The Total Effect

THE earth, and the human body, are marvels of construction. They can take quite a beating and survive. But there is a limit.

Perhaps no single factor of the many things mentioned above may be fatal in the immediate future. But when we consider the total effect of what the earth and life on it are being subjected to, the trend is crystal clear.

Damage to Human Body

If you had a delicate piece of machinery, throwing a grain of sand into it might not cripple it. But what if you threw a steady stream of sand, and gravel, into that machine? It would only be a matter of time before it broke down and ground to a halt.

Cancer researcher Dr. William E. Smith said that the intake of all the various poisons into the human organism “is not unlike throwing a collection of nuts and bolts into the most delicate machinery known.”

The huge increase in chronic ailments shows that people all over the world are being affected as never before. Dr. Stephen Ayres, a lung specialist, told a reporter firmly: “There is little doubt that living in a polluted area is like taking a few years off your life. . . . While we are talking and researching, the problem is getting worse and many people are becoming sick from emphysema, lung cancer, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases.”

The damage to animal life from man’s polluting the environment is already obvious. The New York Times reports: “At the present time, more than 800 birds and mammals are threatened with obliteration.” Does that matter to you? It should. Because when animals, birds and fish cannot live in an environment any longer, then it is a clear sign that man himself cannot live in it much longer either.

Loss of Enjoyment

A person may not notice the gradual loss of physical health, energy or the enjoyment of life. But nowadays so many people, perhaps you too, complain of being tired all the time, of aches and pains and pressures. It seems as though they have to push themselves most of the time. The vitality and enjoyment of living do not seem to be there anymore.

Some authorities attribute much of this directly to the pollution problem. New York city air pollution officials said: “Apart from death and the more dramatic forms of illness, pollution can produce extreme fatigue, irritability, headache, and tension.” That certainly seems to be the case.

Even if our bodies, and the earth, could stand indefinitely the beating they are taking, is it really enough just to be surviving? What of the general quality of life? Do you find it pleasant to breathe air that you know is polluted, eat food that you know has been bombarded with chemicals, and drink water that may not be completely pure?

Do you find it pleasant to walk in a smog-stricken city with its ‘concrete jungles,’ rush, congestion and filth? Or do you find it more enjoyable to walk along a clean beach, in a quiet forest, or out in the fresh air and sunshine of a country area? The answers are obvious.

Yes, the total picture of increasing pollution is most certainly affecting the quality of life. Most people simply are not enjoying it as much, and the health of many is being damaged. Worse yet, pollution is endangering life on this earth altogether.

Truly, the picture is quite shocking. But just how did it get this way?

[Picture on page 13]

The intake of various poisons into the human body is like pouring a steady stream of sand into a delicate machine