eggshells of birds whose food chains were contaminated--has brought back the graceful, diving brown pelicans.

Victory in other areas has been harder to achieve. Recycling of household and office waste, though slow to catch on, has begun to spread in this country. Los Angeles recently decided to begin picking up cans, bottles and papers for recycling at every home.

The Worldwatch Institute has counted 14 nations, all in Europe, that have achieved zero population growth. Another 138 nations are still growing, Brown says, and populous countries such as Mexico and India may double or triple in size before they peak. “But at least it’s a start,” Brown says. “We know it’s doable.”

Outrage over environmental carnage also has prompted organized protests and other activism that has shown results. In California, groups made up largely of volunteers, such as the Mono Lake Committee and Heal the Bay, have used pressure and the glare of public scrutiny to secure gains.

Mono Lake, the prehistoric brine lake east of Yosemite, is protected from further degradation at least temporarily by court orders won by the group, and Heal the Bay raised awareness about the polluting effects of sewage and storm drain runoff on Santa Monica Bay.

Predicting the successes of the future is more difficult, but there is more optimism than might be expected in the face of such threats as global warming and the surging world population.

Fifty-five percent of the 500 science teachers polled this month at a convention of the National Science Teachers Assn. in Atlanta said they expect that global environmental conditions will not decline further during the next 10 years. About 38% said they think the environment will improve by the year 2000, while 17% said it will likely remain about the same.

“We can’t be crippled with a negative viewpoint,” Steger says. “If we get crippled by the negative, we’re in the same old spin. My faith is in the human intelligence and the human spirit. I know that we can do this. And I’m as realistic as a person can be.” THE ENVIRONMENT: WHAT YOU CAN DO

Individuals can do much to improve the environment by taking steps that have long been recommended by environmental and consumer groups. Now, Earth Day 1990 organizers are also asking individuals to sign a “Green Pledge” to “respect the environment when they vote, purchase, consume and invest.” The following is a list of actions that can improve the environment as well as the problems they help alleviate: Transportation ACTION: Drive less. Car-pool or take public transit. Tele-commute. Consolidate errands. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, traffic congestion, energy cost savings. ACTION: Drive higher-mileage cars. Minimize optional equipment that reduces mileage. Each car, on the average, emits five tons of carbon dioxide a year. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming. ACTION: Keep motor vehicle engines tuned. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Use radial tires and inflate to maximum recommended pressure. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Observe speed limits. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming, Energy cost savings. ACTION: Take used crankcase oil to a service station for recycling. Burying the oil in yards or dumping in the trash could contaminate underground aquifers. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Sewer overload, ground water pollution, toxic waste. Home ACTION: Buy energy-efficient appliances. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Replace conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, which cost about $12 but last 10 times longer and use only one fourth the electricity. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Insulate your home. Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Reduce use of fireplaces. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming. ACTION: When fireplace is not in use, keep damper closed. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Energy cost savings. ACTION: Plant trees and a vegetable garden. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Recycle chemical cleaning solvents. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Ground water pollution, sewer overload, toxic waste. ACTION: Buy only quantities of household products such as cleaners and paints to do the job. Avoid unused or leftover chemicals. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Ground water pollution, air pollution, sewer overload, ocean pollution, toxic waste. ACTION: Buy the least toxic product available for the job. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Toxic waste. ACTION: Install water-saving devices in showers and toilets. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Water conservation, sewer overload, energy cost savings. ACTION: Landscape with plants appropriate to the climate. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Water conservation. ACTION: Recycle glass, plastic, aluminum and newspapers. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, ocean pollution, coastline pollution, solid waste, energy cost savings. ACTION: Close off rooms not in use. Close heating/air conditioning vents in those rooms. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Keep furnace and air conditioning filters clean. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Turn off air conditioners when a room is not in use for several hours. It takes less energy to cool down the hot room later than if you left the unit running. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings. ACTION: Repair leaks from faucets, garden hoses, toilets. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Water conservation, sewer overload. ACTION: Insulate hot water heater and hot water pipes. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, global warming, energy cost savings, water conservation. Goods and Services ACTION: Bring durable (canvas, string) shopping bags to market. Avoid paper or plastic grocery bags. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Air pollution, ozone depletion, ocean pollution, coastline pollution, solid waste. ACTION: Reduce use of disposable packaging materials. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Solid waste, air pollution. ACTION: Avoid disposable plates, cups and utensils and paper towels. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Solid waste, air pollution.ACTION: Avoid products containing chlorofluorocarbons. Some CFC products are still on the market, including aerosol dust removers, plastic confetti makers, boat horns and various cleaning sprays for electronic equipment such as sewing machines and VCRs. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming, ozone depletion. ACTION: When recharging automobile air conditioners, find a service station that recycles the CFCs (Freon). ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Global warming, ozone depletion. ACTION: If possible, don’t use halon fire extinguishers; use traditional ones. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Ozone depletion. ACTION: Don’t use disposable diapers. ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: Solid waste, ground water pollution, air pollution, global warming.