The four other panelists offered sobering statistics about the state of the environment, and especially focused on the energy problem.

Eady said the effect of diesel fuels on public health--especially on children and the elderly--is a particularly grave concern.

In Roxbury, Mass., respiratory disease rates are extremely high, Eady said. Asthma rates in that town are five times the state average, she said.

Massie offered steps individual might take to effect change. Shareholders should ask corporations to be more environmentally responsible, and point out that sometimes profits are tied the health of the environment, he said.

McElroy said the United States has a responsibility to set an example in energy conservation.

"What does it mean to be a superpower?" he asked rhetorically. "[To] take some initiative."

Larissa T. Jester '99, chair of the Environmental Network, a student organization devoted to creating environmental awareness at Harvard, used the panel to announce the group's plans as Earth Day 2000 draws closer.

The group is asking the University administration to "send a clear message of high-level University support for efforts to provide an environmental ethic for students," according to a group statement.