Cronkite returns in news special

Walter Cronkite at Large CBS, tomorrow, 10-11 p.m. Walter Cronkite is making one of his all-too-infrequent appearances on CBS. And, as you might expect, he has chosen to do worthy, relevant, controversial things.

Rumor has it that the avuncular newscaster is discreetly searching for more active work, either on CBS or on other networks, when his long-term retirement contract with CBS expires shortly.

Meantime, we have this special in which he tackles two big questions: Have we passed the point of no return for averting serious environmental problems? And is Greece ignoring the deterioration of its marble monuments?

Then, just to make the program entertaining, he throws in segments about ballooning and the future of gambling on Macao.

The environment segment might very well have made a full-length documentary. Mr. Cronkite's survey of America's leading environmentalists revealed that they were most concerned about: the greenhouse effect, brought on by the blanket of pollution that traps the earth's heat; the hole punched in the ozone layer by chemicals used in air conditioners and refrigerators; the clearing of forests; the exploding population; and public apathy. Cronkite pinpoints the issues and lines up opponents clearly on opposite sides of the battleground.

The segment on Greece features Melina Mercouri and the ballooning segment, Malcolm Forbes.

Cronkite should be on air more often to lure us all into caring as much as he does about our society.