Monitor News Service; #23

Cut one, view from Moscow. Carter no, Reagan yes, is not the outcome of some U .S. public opinion poll. Instead it's the view from Moscow. To Carter the Kremlin gives thumbs down, calling him a dangerous and unpredictable president. Kennedy on the other hand is liked for his liberalism but is not considered by Moscow officials to hold the winning hand. And while Soviet leaders have praised John Anderson for his support of the SALT -2 treaty, they are otherwise puzzled about what he stands for. That leads Ronald Reagan, whom the Soviet press is no longer routinely condemning as a reactionary as it did four years ago. Meanwhile the Kremlin is reluctantly edging towards acceptance of Reagan if he wins. And some Soviet officials shrug off his more extreme anti -Soviet statements as just campaign rhetoric. But even if they have to swallow Reagan's conservative foreign policies, Kremlin officials seem convinced that Carter's so -called unpredictability is even worse. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut two, iceberg power.

Joe Connell wants to put some electric generating plants and propellers on a huge iceberg and sail it from the North Pole to some warm water port where it can provide fresh water for a year or so. He's not the first to think such thoughts since 1964 people have been studying ways to unlock the 75 percent of earth's fresh water trapped in ice at the poles. Connell, who's trying to patent his idea for a mechanized iceberg, proposes to use the temperature difference between the ice and the water to change a substance like free -on from liquid to gas. The gas would drive a turbine to create electricity. After generating this electric power, we would use it for various purposes on the iceberg, but mainly to drive your reversing propellers, which would be attached to the side of the iceberg. The propellers, says Connell, would be used to steer the iceberg. The huge chunk of ice would have a top speed of two knots and need a crew of 40. You would have to

be able to get around on it, you know, paper would have to be able to get to the various service stations. And, you know, since it's five miles long, you know, sending a guy out to a place of huge on something four miles away would take him a long time if he had a driver over the ice. So there would be a monorail. Connell says the bird could be wrapped in an insulating jacket to prevent melting and reduce erosion of the ice by waves. Now, all this may sound a bit fanciful, but Joe Connell is deadly serious. In fact, he says the really big problem is not moving the iceberg at all, but preparing the land to receive the fresh water. So the limiting the governor, so to speak, is not how fast you could get the iceberg someplace, but that someone had enough faith in the arrival of the iceberg to put in a system to handle the water. Once in port, something like a huge inner tube could be dropped around the iceberg. The melting fresh water would float on the salt water ready for skimming and piping to thirsty cities and dry land farmers. I'm Dave Dunbar of the

Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut three bottle bills. Four years, environmentalist attempts to ban disposable beverage containers were disposed of by state legislatures. Now, proponents say state bottle bill drives are finally gaining momentum. Michigan, one of six states, to enact bottle bill laws over the last nine years, found the program created jobs instead of destroying them as some predicted. And that's fueling similar attempts in other states. A proposal in Montana would force beverage distributors and retailers to increase glass, metal, and plastic recycling to 85 percent within three years, or face a five -cent container deposit. Businesses have fought the deposit system because they say it's too costly to them. Meanwhile, proponents and Massachusetts say such a statute would reduce trash disposal costs, lower consumer prices, and help clean up the state's roads. So they're sending their

empties to Governor Edward King, hoping the junk mail will make their point. I'm Paul Cuttingham of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut four, Paul Erlich. It sounds like an idyllic life roaming through sunflowers and soft grasses on a hilly ridge, watching honeybees and butterflies. But the latest results of Dr. Paul Erlich's meticulous work at Stanford University's Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve could well change modern biology. Already, his research has shaken up the fields of environmental study, genetics, crop production, and wildlife conservation. When fully understood, Erlich says it could affect what we eat, breed, and see. His favorite theme concerns environmental martyrs like the controversial snail darder. You can think of organisms like the snail darder as being rivets in the structure of our planet the same way that our rivets in an airplane's wing. Now we have a certain amount of redundancy. If you pull a single rivet out of an airplane's wing, nothing may happen. But if you pull enough out, the wing will eventually

fall off. And what we are doing is popping rivets out on the snail darder as one of those rivets. Erlich's 21 -year study of the checker spot butterfly has now begun to yield information on insect reproduction, which casts strong doubts on government pest control policies. We use butterflies as a model of all insects, which affect plants. And in the process of our work, we have found ways in which we think crops can be better protected against the insects that attack them without using the high level of pesticide use that we doubt do use, and a level of pesticide use which threat both human health and the health of those all of Puerto Rico's. Recent work shows the habits of insects or animals in one location may be quite different from the same species somewhere else. That, he says, makes broad environmental controls futile. Our work with butterflies has shown us a principle rather than an important thing about butterflies, but a general principle about how we should deal with populations that were either interested in suppressing that

is pests or populations like whales that were interested in harvesting. In my next report, we'll see how Erlich's work is overturning some long -held theories about environmental pollution. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut 5. Paul Erlich Renowned population biologist Paul Erlich works in a 1 ,300 -acre outdoor office at Stanford University, and he hopes the results of his work will reach some top government officials. Erlich's research on the habits of butterflies and other insects cast doubt on current approaches to wildlife preservation and the control of destructive pests. In fact, Erlich says these practices endanger interaction of Earth's life -support systems, from the tiny snail -darter to the water systems and vegetation which make present human lifestyles possible. According to Erlich, environmental priorities are mixed up. Most decisions today are made on the basis of economic ideas which don't take into consideration any of the basic constraints

that are placed upon the economic system by the way the biology and physics of the planet work. Talks at chemical waste once abandoned carelessly and now bubbling back to life in water supplies and backyards has a more dangerous long -range impact. These toxins encirculate ecological systems and come back to hit humanity a second time by degrading those systems which control the quality of our weather, maintain our soils, supply us with food from the sea and provide all those other crucial ecological surfaces without which our society can't persist. Erlich encourages policy makers to see beyond the visible hazards of air and water pollution. We stop polluting tomorrow in a little bit of time, most of the systems will be cleaned up as far as having seen air and so on. We break down the life -support systems of the planet. If we push too many species and populations to extinction, there is no way to recover those systems and we can't support four or five billion people with those systems created. The crucial mix of

tall and small creatures, as Paul Erlich, must be maintained. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut sex ecology. At first glance, the hundreds of little islands off the coast of the U .S. don't seem very special. They probably don't hide any very treasure or exotic lost civilizations, but they do contain unspoiled beaches, picturesque woodland, and shelter for countless species of birds and animals. The islands dot the ocean for thousands of miles around 18 coastal states. Because of their natural treasures, they are today the object of a vigorous tug of war between developers and environmentalists. Developers see the islands as a great place to build everything from beachfront condominiums to oil refineries. Environmentalists say the fragile island ecology is easily destroyed and should be preserved for future generations. They note the islands are so popular for recreation that ten of them held by the National Park Service are visited by about 25

million people every year, and they stress the islands are also important because they help protect populated mainland areas from ocean storms and floods. Congress is currently considering bills to curb development and encourage more parks on offshore islands, but it's still too early to tell if the island treasures will be ultimately saved or squandered. I'm Paul Cunningham of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut seven, deport. Is the U .S. punishing a hostile foreign country or losing thousands of potential friends? That's a question observers are asking as Washington steps up pressure to deport Iranian students. Often these Iranians learn to like and respect the U .S., but two new immigration policies could make it impossible for most to complete their studies. One measure, now nearing approval, will require all foreign students to renew their visas on a regular basis. Another measure, already in effect, makes it extremely difficult for Iranians to obtain such renewals. Officials estimate

by autumn up to 10 ,000 Iranians will be forced out of college and out of the U .S. with many more to follow. Some Americans view deportations as a necessary protest over the hostage crisis, but others say treating the students as enemies instead of friends will only help foster a whole new generation of hatred in Iran. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut eight, research and recession. If you look at the amount of money, companies are sinking into research and development, or R &D these days, you'd never know there was a recession going on. $29 billion to be exact is the amount companies have budgeted for 1980. Sparkling space -aged testing labs and think tanks aren't the earmarks of a business lump. Patrick McGuire, the conference board in New York, says R &D is a hedge against inflation. Companies cannot really turn their faucet on and off to deal with short -range conditions, such as inflation, cutbacks, and capital

goods, spending, and that sort of thing. So companies like International Harvester, which declared a $479 million quarterly loss, are planning new multi -million dollar research complexes. Part of the reason, says McGuire, is that scientists don't just close up shop when hard times come along. The very specialized equipment that's necessary for today's research and development effort, oftentimes has to be custom -built and it takes lead time, sometimes several years, to acquire. In the long run, says McGuire, R &D boosts the nation's economy. R &D investments are one of the best ways to boost productivity, and they have the ultimate effect of reducing the inflation rate. And facilities like the impressive General Motors technical setter in Michigan, which houses 6 ,000 researchers, may help maintain the U .S. technological edge in world markets. One of the primary ways in which the United States will remain competitive, economically, and politically as well, is

for us to have a very strong viable research and development base. For now, companies are planning some expensive seats they hope will blossom into future profits. I'm Paul Cunningham, the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 9 New Jobs Every time a house is fitted with solar equipment, impressive numbers of new jobs are created. At the work site alone, 125 hours of labor are needed according to Mark Cooper of the Consumer Energy Council of America. Cooper says this is one way saving energy can create jobs. Solarizing a home also results in 40 hours of work and metal fabrication, 26 hours in heating and plumbing, 20 hours in manufacture and instruments, and 4 hours in stone and clay labor. So Cooper and others see a golden opportunity to bring American labor and energy conservation together. He calls on the construction industry hard hit by recession to

coalesce around the theme of saving energy. Workers are needed to weatherize existing homes and help build new ones that are more energy efficient and correctly designed new construction uses 17 to 52 % less energy according to the Department of Energy. I'm Dave Dunbar of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 10 Re -Reforming Following the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War and some CIA mishaps, Congressional Reformists began some governmental house cleaning. The result was a cloud of federal reforms during the 70s which restricted the powers of the president, the CIA, and some congressional committees. Now the dust is settled and many officials are taking a second look at that era of moral reassessment. Some 70s reformists now say the pendulum swung too far and they're looking at ways to soften what may have been overreaction to officials' abuse of power. Among the measures, a $40 million hike in the amount of emergency supplies and aid the president can send

overseas. The reduction this month in the number of congressional committees monitoring CIA activities, and a growing crackdown on influential political action committees originally created to monitor campaign contributions. Ex -reformists are also questioning the presidential primary system, a once hailed alternative to boss -controlled state conventions. Reforming the reforms of the 70s may be the task of the 80s. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut 11 Service Stations Many drivers remember the days when you'd pull up to the pump at a gas station and the attendant would almost automatically clean the windshield and check the oil. In many places, those practices were abandoned, while self -service pumps flourished. But now there's a growing number of stations that are again offering services beyond just a tank fill -up. One reason for this, according to Rachel Nelson of the American Automobile Association, is that there's now a greater availability of gasoline than a few months ago, and that

has affected service stations. The greater availability of gasoline has increased the operating hours in several areas of the country, particularly around holidays and weekends. The greater availability of gasoline, due in part to conservation, has also affected prices according to Nelson. She says in May, for instance, the national average price dropped one -tenth of a cent per gallon. With the greater availability of gasoline retailers as well as the refiners are, in some cases, I think choosing to reflect the market and that I think has an effect on price. In some areas, local price wars have pushed down the cost of gasoline even further. While consumers might like to see the trend continue, Nelson says it's almost impossible to predict. I think there are too many things that impinge on the price of gasoline to predict with any accuracy whatsoever. So long as there is adequate availability, I think we will see a continued

slowdown in the price escalation. However, says Nelson, the Department of Energy has some new regulations that will likely cause price increases on gasoline from the companies using Alaskan crude oil, such as Sohio. So although drivers can't expect to get much more gas for their money, at least in many areas they're getting more service. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut 12 Aliens. Step right up, slide a quarter in the slot and help defend the earth against invaders from outer space. The alien fleet is approaching fast, trying to pin you down in a barrage of deadly laser beams. Only nerves of steel and skill at the controls can save your rocket ship from enemy fire. One wrong move means an explosion of light and sound, along with an invitation to spend another quarter and start over again. The alien spacecraft are really electronic blips controlled by a

computer. The battleground is a special video screen. The game itself might be called Space Invaders, Space Wars, Asteroids or Galaxian. They're all part of a new breed of sophisticated video games, which are rapidly replacing old -fashioned pinball machines all across the U .S. The Conquest began in 1978 when midway manufacturing marketed Space Invaders. Since then, the unit has become the most successful coin -operated game ever sold in America. Other companies were quick to counterattack with similar models. In a prime location, such video games can earn up to $1 ,000 a day. And at colleges where an earlier generation battled police and campus demonstrations, some students today seem to prefer fighting space creatures instead. I'm Dave Dunbar of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut 13 Auto Empires They were the kingpins of the world auto -market. Now, U .S. car manufacturers are scrambling to salvage the pieces of

their crumbling empire. Reeling from a suddenly austere and gas -conscious public, American firms have begun reinventing the automobile. GM, Ford and Chrysler may not totally rebuild their high tower of industry dominance, especially if the concept of a multi -nationally produced standardized world car takes hold. But the U .S. auto monarchs have some ideas on how to polish up their tarnish crowns. By the mid -80s, car dealers may be sporting nostalgic two -seaters with a modern gas mileage of about 50 miles to a gallon. Electric and diesel -powered buggies, cleaner burning engines, and safer lighter bodies are on the way. But the U .S. auto industry isn't the only one in need of an overhaul. As Christina Lindborg reports, the British auto industry is sputtering too. Great Britain's post -World War II auto boom produced such glamorous makes as the Rolls Royce, the sporty spoke wheeled MG, and the classic Jaguar, the ones that make you do a double take. Trouble is, everyone's looking and no one's buying. That's why Britain's nationally owned BL limited, which parented the snappy cars, made on its last

legs or wheels. 1980 will probably be the last year for the MG, and a massive stock of other BL models remain unsold. Labor disputes have crippled the former auto giant which came under government control in 1975. Today's most successful British auto export has a rather un -British name. Ford, and even Britain's own popular mini, priced at about $7 ,000, makes only a $10 profit per car. So who's leaving British and American automakers in the dust? Japan is, and Dave Dunbar has the details. Only 20 years ago, a Japanese car in the U .S. was as rare as a McDonald's hamburger in downtown Tokyo. Now, Japan's auto industry, the world's largest exporter, can boast what McDonald's does, million sold. Over 3 million worldwide, 21 % of the U .S. auto market. Japanese firms are basking in the warmth of half -price labor, fuel -efficient cars, and innovative technology, like superhuman robots, which do welding and other assembly line tasks. Japanese car

makers are getting heavy pressure from the U .S., however, to open up shop in the U .S. and provide people with jobs. So far, Japan has been reluctant to go out on a limb, investing in new U .S. production only to have that branch sawed off in five years when U .S. companies are expected to catch up. I'm Dave Dunbar of the Christian Science Monitor News Service. Cut 14, New Office. In the 1980s, administrative offices will join the space age, although several decades late. A social and operational transformation is expected to result from office automation. Typewriters, filing cabinets, and some jobs are expected to be replaced by computer terminals, and may field a consultant on information systems with Arthur D. Little says, These terminals or workstations will definitely be multi -functional. You will be able to use them for communication, for document distribution, for information retrieval,

for document filing, and then also for document preparation. How will these systems affect office employment? The head of one secretary of firm says it's hard to tell. In fact, the U .S. Department of Labor doesn't have a method of calculating the impact of automation on employment projections, and she fears that secretary's jobs will be reduced to the smallest possible component. But mayfield believes that the new jobs resulting from automation will involve more judgment and less road work. Mayfield foresees an employment restructuring that will go beyond offices. What obstacles clutter the path to office automation? And why are so many offices still in the horse and buggy age? The technology is here for equipment to be widespread, and what is really lacking is the human intelligence that it takes to make a machine talk to an individual

in a way that can be understood. Office automation is happening already, but the shape of the social and structural changes that will result have yet to be seen. I'm Paul Cunningham, the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 15, primaries. Should the U .S. continue using the current presidential primary process? That's a question on which many Americans disagree, and even the experts have different opinions. Among five well -known election authorities, the viewpoints run from hot to cold. For instance, the director of the Elections Research Center, Richard Scamman, says the current primary system worked perfectly. On the other extreme, Austin Rani, a leading election authority, says the system has not worked well at all. He says it's likely that within 10 years, Congress will adopt a national one -day primary. Voter opinion trend analyst Everett Ladd says the system is flawed by a lack of party pro input. While his proposals for reform are getting serious attention in Washington, David Jurgen of Public Opinion Magazine says we should

try the current system for a while longer. Ironically, the experts questioned all agreed that any other reasonably democratic nominating system would have produced the same results this year. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 16, dousing stick. Through the ages, folklore has often told of thirsty seekers locating underground water through the use of hand -held, y -shaped branches called dousing sticks. Now, years of scientific evidence is being pieced together to provide a plausible explanation, and it has little to do with the sticks. In the last decade, a number of investigations have shown that homing pigeons use the Earth's magnetic field for guidance, and tiny deposits of magnetite have been found in bacteria, honey bees, and birds. Now, two California scientists say that these small, load -stone deposits in the tissues of living creatures serve as magnetic sensors, and they also exist in humans. So, say the two researchers from the California Institute

of Technology, magnetically sensitive receptors in a person's arm and wrist muscles might respond to small changes in the local magnetic field. Small changes do perhaps to underground water. I'm Paul Cuttingham of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 17, worker ownership. If you're about to be laid off, consider buying the company. A growing number of union locals whose financially troubled employers are threatening layoffs are finding this option increasingly attractive, and Washington seems willing to help. Congress is about ready to set aside $100 million a year for low interest loans, guarantees, and technical assistance. The option of worker ownership has particular appeal in parts of the Midwest and Northeast, where 1 .4 million jobs have been lost since the 1960s. One classic success story comes from a factory in South Bend, Indiana, where 500 employees took on ownership. Sales went up, 53%. Now,

some 2 ,000 employees of the Rath Packing Company in Iowa are ready to try their hands at the reins of power. Worker ownership is nothing new. It started with the producer cooperatives of the 19th century, but in these recessionary times it's becoming increasingly attractive. I'm Dave Dunbar of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 18, culture connection. Suppose you're teaching a group of fourth graders about color and light, or you want to liven up the nutrition course for your fifth graders. For teachers and Massachusetts there's a toll -free number to call and request a computer printout list of the nearby cultural institutions that could help. I'm museum that could show students how different pigments work on canvas, or a dance group that uses an unusual approach to teaching nutrition. This computer -based referral service is one of several activities provided by the State -funded Cultural Education Collaborative in Massachusetts. Executive

Director Polly Rabinowitz says the phone service was started two years ago because many teachers wanted to use cultural resources in their teaching, but had a little time to find out what was available. We felt that if we could provide an easily accessible information service for these teachers that they would be more likely to use the cultural resources which are available. The computer file includes a detailed list of educational programs offered by almost 250 museums and other cultural institutions around the state. Their emphasis says Rabinowitz goes beyond just a one -time performance or visit for students. So we're always talking about something which is a multi -session project which involves people in what I would call an intensive learning experience. This idea she says of expanding the educational programs offered by cultural institutions is one that could be applied in communities across the U .S. It's important that those people who are involved in the day -to -day process of education, whether it's teachers or principals or superintendents or adult educators understand that anyone can learn outside of the

classroom and that you can teach people through the resources of all these vital cultural institutions. The collaborative was founded in 1974 with one objective being to promote racial harmony and understanding. And Rabinowitz says the programs have drawn attention from other cities including Los Angeles, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee. I'm Paul Cunningham of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 19, Friends of Prisoners When men go to prison, their families often face hardship, not just in terms of frustrations and fears, but also of basic necessities. But in Santa Clara County, California, there's a group called Friends Outside which has been making a difference. With five full -time staff members and 600 volunteers, the private nonprofit agency helped 7 ,000 people last year. It sometimes means providing basic necessities such as a pair of shoes for a young man released from custody barefoot. The group also provides

a legal clinic, big brothers and sisters, tutors and counseling and courses for wives and mothers. For prisoners themselves, the Friends have a library service and volunteers help iron out bureaucratic tangles and find prisoners' jobs upon release. Although it's been working for over 15 years, Friends Outside is still relatively unique in the U .S. and law enforcement officials in the Santa Clara County area say it provides services desperately needed. I'm Paul Cunningham of the Christian Science Monitor New Service. Cut 20, Hard Hand Stoning and fire bomb throwing by Palestinian youths have made West Bank roads unsafe for Israeli military and civilian traffic. In response, the Israeli government has resorted to what is called a Hard Hand policy of dealing with Palestinians. It includes deportation, collective punishment of towns and families and demolishing houses. But the policy has hit a solid obstacle, Israel's democratic institutions. The Israeli High Court of Justice, members of the Knesset, the

Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and journalists are blowing shrill whistles at their government's policy. And already, concessions have been made. Two families, for example, that had been exiled in a remote desert refugee camp have been allowed to return home. Nonetheless, the Hard Hand policy is still on, and some government leaders call for far tougher measures to keep Palestinians in check. I'm Christina Lindborg of the Christian Science Monitor New Service.