Data On Environmental Problems Offered At 'Ecology House'

The opening of "Ecology I House" at the Ann Arbor YM YWCA on Tuesday signalled the I start of the community partici pation in ENACT, the environ mental teach-in scheduled for Ann Arbor next week. Ecology House is basically an information center on all envi ronmental and ecological prob lems, staffed primarily by wives of scientists at the U-M A range of background material, books, reference articles, and exhibits will be availale at the center for the next two weeks. Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., (except for lunch breaks 11-1 and 5-6) Monday through Saturday, the center is designed to give housewives who are waiting for children taking classes at the Y a place to browse for information on the environment, and also to act as an answering service for questions on that topic. "The women who are staffing the center will not necessarily be experts," says Mrs. Richard Celia rius, in charge of the center, "but they will know where to go for the information, and can obtain answers, which we will be glad to mail or cali to those who ask." A similar Ecology House will be set up on campus, in the Undergraduate Library multipurpose room, during the week of the teach-in. Scheduled to open Thursday, Maren 12, it will perform the same functions for tbose on or close to campus through Saturday, Márch 14. A second major undertaking of the community will be a "Community Fair" at Jones School to be open March 12-13, from 1:30 to 9 p.m. Educational displays for adults and children, as well as special games and exhibits for the younger visitors, repeating film shows and booths manned by various groups in the community will be featured. Some of the contributors who have already volunteered displays are the Audubon Society, the Boy Scouts, the Ann Arbor Planning Department, National Science Foundation, Planned Parenthood, Zero Population Growth, Detroit Edison and several U.S. government bureaus, including Health, Education and Welfare, Bureau of Fisheries, and Department of Agriculture. Also on Thursday, March 12, the League of Women Voters will sponsor a showing of environmental films at the Ann Arbor Public Library from .1:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., and will co-sponsor, with ENACT, a workshop "The Bridge Between Ideáis and Action" at the Union Ballroom starting at 1:30 p.m. Moderated by Alan Guskin, of he U-M's Institute of Social lesearch, with panelists Roger lansen of the Rocky Mountain , Center on Environment; Marvin Durning, Conservationist of ( he Year of Seattle; Mrs. ; nard F 1 ood , Environmental ( Affairs Specialist of Lenox, , Mass.; Robert Ross, research , associate of the ISR; Donald Jensen, Automotive Emissions Officer, Ford Motor Co.; and Murray Bookchin, author of Crisis in the Cities, the workshop is designed to develop guidelines to political effectiveness. Thursday, which is desginated as Community Affairs Day, will be the major community participation day. Many schools are planning major assemblies that day, led by the two high schools, which will feature entertainers Arthur Godfrey and Eddie Albert. The evening will conclude at Pioneer High auditorium with an "Environmental Town ing." Keynote addresses at the meeting will be given by Eddie Albert; C. C. Johnson, head of Consumer Protection for HEW; and Dr. Ralph MacMullan, director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Respondents at the program will include Rep. Marvin Esch, Ann Arbor Mayor Robert ris, Sen. Gilbert Bursley, Rep. Raymond Smit and Pioneer Principal Theodore Rokicki. The meeting will then be opened to questions from thel community audience. A Portable Environment - I 1980, designed and built byl Exhibit and Design Co. ofl Wayne, will be unveiled at al community-schools e v e n t a Carpenter School on Tuesday March 10. It will then be set u in the UGLI multipurpose room for the remainder of the week and will be available to com munity groups for a tim thereafter. It is designed t show scientists' predictions o conditions of life in the nex decade, if man continúes to po! lute as he has done in the past. A workshop for teachers from throughout Michigan has been planned for Saturday, Marel 14, from 9-12 at Pioneer High School, under the direction o Forsythe science teacher James Mohr. Air pollution, water pollution, population, elementary outdoor education, and school site development will be the subjects of the various seminars, and both issues and action programs with "how-to" information are planned. A "Hurón River Walk" is also scheduled for Saturday morning, 9-12, March 14. Meeting place will be the parking lot of Huron High School, where leaders plan to discuss on site the causes and possible solutions to river problems, developmental plans and ecology of the river. Since only a small portion of the river can be covered in this one session, it is hoped to set up similar walks at other parts of the river later in the spring. Planned also is a Huron Rivsr Cleanup, from Portage Lake to Superior Rd. dam (with possible help downriver from that point by the EMU SAVE stulent committee). Target date :or that operation is April 4, jnd helpers are urged to sign ip for participation at the ogy Houses, either at the Y or in UGLI. A planning meeting for coordinating purposes will be held Mon., Mareh 9, at 7:30 j p.m., in room 1028 School of Natural Resources. Groups which have already indicated a willingness to particípate include the Boy Scouts, the Ann I Arbor Jaycees, Sierra Club, the I Huron River Watershed Coun-J cil, members of EN ACT andj several church groups. : Other community 1 tion projects include a seminar! series (now complete), contact! with churches to encourage I environmental sermons, 1 sion groups in homes, a leaflet I campaign to identify ways of I consumer participation, I plays in local stores and I nesses, and a letter writing j 'orum. i The displays, located j ;hroughout the various business j districts, both downtown and on campus, have been furnished y schools, governmental I cies conservation groups, and I industry. 3 The letter writing campaign I s designed as a continuing I et, with information availabïe I bout environmental issues, I nd addresses of decisión I rs on national, state and local I evels furnished. Tables I laying this information wül be I resent at most of the major I vents during the teach-in, and I will also be availabïe at the I Ecology Houses. I The initiators of this project ïope that interested persons I will furnish information onfl ssues as well as pledge tol write letters in support ofl ssues. :