Leisure And Environment

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32221, 13 February 1970, Page 13

Leisure And Environment

(A Z P A.-Reuter —Copyright; STRASBOURG, Feb. 12. Leisure and tourism were fast becoming important forces that would affect the culture and even the politics of Europe, nature conserva-j tionists were told in Strasbourg yesterday. I Mr R. J. S. Hookway, of the British Housing Ministry, said that there should be machinery to promote international co-operation in planning leis-l ■ure facilities. I

Mr Hookway was reporting to the first European Nature I Conservation Conference on i the effect of leisure on the eni vironment. The 300 delegates and observers from more than 20 ! countries had already heard | since Monday reports on the effects of industry, agriculture and forests, and urban growth. Late yesterday the conference, organised by the Counjcil of Europe to find ways to combat pollution and other damaging effects of modern society, began discussing the reports. i The conference is due toi

produce a draft declaration defining guide lines to protect Europe’s environment from pollution. The declaration is due to come up for adoption at the closing session today. Mr Hookway pointed to a big increase in the Europeans mobility, evidenced by a doubling of car ownership and the fact that tourism was now the largest source of foreign exchange in Spain, Italy, and Greece. , This would encourage awareness of man’s natural environment and lead to greater understanding among i nations, he said. j

i After Mr Hookway spoke, ■ the conference debated how tto educate young people about the importance of pro- ) tecting nature. : Senator Leo Vanackere, of Belgium, backed a suggestion i made earlier in the week that s a European school proi gramme on conservation be > mapped out, and suggested a > school book on conservation f But these proposals got , little support from a British educationist, Mr J. L. Long- ■ land, who considered that the I proper solution was cleaning > up urban squalor in which too ; many children had to grow I up.