Policy for the environment
Sir: Mr Heath's policy for the environment (11 April) is admirable in its intent to reduce noise and industrial filth and in its affirma- tion of protection from erosion of National Parks and other amenity areas. The particu- larly depressing thing is that it shows no recognition of the basic environmental issues.
For example, it is insufficient to protect countryside areas only for amenity: far more attention and resources than at pre- sent should be directed towards the con- servation of ecosystems. These self-sufficient biotic communities which are a vital 'raw material' for research can provide some of the answers to the problems of land man- agement and wise resource exploitation so pressing in an increasingly overcrowded country. Mr Heath has not show that he regards well-founded research as a necessary preliminary to an intelligent environmental policy. At present more is spent on research in the Antarctic than by the Nature Con- servancy in the United Kingdom on its whole programme of scientific research, on the acquisition and management of National Nature Reserves and general administration. Money is both short and misallocated.
Were it not for the work and, perhaps more significant, the pressures applied by voluntary bodies, the position would be worse. They have drawn attention to the dangers but the not uncommon political enthusiasm for pursuing side issues and find- ing facile solutions is perhaps the greatest danger of all.
Peter Conder Director, The Royal Sociqty for the Protec- tion of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire Sir: One of the more disturbing aspects of current controversy is the attempt to divert the campaign against environmental pollu- tion into one to restrict the right of people to
have children. Lt-Col H. R. PeIly (Letters, 25 April) asks, 'are people prepared to relin- quish the freedom to breed without limit?' and enunciates the novel doctrine that it is 'the role of education to reveal to all the necessity of abandoning unlimited freedom to breed'.
Perhaps Lt-Col PeIly would be kind enough to tell us what limits he would place on the right of people to have children. Many of us may feel that his solution would be worse than the problem itself. A high quality environment would be poor compensation for the need to apply for a government per- mit to breed.
Alan Smith 83 Ferguson Avenue, Gidea Park. Essex
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