EDITORIAL
Editor: Russell F . Christman Associate Editor: Charles R. O’Melia WASHINGTON EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor: Stanton S. Miller Assistant Editor: Julian Josephson Assistant Editor: Lois R. Ember MANUSCRIPT REVIEWING Manager: Katherine I . Biggs Assistant Editor: David Hanson MANUSCRIPT EDITING Associate Production Manager: Charlotte C. Sayre Assistant Editor: Gloria L. Dinote GRAPHICS AND PRODUCTION Production Manager: Leroy L. Corcoran Art Director: Norman Favin Artist: Gerald M. Quinn
Advisory Board: P. L. Brezonik, Josepn J. Bufalini, Arthur A. Levin, James J. Morgan, Sidney R. Orem, Frank P. Sebastian, John H . Seinfeld. C. Joseph Touhill Charles S Tuesdav
Published by the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 1155 16th Street. N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036 Executive Director: Robert W. Cairns BOOKS AND JOURNALS DIVISION D. H. Michael Bowen, Director
Charles R . Bertsch. Head, Editorial Processing Department Bacil Guiley, Head, Graphics and Production Department Seldon W. Terrant, Head, Research and Development Department Marlon Gurfeln, Head, Circulation Development
ADVERTISING MANAGEMENT Centcom. Ltd For offices and advertisers, see page 890 Please send research manuscripts to Manuscript Reviewing, feature manuscripts to Managing Editor. For author’s guide and editorial policy, see June 1975 issue, page 547, or write Katherine I. Biggs. Manuscript Reviewing Office. €S&T
Give me your car keys It’s a typically honest request. At least when it is made by a member of one’s family. Perhaps not as typical when it is made by your best ft iend or neighbor. But when it is made by the federal government in the name of clean air the ubiquitous answer always seems to be, “no way” Nevertheless, there are some budding. trends in this country regarding urban transportation. Trends to small cars, car pooling, mass transportation, and the like. Some recent trends were pointed out by a leading automobile industry spokesman before the Senate Public Works Committee. He noted that in 1969, foreign car manufacturers got 12% of the US. market: in the first four months of 1975, they got 21 % . Perhaps the trend to small cars will finally be heeded by Detroit manufacturers. In one of this month’s feature articles, GM spokesman Starkman reports that ’75 cars are getting better fuel economy than either ’72, ’73, or ‘74 model cars. Equipped with catalytic converters, these cars also have lower emissions. The problem of sulfates resulting from the use of converters is simply unanswerable at this time. Singling out the automobile for its sulfate problem may be entirely unfair, considering that 99 % of the SOn emissions come from stationary sources; but again, perhaps not, considering the pervasive range and use of the automobile. Since the present price of gasoline has escalated nearly 50% over 1973 prices, the trend to car pooling and use of buses has increased. According to one recent survey in the Washington, D.C. area, 14% of the commuters have stopped driving to work in the downtown area alone. This particular survey pointed out that the percentage of commuters joining car pools, riding buses, and even walking to work have all increased. It is a good sign on all counts. The survey also pointed out that transportation facilities presumably have not improved that much during the same period of time. Commuter habits are shifting slowly, but perceptibly. They appear to be going in the right direction-away from the use of personalized “escape” machines and more toward the use of piggyback transportation. Hopefully, the metros of the future, if and when they become fully operational, will result in a further decrease in the use of surface transportation that now clogs urban spaces and fouls the air.
Volume 9, Number 9, September 1975
791
