EDITORIAL
The power of active individuals It is not necessarily true that traditional problems, for which human nature is blamed, are insoluble
W
e read that India has harvested 95 million tons of w h e a t this summer, 6 million tons more than the previous best harvest. Much credit is given to the U.S. foreign-aid program in which farm experts from the U.S. introduced high-yielding strains of wheat, helped build fertilizer plants, and overcame some of the natural suspicion and doubts of the people of the country by getting some of t h e m to take part. This is not the first time that grain production has been increased significantly b y the introduction of scientifically b a s e d methods and technological improvements. It was done with corn in Mexico u n d e r the leadership of the Rockefeller Foundation and that spirit has b e e n carried into some of the rice-growing regions of the Philippines and other areas of the Orient. While such achievements are not a sign we have overcome b r o a d problems of feeding the world's people, they allow certain spare comfort to be taken from w h a t has h a p p e n e d as a possible indication that more can b e done. It has b e e n said that w e do not really know h o w to feed and clothe and heal humanity because w e have not yet proved able to overcome h u m a n suspicions a n d doubts and lassitude. But examples belie this. Therefore, there is reason to take hope. The recent apparent setback to control of poverty-producing overpopulation, a n d the dismal prospects of the political conventions of the most powerful nation on earth show h o w and w h y some of the established institutions, political and other, can lead to discontentment among the young and vigorously idealistic. Support for the conservative idea that h u m a n i t y will not basically improve is all too easy to find.
But the fact that constructive individuals occasionally coalesce at the right time and place to accomplish something obviously needed and idealistically possible keeps alive the hope and the drive of the idealistically practical. Striking accomplishments can be infectious. Project Catalyst, recently undertaken by the American Chemical Society, is one of those efforts that gives cause for optimism. H e r e a longestablished organization not traditionally accustomed to stepping into projects such as aid to the disadvantaged has given its backing to a dynamic project. A group of constructive individuals now are at work to see that something gets done (C&EN, Aug. 5, page 4 0 ) . T h e education of its citizens by the U.S. has set a remarkably high figure as such figures stand in h u m a n history ( of the 25- to 29-age group in 1966, the m e d i a n n u m b e r of years of schooling was 12.1 for non white and 12.6 for white males, 11.9 for nonwhite and 12.5 for white females). Such figures show great progress over those of even a d e c a d e earlier, yet they do not tell the whole story. For the use of training ( especially as a basis for more training) depends not only on schooling m a d e available by society, but on awareness and motivation of the people trained. H e r e Project Catalyst is setting out to advance further the effective use of the most valuable resource of all, h u m a n intellect and spirit.
AUG. 12, 1968 C&EN 5
