That Killer Nature

WINDHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Rushing to be the first to candidate this year to stake out an environmental position first claimed by Ronald Reagan, multimillionaire publisher and GOP presidential hopeful Steve Forbes opined that a lot of the acid rain falling on New England is a natural phenomenon. In an interview with the Boston Globe, Forbes said "It turns out a lot of it is created by nature, not by smokestacks." Asked if he remembered President Reagan's 1980 assertion that trees are a source of deadly pollution, Forbes advised restraint. "I'm not sure about trees, but I do know there is a lot we don't know about what causes some environmental problems. You still have a huge debate now on global warming, on acid rain, so I think a little humility is in order. I would examine the evidence and take a Missouri attitude of 'Show Me.'"