This world is filled with an almost inconceivable number of injustices. However, it is possible that forces are at work engineering the reversal of great strides that have been made to stop one of the most terrible injustices in this world today. It is an injustice which encompasses many smaller crimes against humanity and which has violated the rights of every living thing on this earth. It is the injustice of pollution.

Pollution of our earth's land, water, and air has and will continue to affect the living creatures who make it their home. It is an issue which is especially an injustice to the youth of this world because we are the creatures destined to reside here the longest. This injustice appears even more absurd when these facts are brought up. One is that this is a crime against the human race, and yet it is the human race who is committing it. Second is the fact that it is one of the "bad habits" (every generation has many of their own) that we did not have to inherit from our parent's generation, and yet many of our peers have continued it. Last is the situation of today. It has been twenty-five years since we first celebrated Earth Day, and much progress has been made in cleansing the earth of impurities and healing the wounds which we have inflicted upon it. But after all we have done to make amends for our neglect, the force of the dollar sign has lured many wealthy people and corporations to protest the progress made.

These wealthy, powerful people see the federal regulations of pollution as obstacles in the way of their reaping even greater profits. Without regulations, less money would be spent on keeping clean and more could be in their pockets. This angers me because my generation is the victim, but it also puzzles me when I think about how 1) they are physically hurting themselves as much, and 2) they have great amounts of money in the first place, so why does it bother them so much to spend a small amount on preserving their home?

That is the injustice - that human beings do not care enough about the health of the world around them or, apparently, about themselves. They care only about money, efficiency, and ease. It is a shame that those who do not care about themselves do not have any respect for the people around them either. This is an injustice which is caused by a few, but suffered by all. ^