I recently spent a beautiful day at Crater Lake National Park. While there I saw a family throw the plastic remains of their lunch down a hillside. It was jolting to see this disrespect for our great park. 

I remember a time in the ’50s when everyone threw their garbage out the car window. People thought nature was too vast for our small amount of trash to be a problem. But small amounts quickly became huge amounts and soon roadsides were becoming toxic heaps of garbage, unhealthy and ugly.

We learned that we needed to protect our lands. Only now it’s the air that needs protecting from the toxic fumes from cars, trucks and factories.

That family had every right to eat their lunch in the park, every factory has a right to produce their goods and we have the right to travel by car and truck. It’s what we do with the garbage we produce that needs to change. Small amounts of toxins in the air are quickly becoming huge amounts, but we are still throwing our garbage out the window.

Let’s get behind behind laws that protect our air the same way we protect our lands.

Diane Sloan

Portland