The one-half trillion plus dollars of assets accumulated in the past decade by U.S. billionaires is increasing exponentially each month. There are indications that the spirit that inspired Andrew Carnegie to distribute most of his wealth during his lifetime is being revived in this country. Young millionaires in Seattle have won acclaim through philanthropic pioneering. And philanthropies initiated by Bill Gates, Waler Annenberg, Ted Turner, Warren Buffet and Oprah Winfrey have set examples that deserve emulation. It is serendipitous that wealth accumulation has reached an apex where private individuals can now accomplish what governments have failed to do.
Population stabilization is a challenge of epic proportions.
Udall served as secretary of the interior in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. He now lives in New Mexico, where he writes and represents Navajo uranium miners exposed to radiation.