January

Given that last winter was the warmest winter in 105 years, this first quarter beats that by one year, and spring was the warmest on record for the United States since 1910, it doesn't look good for the home team here at planet earth. However, thanks to the ingenuity, resourcefulness and creative intelligence of many forward thinkers, scientists, and engineers, hope can still be found in the following pages. Solar energy continues to be a viable alternative as a renewable source, but the new kid on the block is Fuel Cells, efficient and with zero pollution. Smaller but no less important is the development of the use of carbon dioxide instead of chemicals for dry cleaning, and gallium light bulbs instead of incandescent or fluorescent.

While these are all commendable and give us kernels of hope, the real seeds for faith come from the ability and willingness of major world corporations and governments to acknowledge and accept burning fossil fuels is dangerous to the world's health, and investing in alternative energy sources is a necessary option. Ford Motor Company's creation of a line of electric vehicles and bikes under a new brand name, "Th!nk" environmentally friendly in manufacture, operation and afterlife besides having zero or near-zero emissions, is just one example.

Keep in mind as you read on: All is not lost as long as we all strive to limit our own contributions to pollution, and seek to use and create alternative energy sources as well as habits. Tapia Martinez-Russ, 8/9/00