Page 3 RAIN Dec. 82/Jan. 83 pressing fundamental criticism of the social order in a country founded on the right of free speech. This same ideology which works to silence domestic dissent also serves to engender a public hysteria which automatically legitimizes any kind of extreme measure taken to "protect us from the communists." As long as these conditions exist, any positive step toward arms control and reduction will be temporary at best. This involves going beyond "looking inwards" to the cultivation of a sophisticated social awareness. For the nuclear arms race is not primarily a matter of love and hate. But ending it is certainly a matter of life and death. Sincerely, Lance Regan Bellingham, WA. Dear Rain, Thought you'd like to see how great minds travel in similar tracks. Our cover is a sketch of water plants along the Guadalupe River - uncanny Similarity to your photo in KNOWING HOME, and we both used the caption "a sense of place" for the photo. We'll keep you advised if you will us. Shalom and Suerte Michael Smith St. Philips College San Antonio, TX (Michael sent us a copy of the San Antollio Artists Revue special issue on the San Antonio bio-region which came out about the same time as RAIN's book on tile Portland area bio-region, KNOWING HOME . We will be rel.liewing the San Alltonio Review and other bio-regional publications in a following issue). Dear Gentlemen; I am currently enrolled in a sociology class at El Camino College. Our current assignment in the class is to write about simple and economical ways to build a house. I am interested in homes that are being built underground and inside mountains, etc. Could you please send all information on this type of housing and other unique, inexpensive, and economical ways to build a house? Cindy Guyton Torrance, CA (Boy, do we know about that sociology class at EI Camino! We've gotten a dozen letters from that class. We cannot easily supply ALL the information on underground housing. It would probably take several days to pull that together (at least!). Also, IJy the way, most of the time there are as many, or more, gentlewomen as there are gentlemen working at RAIN.) Dear Rain, When writing your Bioregion Report, "County Zaps Radio Waves," you should have verified your information. While Multnomah County is indeed the first to place all aspects of broadcast tower siting into one ordinance, they do not possess the first comprehensive set of regulations regarding major sources of radiofrequency pollution. Portland's radiofrequency emissions standard is not advisory only; it has a dual nature. An advisory standard of 100 microwatts per square centimeter (onehalf the county standard) was instituted to express the standard that the Portland City Planning Commission felt the industry "should" apply to. Without conclusive evidence that this standard was necessary, the mandatory standard was set at 1000 microwatts per square centimeter. The City of Portland does have a more intense electro-magnetic environment than some other cities. However, in all fairness it must be pointed out that recent studies have shown Portland to not be an extreme example in any sense. Last, but certainly not least, is the years-old !'ong of the EPA's impending release of a national radiofrequency standard, or even the release of the oftpromised documentation of pertinent studies. The effort you refer to began sincerely enough, but the research summary has since been withheld and the broadcast industry has been promised no more than the publication of a federal guideline. A federal guideline is a device that would apply only an advisory standard to federal agencies. Sincerely, Steven W. Gerber Portland, Oregon (Thank you for pointing out our error.) Dear RAIN, "Beyond the State" is a very good article - congratulations for the fine piece of writing. I was wondering if I could have permission to reprint it for friends? I would also include publicity for RAIN magazine on the last page of reprint? I'd really appreciate it. Also the whole issue was fantastic. Please pass the word on to the rest of staff. Great work. Best, Larry Sheehy Fresno, CA
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