Jenny Jackson, a native of Oregon, is our Letter Writer of the Month for April. A basketball player and hiker, she spent part of the past year as a volunteer ranger at the Natural Bridges National Monument. She is in the process of moving to Jackson Hole, where she plans to hike and do some freelance writing. She studied journalism at the University of Oregon.
I hate to be so "gloom and doom" after Earth Day was washed such a pretty shade of green, but with ignorance as the only path to bliss, I think I'll take the drab and dreary truth instead.
Feel free to join me in actively facing the facts. Complacency is not attractive, and the Deseret News' April 22 editorial ("Taking Stock on Earth Day") made it look downright disgusting.
I agree that since 1970, we have made significant strides toward righting the wrongs committed against our planet and its inhabitants. As proof, the Environmental Protection Agency, Endangered Species Act and federal Clean Air Act, among others, now exist. Good for us!
However, while we were celebrating this year's Earth Day by selling trendy eco T-shirts, eating tofu and congratulating ourselves on an environmental job well done, approximately 1,500 people died due to a lack of clean water, more than160 babies were born with defects associated with mercury poisoning and 41 million pounds of trash were dumped at sea.
All this and more in one day. Earth Day, no less.
Jenny Jackson
Salt Lake City