The environment is our legacy to our children
One of my children asked me the other day why the environment comes first with me. His comment was that there are 5 or 6 issues that are the largest issues facing us and while the environment is clearly one of them, why that one.
It was not an easy question for me to answer. I have been fighting for the environment from even before I was in the legislature and it has been what I have concentrated on these past 16 years in the house.
I have done so because I know it's so very important. But articulating the reasons – that took me a minute.
The environment is what we leave for our children. How we treat it, what we take from it, what we leave – that is our legacy to our children. All of these other problems – we will fix them one way or another and move beyond them. But when we destroy the environment, that destruction is then passed on to our children, and their children, and their children. That is what we are leaving them.
I think living in Hawaii makes this even more clear. We have been given such a beautiful land by those that came before us. And when we destroy the land in places, it creates such an ugly scar. But the problem, and the required solutions, are worldwide.
WHEN OUR NATION CONTINUES TO DEPEND ON FOREIGN OIL, WE SEND MONEY TO NATIONS THAT HARBOR TERRORISTS. WHEN OUR NATION CONTINUES TO DRILL FOR OIL AND RELY UPON FOSSIL FUEL FOR ENERGY NEEDS, WE DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT.
We have the solutions available to us: CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY, TAPPING OUR NATION'S ABUNDANCE OF WIND, SOLAR, AND OCEAN RESOURCES. I BELIEVE IN AMERICAN INGENUITY. WE CAN CHANGE AMERICA'S ENERGY POLICY AND CREATE A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT AND A SAFER WORLD.
Our great great great grandchildren will not know of us other than a name occasionally mentioned. Iraq will be in the history books, healthcare will be resolved, and our educational system will be improved. All these things today will have no effect on them. But what we do to the environment, that they will be living with. This is our legacy.
It was not an easy question for me to answer. I have been fighting for the environment from even before I was in the legislature and it has been what I have concentrated on these past 16 years in the house.
I have done so because I know it's so very important. But articulating the reasons – that took me a minute.
The environment is what we leave for our children. How we treat it, what we take from it, what we leave – that is our legacy to our children. All of these other problems – we will fix them one way or another and move beyond them. But when we destroy the environment, that destruction is then passed on to our children, and their children, and their children. That is what we are leaving them.
I think living in Hawaii makes this even more clear. We have been given such a beautiful land by those that came before us. And when we destroy the land in places, it creates such an ugly scar. But the problem, and the required solutions, are worldwide.
WHEN OUR NATION CONTINUES TO DEPEND ON FOREIGN OIL, WE SEND MONEY TO NATIONS THAT HARBOR TERRORISTS. WHEN OUR NATION CONTINUES TO DRILL FOR OIL AND RELY UPON FOSSIL FUEL FOR ENERGY NEEDS, WE DAMAGE THE ENVIRONMENT.
We have the solutions available to us: CLEAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY, TAPPING OUR NATION'S ABUNDANCE OF WIND, SOLAR, AND OCEAN RESOURCES. I BELIEVE IN AMERICAN INGENUITY. WE CAN CHANGE AMERICA'S ENERGY POLICY AND CREATE A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT AND A SAFER WORLD.
Our great great great grandchildren will not know of us other than a name occasionally mentioned. Iraq will be in the history books, healthcare will be resolved, and our educational system will be improved. All these things today will have no effect on them. But what we do to the environment, that they will be living with. This is our legacy.
posted by Cynthia Thielen at
9:29 AM
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