4
—Lancaster Farming. Saturday. May D. 1970
How Much Do We Pay?
Jus' 20 >eais ago. ''environment” was
little more than a word in the dictionary,
•accept to a lew scientists and others in
specialized fields But population and in
dustrial growth, along with the growing
tendency of people to cluster together in
massive urban centers, has made environ
ment a household word.
Environment has literally become a
matter of life and death in some areas and
is becoming so in others.
The problem, the subject of a nation
wide teach-in April 22. largely stems from
the sheer numbers of people. The country's
population now increases each year by the
millions at a rate each year comparable
to the total national population in the early
days of the country. We now think of the
.vorld population m terms of billions.
Costs Business
It should be recognized that in main
instances if a company or industry had
stepped too far ahead of its time in install
ing antipollution deuces. e\en if they had
been available, the firm would have priced
tself out of the market Fighting pollution
on the scale the public now considers neces
sary is very. very costly for businesses.
As an official of one company com
nents. “If we do not heed the public de
mands for en\ ironmental conservation. a
lostile business enuronment could have a
drastic effect on our market position."
This company has become a leader in en
vironmental improvements both for econo
mic and aesthetic ieason=;
But its management points out that
-“progress in emironmental control cannot
be achieved without enormous expenditures
of money. These costs will meutably be
, borne by . (the public) in higher taxes
. . . and in higher prices .
Removing Lead
Automobiles are the nation's biggest
source of air pollution. Lead-free gasoline
would help cut down on this pollution.
But a changeover to lead-free gas w ould
force the petroleum industry to make a
capital investment of S 4 billion in new
refinery equipment.
As a result of the S 4 billion expendi-
Food Service Costs
The Economic Research Service of the
USD A has issued a leaflet entitled "What
Makes Food Prices 7 ' to help explain the
elemental facts of marketing and prices
There are many factors besides infla
tion that determine the relationship be
tween pocketbooks and supermarkets
"Today" says the leaflet, "we can bin
more foods throughout the year than e\er
before, thanks to canning, heezing and
other ways of keeping foods Seasons don't
exist in food stores We expect to buy let
tuce, tomatoes, fresh fruit and other vege
tables in January, the same as we do in
August e\en though thev cost a little
more Many of the things we eat are
brought thousands of miles from warmer
climates during off seasons because
people want them
Another factor in food puces is that more
L\NC VSTER FARMING
Lancastei Countv’s Own Farm Weekly
P O Box 266 - Lititz Pa 17543
Office 22 E Main St Lititz Pa 17543
Phone Lancastei 394-3047 oi Lititz 626 2191
RobeitG Campbell AcivciUsing Duector
Zane Wilson Managing Ec'itoi
Subscuption p>ice S 2 o*-' >cv in Lenc?=tei
Count} S 3 elsewhere
Established \o\embei 4 1955
Published eterv Satin d-n b\ Lana Me;
Fanning Lititz Pa
Second CJa=s Ponaee nad at Lititz P?
17543
Member of Nev.snanei Fa; -n Ec itoi s Assn
Pa Newspaper Association ind
National Newsnapei irtion
turc. consumer prices for gas would rise
about two cents per gallon. That would be
more than a'tyve per cent increase in gaso
line costs. Since the a\erage family spends
several hundred dollars a year on gas. the
removal of lead would cost several dollars
per person each year.
And that’s just one of many possible
steps to impro\e the environment. Cost of
a reasonably clean environment, including
both air and water, could easily run several
hundred dollars per person each year. A
clean environment could easily take a signi
ficant portion of each family’s income and
severely restrict the amount left over for
other uses.
We’ll Pay
This is a point which should not be for
gotten in the discussion on improung the
quality of the emironment. You and I will
pay tor it, e\ery bit of it, in the form of
higher costs for the things we buy
If the go\eminent does it, we'll pay in
higher taxes. If business does it, we’ll pay in
higher costs for products we use. Either
way, we'll pay.
Because cleaning up the environment is
so costly for us. we need to weigh carefully
how much of our time and resources we
want to spend on the effort.
We need to decide how fast we want to
proceed The faster a thing is done the more
it generally costs.
How Much?
We need to decide what priority the
emaronment should have in relation to all
the other needs and luxuries we're constant
ly spending money on Money spent on the
environment isn't a\ ailable for other things
All this, however, is not an argument
against a clean environment. We all need an
alive and healthy environment A health},
environment, like a healthy body, is essen
tial; it is a natural right; without it nothing
else matters.
The point is that all such things cost
and we are going to pay the price. The real
issue is
How clean is clean enough and how
much do we want to pay?
foods are pre-w ashed, pre-peeled, pre-cook
ed, pre-mi\ed and pre-packaged prepara
tion that costs more, but proudes a con
venience for which consumers are willing
to pay.
It costs about S6O billion a year to pi e
pare, transport and distribute food to local
stores About 45 per cent of this sum goes
to pay the five million people employed by
the food industry The supermarket ends
up with a profit of about a penny per dollar
of sales.
The leaflet also points out, about one
fifth of most people's grocery bill isn’t gro
ceries at all. It is something to wear, read
listen to or clean with.
Altogether, it means that while the
shopper groans about high food costs, the
complamer often unjustly includes non-fooc
items in the family food budget and ignores
the extent to which basic, inexpensne food
items are by-passed in fa\ or of food sen ice
People are “living high off the hog
They're buying service, instead of food
The truth is that if we're willing to buy
in season and forego strawberries and let
tuce in winter, if we're willing to biu ir
bulk and go the trouble of doing our own
packaging, cutting and freezing, if weie
willing to forego some of the fancy, hign
cost foods, in short, if we’re willing to jus:
buy food without all the costly sen ices. :*
really doesn't cost much, it doesn’t take a
\ery large portion of our incomes to eat
quality food
But most of us don’t just buy food < -
buy service and complain about the r,
cost of food. 1
To Use Pesticides Carefully
As warmer weather brings out
dormant insects, diseases, and
other pests that attack both plant
and animal life, pesticides play a
larger role. When we refer to
pesticides we mean all chemicals
used for controlling all destruc
tive forms of plant and animal
life All gardeners and farmers
a r e urged to follow pesticide la-
Dels and instructions very care
fully. The misuse of pesticides
has caused most ot the trouble
«e near about today
To Practice Farm
Vacation Safty
\ tarn vacation is fast becom
ng an inexpensive means of re
laxation for uiban families The
farm owher should make suie
n.s guests have a safe vacation
n tne count'y Visiting youngst
ers should be warned about the
danger of macnmeiy, livestock
THE THUNDER OF DEEDS
Leftecn for May 10,1970
Backsnwiri Scripture: Acts 13 rfirsujh 14.
Duntimal Runlins: Acts 10.34-43,
If We are going to communi
cate the Christian message to
day, we must concentrate less
on words and more on deeds.
This is because many people will
no longer listen to preaching.
—*•« need the message, for
most part,
11 not come to
tur churches,
tst of them
lore street
>mer preaching
id even mass
Hies. The same
true of tracts,
ibles, and other
>oks.
Loud deeds
The only thing that will gain
their attention will he deeds of
witness that speak so loudly that
they cannot be ignored. They are
used to words, both printed and
spoken, and have taught them
selves to ignore them. They are
conditioned to doubt and disbe
lieve all claims, particularly
those that promise “a better way
of life.”
What reaches these people
then’ Often the only thing that
will communicate the gospel of
Jesus Christ is an unselfish act
of service, help rendered with
out the expectation of receiving
something tangible m return.
Whenever we see people “put
themselves out” for others, we
are tempted to ask “why?”
Church people in a particular
city may run a downtown coffee
house for young adults or youth.
Knowing that most people do
not ordinarily give freely of
their time and effort, many pa
trons will want to know “why?”
A group of women may spend
one day a week at the local
mental hospital, doing what they
can to bring some personal
warmth into the lives of patients.
These acts can be far more
efedave in speaking of God’s love
than all the sermons, tracts,
signboards, or advertisements. If
people «re going to hear the
NOW IS
THE TIME...
By Max Smith
Lancaster County Agent
electric fences, farm ponds and
other attractions that are strange
to them Be suie that any acci
dents is not due to your negli
gence. Insurance cmerage is es
sential.
To Prevent Herbicide Injury
The control of weeds has al
ways been a majoi farm or gar
den chore With the introduction
of chemicals to kill weeds, the
control appeals easier but more
dangerous if care is not exercis
ed. The matenals to oe used on
certain crops may injure others;
spray equipment mav need to be
thoroughly cleaned and soaked
in older to prevent damage to
the next crop The drJt of the
spiay to nearby ciops and trees
is often serious All spray opera
tor are uiged to be very care
ful Tobacco, legumes, grape vin
es, shade tiees, and most garden
and flowei plants a.e easily in
jmed by many he. Divides.
Christian message today, It win,
be, not because of our words,
but because of our involvement
in mission. 1
The beginning of mission
How does mission begin? Act*
13, the story of the beginning o£
Paul’s so called "first mission
ary journey, ’’ provides us with
some counsel. First of all, %hfjr
asked for guidance. The church
at Antioch was gathered togeth
er for worship. They were fast
ing, a sign that they were -seek
ing Gods guidance. At last 1110
sought-after counsel came: *'S»fc
apart ifor me Barnabbas had
Saul (Paul) for the work -ift
which I have called them" Atif*
132)., k
Secondly, they accepted hfoJfc
guidance. When God shows!
them what he wanted them %o
do, they accepted the task.
Thirdly, they set apart peojflfe
for the task. It is not enough ho
recognize our particular mission,
specific persons must he (desig
nated to do specific tasks.
Finally, they were sent forth.
One does not get the impression
that, once Paul and BarnabMs
had gone, the church at Antioch
forgot about them. We can
imagine that they followed -them
with their prayers and possibly
even material help.
If we ask him
Perhaps these four steps cm
be instructive for us too. We
need to seek God’s guidance and,
ask where he wants us to witness
today. We may be assured ifhafc
if we ask him he will 3snt | e3y
show us. Our answer may come
in the form of someone’s re
quest for help, or we may dis
cover a situation of specific
need. Sometimes we will see<h«t
a project is required, while it
others we will recognize %*t 4t
is simply an individual net
witness that is called for.
If we feel God has not shown
us any field for witness, it really
means that we have been nnwill
ing to accept what he has “already
shown us. Perhaps he shows tis
a task that may seem unpleasant.
We may dismiss it, thinking,
“Surely He doesn’t expect me to
do that?” Or we may see n pro
ject that seems beyond -our ca
pacities and assume that it wjll
have to w r ait for a more extra
ordinary Christian. What'we must
learn it that if God shows
these tasks, it is only because
he intends for us to do them.
Then it will be that 'the
thunder of our deeds will «peak
more loudly for Christ than MI
our words. "
(Based on outlines copyrighted bv theDhrisior
el Christian Education, National Council of lh«
Churches et Christ m the U. S. A. Released %y
Community Tress Service,) _