The Citizen, 1992-12-02, Page 24THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2,1992. PAGE 25.
Things can change, says environmentalist
By Bonnie Gropp
The incredible gifts of this earth
are here once per evolution and
once they're gone, they're gone.
This was the message of
Goderich physician and environ
mentalist Dr. Jim Hollingworth,
when he spoke to a small, but
enthusiastic group at the North
Huron Environment meeting in
Brussels Library on Tuesday, Nov.
24.
Despite poor attendance, Dr.
Seniors meet
About 54 Blyth Swinging
Seniors met in the Memorial Hall
on Nov. 25 at 12 noon to sit down
to a delicious Christmas dinner
catered by the Blyth Legion ladies.
After dinner several draws were
made with Rita Blake being the
lucky winner of the door prize.
These were donated by the Legion
ladies as well.
President, Isabel Craig welcomed
everyone and opened the meeting
with O Canada with Ella Richmond
at the piano. The November
birthdays were John Blake, Reg
Shultz, Jim McCall and Graeme
McDowell. Happy Birthday was
sung to all these birthday boys.
Vera Badley and Lloyd Walden
conducted a lively sing song of
many of the favourite Christmas
carols. Vera Badley then favoured
everyone with a very humorous
reading on being 65.
Isabel Craig conducted the
business and the usual reports were
given. Members were reminded
about the meeting at Huronview on
Dec. 9. Program and lunch was
arranged at this time. John
Hesselwood then gave his joke of
the day and recited a poem called
The Month Before Christmas.
The next meeting will be on Jan.
27/93 starting with a pot luck
dinner.
The rest of the afternoon was
spent playing euchre and lost heir
and crokinole.
Hollingworth delivered an enter
taining and educational talk. He
began by explaining how his inter
est in environmental issues came
about. As a physician, he notes the
fact that health is dependent on
nature. As well, he personally
enjoys "a love affair with the natu
ral world" pursuing such hobbies as
canoeing and hiking.
He congratulated the Environ
ment Group on the recent Environ
ment Fair, which was experienced
by hundreds of school children.
"Education must start from the chil
dren up," he said, regarding envi
ronmental ideas. "They seem to
have a better wisdom when it
comes to caring about the earth.
Many scientific researchers, Dr.
Hollingworth stated, have said
society has until the end of the
decade to turn things around.
While he agreed this is a dire pre
diction it is not a hopeless one.
"We have the opportunity to do
this. The significant fact is that we
are aware. Now, the question is, do
you turn away and say business as
usual or do what you can to turn it
around?" he asked.
Using slides, Dr. Hollingworth
illustrated changes that can be
made. His front lawn, he said, is
abundant with Creeping Charlie
and pansies. Monocultures are
unhealthy, he said condemning pes
ticide use. "Pesticides are unneces
sary in urban areas. Farmers have
done a better job of cutting back
than urban people," he said adding,
urban use is 15 times greater than
rural use.
Even dandelions are not con
demned by Dr. Hollingworth. "I
have respect for them because no
matter what you do to them, they
continue to thrive," he said sardon
ically. "There may come a time
when there are dandelions, but no
humans."
Dr. Hollingworth noted the link
between herbicides and cancers
adding that he believes there are
more cancers caused by this than
known.
The effects of pesticides and her
bicides are also extending to our
lakes. "Lake Huron has 700 toxic
chemicals in it," he said.
Acid rain, increased nitrogen,
pollutants and pesticides are being
named as the culprits responsible
for the destruction of trees, which
is noticeable by looking at the tips
of leaves. "Once you become
aware of these problems, it's not as
comfortable driving on our high
ways because of what you see," he
said.
Dr. Hollingworth provided infor
mation on a community organic
garden near Bayfield. It works on
the premise of families purchasing
a share value of a three acre lot,
then volunteering time for harvest.
Even in this year's poor growing
season, Dr. Hollingworth said
shareholders got the equivalent of
three grocery bags full of veggies
weekly.
The nutritional benefits are not
the only ones, however. "There is a
wonderful sense of being recon
nected to earth." Also, the children
are involved and therefore learning
about food supply, he added.
Touching on the topic of nuclear
weapons, Dr. Hollingworth said
the global military budget is $1 tril
lion. "Spending a fraction of this on
the environment would go a long
way."
Boycotting junk mail, recycling,
paint drives and the amount of
energy used to transport imported
goods which we produce here, were
other areas of discussion.
Dr. Hollingworth encouraged
those present to write to manufac
turers with their concerns regarding
specific products. It is an avenue he
feels is not taken often enough.
With tongue-in-cheek, he
touched on littering in the urban
areas saying he has become "an
expert in garbage" and has noticed
that litter is proportionate to the
convenience stores.
An adage he tries to live by is, "If
it's bad for the planet, it's bad for
you."
Discussing the littering of wilder
ness area, around campsites for
example, Dr. Hollingworth was
appalled at the destruction of the
"pristine wilderness. The splendour
of nature is incredible and it is
being severely threatened."
Stressing again, his positive
belief that man can correct the situ
ation before it's too late he said,
"We are trapped in a frame of
alienation to the world, but if our
species is to survive we must pre
scribe to a new set of values."
Also present was a Masters stu
dent from the University of Water
loo who requested permission from
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The next meeting of the North
Huron Environment Group will be
held during the third week of Jan
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Membership to the group is
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White al Box 119, Brussels. Atten
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