2a) 
meer es ani BU i G2 ae 
if the amounts of nitrogen oxides in the air are reduced, the efile 
smog could become worse. They, argue that since we do not know ft 
tain what would happen if the;amount of nitrogen oxides is reduce 
best thing is to do nothing until more evidence is available. This 
present official position of the) automobile industry. Industry spok 
are against doing anything now) to reduce nitrogen oxides from aut®: 
exhaust. 
Let’s look at another parameter of air pollution—thermal gene 
power plants dominated by the Jar ger electric utilities. All of us hav 
impressed by the fact that the average cost of residential electrici 
Gecreased in the last ten years from 2.6c per KWH to 2.2c. Yet how 
of us recognize the amount of pollutants released to atmosphere by e 
generating plants has nearly doubled during these ten years—now to 
some 20 million tons per year. Why isn’t the public informed? Don’t t 
generating plants have a responsibility to the communities they s 
not to contaminate the atmosphere? 
If atmospheric pollution is not drastically curtailed pr omniee our 
centers will be unliveable by 2000 A.D. 
¢ Remember, the total quantity of air around the earth is lim 
remaining the same—extending out only six or seven miles 
its surface. 
e The present quality of this air is poor in the major population 
of this country and the quality is decreasing daily. Increasin 
piratory diseases have been attributed in various instances t 
poor quality of air. 
e By 2000 A.D., at present trends, 90% of our population will 1 
urbanized areas—areas where the quality of our air today 
poorest. The population in these urban areas will increase 
some 160 million today to upwards to 270 million by the year 
The demand for oxygen from the atmosphere by this signifi 
increased number of human beings in a very confined, limitec 
cannot be met by the present quantity and present quality 
‘in these urban areas. With the quality of this limited supply 
| decreasing daily, our urban population is headed for extinct 
Let us turn now to pollution of our receiving bodies of water. V 
cne major source of water pollution now going largely untreated? Pol 
caused by animal waste has received little attention. Why? 
© Two billion tons of animal waste are produced in this country 
year, but is scarcely being treated. One cow produces animal 
equal to the sewage of 16 persons. 
e The confinement of livestock in small geographical areas is a 
ing trend. Feed lots with upwards of 10,000 cattle and poultry 
with over 100,000 birds in one location are not uncommon | 
and remember, one feed lot of 10,000 cattle produces the 
amount of waste as a city of 160,000 people. 
¢ Two of our states—Iowa and Nebraska—have over 3 million 
These cattle produce waste equivalent to that produced by 49n 
people, or 11 times the human population of just these two 
¢ Our human waste is being treated—however poorly—through Vv 
sanitary sewage facilities. But how about cattle waste? WI 
