Written by When I was young my Mom helped organize a drive to implement city-wide recycling programs in my home town of Livermore, California. Tom Lehrer’s musical number “Pollution” became an informal anthem for their effort, as my Mom and a small team of musicians and artists incorporated the song into a multi-media show about the value of reusing resources and protecting our environment. This song remains relevant today, and I listened to it occasionally during the many years of debate about the asphalt plant on our aquifer. Happily, this asphalt issue was resolved favorably last week.
Tom Lehrer’s songs frequently had a serious point to make, along with being catchy and entertaining. Many pollution sources have been successfully eliminated in our cities since this popular song was written in 1965, but there is always more work to do.
Tom Lehrer passed away today at the age of 97.
On a nature walk with my Mom, the artist and environmentalist, in 1964. I’m the littlest guy in the red jacket.
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