Letters: The Human Plague

Jack Hitt's "And of All the Plagues with Which Nature Is Cursed, Could It Be Me That's the Worst?" (December) was an entertaining, timely, and insightful look into the latest dogma in outdoor thinking. Considering the stir Hitt's words must have caused, I was extremely impressed that he chose not to tread lightly on the subject. His writing is funny and clever, and I would be thrilled to see more from him.

Chard Berndt
Twin Falls, Idaho

I'd like to suggest a way out of the dilemma presented by Hitt. Limit your reproduction, reduce your consumption, lower your position on the food chain, give your money to organizations working to protect the environment, and vote for officials doing the same. What you use to power your hibachi or how you dispose of your waste in the backcountry is dwarfed in comparison. "Watch the pounds," a friend once advised me, "and the ounces will watch themselves."

Kevin Eddings
Harrison, New York

Hitt's suburban backyard environmentalism is commendable, but why should he question everyone who tries harder than he does? Having decided to adopt rather than bear biological children, we were especially struck by Hitt's condescending attitude toward Dick Roy, who adopted two children and birthed one. Why add to the human population when we already have so many to care for? Hitt should stop questioning the puritan steps taken by the few and instead thank them for doing more than their share to keep the earth livable.

John and Sherrie Beckman
Tigard, Oregon

Unhappyland
I found myself thoroughly engaged by Michael Paterniti's "Come to Happyland" (December). By the end of the article I was in tears over the human rights abuses and heartbreak he exposed. Thanks for opening my eyes to the reality of Burma and for ensuring that Outside continues to get better and better.

Jane Eagle
Graton, California

I'm so grateful for your report from Burma, an excellent exposï on a cruel and corrupt government. Paterniti's piece breaks the silence that enwraps so much of the mainstream media.

Victoria Mudd
Sherman Oaks, California

Chilling Effect
Although I'm familiar with the physiology of freezing to death, I'd never come across anything that so clearly described the complete process until I read Peter Stark's "As Freezing Persons Recollect the Snow--First Chill--Then Stupor--Then the Letting Go" (January). The article is a reminder to those in pursuit of winter adventure that no amount of Gore-Tex can save you if you don't use your head.

Greg Gerasimek
Seneca, South Carolina

Stark's article on hypothermia demonstrates extremely poor judgment by citing the results of hypothermia experiments in Nazi death camps. The sadistic Nazi physicians so perverted the scientific method that they ended up demonstrating nothing more than the fact that even highly educated people can sink to extraordinary depths of evil.

Mark J. Sagarin
Cambridge, Massachusetts

I love the idea of letting readers know what it's really like to mess up in the wilderness. May I suggest a story on dehydration?

Lawrence Perry
Old Greenwich, Connecticut

Clarification: A photo caption in "Veni, Vidi, £re Og Ber·mmelse!" (January) identified telemark racer Jennifer Borzilleri as the "top U.S. woman." Borzilleri was the highest-placing American woman in the Classic race at the 1996 World Telemark Championships, the topic of the story. The highest-placing American woman overall was Heather Paul.

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