‘Man’s Environment Pressing Issue’

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32194, 13 January 1970, Page 9

‘Man’s Environment Pressing Issue’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 12. The problem of keeping man’s environment pleasant, as well as safe and efficient, should rank with social justice and peace as major political concerns for the 19705, an American conservationist said in Sydney last night.

Professor Lawrence Hamilton, speaking on the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s “Guest of Honour” radio programme, said: “There are signs in both the United States and Australia of a groundswell of revolution against despoiling natural resources for commercial gain.

“People are beginning to speak out—pushing babycarriages in front of unwelcome bulldozers, tying themselves to trees that have been doomed, and so on. “These people have realised, before the politicians ihave, that the pressing issue

of the next decade is one of keeping man’s habitat pleasant as well as safe and efficient.

“The quality of our environment will rank with social justice and peace as issues in the major political concerns on Federal, state and social levels. “We will even begin to ask the question: ‘Just because we can do something with our amazing technology, does that mean we should do it?’ ”

Professor Hamilton recently opened the first school of national resources in Australia, at the University of New England, New South Wales, where be has been teaching.