A Gift

The debate over global warming and man’s influence on climate change masks a truth that all of us no matter what nationality, race, religion, or political persuasion must acknowledge -- we have done damage to our planet. We have polluted our skies, rivers, lakes and oceans, made the earth a landfill for our endless garbage, and in our careless disregard for the ecosystem of which we are a part, degraded the biodiversity of the environment in which live.

Throughout human history man has battled nature to survive and thrive on this earth. Modern man ultimately learned to harness the forces of nature and put them to work in the service of mankind. But all along, man’s ability to gain dominion over nature exceeded his understanding of his place in the natural world. Unless mankind learns to live in greater harmony with nature there will inevitably come a time when the world can no longer meet man’s physical needs, let alone those essential spiritual needs met by the natural beauty – the shear majesty -- of our remarkable planet..

So let us step back from the debate on climate change for a moment and consider what gift we can give our children and children’s children, and all who come after us – a world unspoiled. Let us seek common ground on promoting sustainable approaches to the use of renewable natural resources; supporting more efficient generation of energy; reducing pollution; and protecting wilderness areas and wild populations in order to build a future in which human needs are met in harmony with nature. Such a gift – of majestic mountains, shining seas, clear skies, and abundant wildlife – is imbued with what is surely our most precious gift – love.