by Joseph Morris
“And to lose the chance to see frigatebirds soaring in circles above the storm, or a file of pelicans winging their way homeward across the crimson afterglow of the sunset, or a myriad terns flashing in the bright light of midday as they hover in a shifting maze above the beach — why, the loss is like the loss of a gallery of the masterpieces of the artists of old time.”
Beautiful poetry from President Theodore Roosevelt, possibly our most environmentally conscious president, and written in a time when our national thoughts were more on exploiting our country’s natural resources rather than preserving them. Roosevelt viewed conservation as more than just a practical issue of preserving resources for the future. He described conservation as a “great moral issue, for it involves the patriotic duty of insuring the safety and continuation of the nation.”
To me, it was his pushing conservation as a moral concern that set him apart with his understanding that we can’t ignore the moral and social justice impacts associated with climate change. To some of those opposing the fight against climate change, the debate comes down to a matter of dollars and cents. Teddy saw beyond that, understanding that the moral aspect was at least as important. He would have understood our Jewish concepts of L’dor V’dor and Tikkun Olam because he was constantly writing and speaking about our duty to “unborn generations” and our “children’s children.” He truly understood the moral implications of conservation/environmentalism. He wrote: “Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children’s children. Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance.” Compare that to our Midrash Kohelet Rabbah 7:13 when God spoke to Adam: “Look at my works. How beautiful and praiseworthy they are! …Pay attention that you do not corrupt and destroy My world: if you corrupt it, there is no one to repair it after you.”
Not enough of the moral imperatives supporting the fight against climate change are included in the discussion on combatting climate change. This is something we must change, for as Teddy said in a speech in 1910, “Of all the questions which can come before this nation, short of the actual preservation of its existence in a great war, there is none which compares in importance with the great central task of leaving this land even a better land for our descendants than it is for us.” Something we, as Jews, can understand.
The Green Team Needs You It’s time to get the Green Team moving again. Anyone interested in participating or with suggestion/ideas for Green Team activities please contact me at: 716 544-4576.