The April Lawrence Summers Memorial Award* goes to Edwin J. Feulner, president of the Heritage Foundation.

In a column written for Earth Day, Feulner urged that "we should shun the guerrilla tactics of the radical environmental activists," particularly their concerns about the environmental impact of automobiles.

Such concern is misplaced, he wrote, because (be sure to read until the end):

"By allowing us to get around quickly and easily, cars enabled people to move out of crowded cities into suburbs, where they're in closer contact with nature."

"And let's not forget what autos replaced: horses. Back in the days when horse-drawn carriages were the main means of transportation, our streets were filled with manure. This waste was itself a dangerous form of pollution."

"Horses required tons of hay, which meant thousands of acres of farmland were needed to grow food for animal use, not human consumption. The invention of the car actually helped clean our streets, clear our air and free land for more productive use."

Source: Edwin J. Feulner, "Down to Earth Day," .