| Summary: | Letter dated 10 February 1976 from Lorenzo A. Richards to "Jim" thanking him for Christmas package; followed by comments labelled "Item 2," "Item 3" and "Item 4" regarding world issues: coal mining, food supply, and the role of money in education Item 2. Our current effort devoted to reclamation and revegetation of land areas disturbed by man amounts to less than 8 SY's and about one-third of that is associated with western coal mining problems. We feel pretty sure that mined areas will never again be considered "sacrificed areas." The enclosed article by Genevieve Atwood, "The Strip-mining of Western Coal," seems quite realistic. Our OMB associates don't see how we can afford to spend $5,000 per acre to reclaim land that's worth about $150. You'll note on page 29 that it would add ten cents per ton to the cost of coal. I don't see that financing is a big problem. To me the problems will get very serious in areas with less than about 10-inches of annual rainfall. In northeastern New Mexico an attempt was made to grow wheat. On land abandoned in the early 1930's, there is still no vegetation. No wheat was ever produced either. Item 3. The world food problems are responsible for much conversation lately. A knowledge of soil and water resources and social constraints to their use don't seem to be needed for conversation. Dennis Greenland' "Bringing the Green Revolution to the Shifting Cultivator"is excellent. We must have insights like his if we are to provide technology that the shifting cultivator can use. The Washington papers report a. bumper crop of rice this year in Bangladesh. They further report there are very meager storage facilities. To make matters worse for the farmers, the price is being driven down by imports of American surpluses. Our goodwill intentions may discourage farmers from trying to make their country self-sufficient. There's a question of whether American help is good or bad for the country. Item 4. Lord Bowden of Chesterfield observes that: we let money have a supreme position in education as a measure of value. It's horrible. If we don't change our attitude, our graduate schools will have to have required courses in Grantsmanship I, II and III, and anyone with less than excellent grades will not be satisfactory potential scientists. Also personnel evaluation procedures will have to be changed. Enclosures
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