I think most of us are coming to realize that is the case. For example, there is only so much oil, so much uranium, so much wood, etc. available for us to burn in our cars, reactors, and fireplaces. While some resources, like wood and oil may be replaceable over time, the simple fact is man has demonstrated ample ability to consume these things at a far greater rate than they are regenerated in the environment. The second basic tenet of the speech attributed to Chief Seattle is the fundamental principle of a closed system. In other words, if you contaminate the air or water or soil of this system, there is no simple or easy way for you to escape the consequences.
All water is connected.
All air is connected. All soil is even connected, usually via air or water, which moves tons of soil around the country daily. Consequently, if you let one small town in Kansas, for example, exceed standards for some carcinogen in the drinking water, eventually it effects everyone. These factors become particularly relevant in light of the recent actions by the Bush administration to deal with certain legacies of the Clinton administration. In the final days of the tenure of William Jefferson Clinton, a flurry of executive orders came flying out of the oval office and many people are still reeling from the avalanche, which even many Democrats are hard-pressed to excuse or explain.