Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, April 20, 1990                   TAG: 9004200708
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-10   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

EARTH IS HOME FOR MORE THAN HUMANS

Surely we all realize that the environment - water, air, soil, minerals, plants, animals, etc. - is the reality on which we and all life depend for existence. Our lungs can't breathe $$, our bodies can't eat or drink money.

Yet we act as if keeping the present economy going, despite the fact that it is obviously devouring this Earth at a rate that will soon deplete its health and capacity to survive, is our main priority. In the name of all that makes life possible on this planet, we need to change some of these economic premises.

We also act as if we are the only inhabitants of the Earth. But when we build more and more developments, malls, highways, strips, we are taking that land away from what already lives there. It is not empty space but the habitat of animals and many other life forms with which we are connected and without which we cannot have a balanced, healthy livable world. It's their world too, and in recognizing that responsibility we will inevitably help our own species. ALWYN MOSS BLACKSBURG