If somebody dumps something noxious in my back yard, the dumper is the last one I would call on to repair the damage.

Great attention gets paid to rainforests because of the diversity of life there. Diversity in the oceans is even greater.

We couldn't go to the moon on whale oil. We don't have the capacity yet to consider doing such things as harnessing current sunlight. We're burning ancient sunlight in order to get us to where we now are. But it's costly.

America gains most when individuals have great freedom to pursue personal goals without undue government interference.

This much is certain: We have the power to damage the sea, but no sure way to heal the harm.

We are all together in this, we are all together in this single living ecosystem called Planet Earth. As we learn how we fit into the greater scheme of things, and begin to understand how the system works, we can plan ahead, we can use the resources responsibly, to show some respect for this inheritance that goes back 4.6 billion years.

The Arctic is a place that historically, during all preceding human history, has largely been an icy realm with an impact on ocean currents. That, in turn, influences the temperature of the planet. The Arctic is now vulnerable because of the excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, with a rate of melting that is stunning.