Preaching Won't Do

September 16, 1989

The cover of Time magazine screams "Torching the Amazon." It asks, "Can the rain forest be saved?"

Inside, pictures and words tell of what is rightly called "one of the great tragedies of history."

Meanwhile back home, American taxpayers continue to subsidize the destruction of their own rain forest. Ancient trees in Alaska's Tongass National Forest are being cut down and used to make cellophane and disposable diapers, among other products.

By some estimates, a 500-year-old spruce tree will go for as little as $2. The loss, both economically and environmentally, is tremendous.

The House has already passed legislation ending the arrangement that is permitting the destruction of the Tongass; the Senate should do the same. National forests belong to all Americans, yet the Tongass is being exploited for the benefit of a few.

This is costing Americans more than just money - a loss of more than $340 million since 1980. It is destroying the habitat of bald eagles, salmon and bear. And it is destroying the United States' credibility. How can Americans insist that the nations that are home to the Amazon rain forest should stop exploiting it when we cannot control our own greed?

If we want to save the Amazon, let's start by seeing that Congress passes environmentally responsible legislation to protect the Tongass.

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