People in the modern age fear sudden catastrophe. They fear the hurricane and the earthquake. They fear nuclear fallout. But few fear the slow catastrophe that is creeping upon the world through environmental pollution. The air that we breathe in our towns is poisoned. We can stop smoking cigarettes, but we cannot stop breathing, and with every breath we inhale a mixture of dangerous chemicals. It is already a well-known fact that our rivers are dead. Where once children fished and swam, there is nothing but slime and dirt, a breeding place for bacteria. The restful quiet our ancestors enjoyed has disappeared. Even our hearing is slowly being damaged by the level of noise we have to suffer-the noise of traffic and trains, the noise of planes and heavy tractors.