Another reasonable argument points out that jobs and development are often put on to protect an endangered species or a sensitive ecosystem. We do not need to sacrifice jobs for the environment, we only need to adapt them to modern conditions, where resources are finite and ecosystems are threatened. It has an infinite power to regenerate itself, no matter what havoc we wreak. Instead, our task must be defined in terms of maintaining a planet that can sustain our standard of living. In less abstract terms, we must preserve the air we breathe, the land from which we draw our livelihood, and the ecological diversity from which we derive life itself.
Environmental integrity is directly related to our ability to thrive as a society.
Now is not the time for Congress or the American people to step backwards. Instead, we must build on our tradition of innovation, to adapt to the changing conditions around us. The difficulty is not in bringing about this change, but rather in recognizing we have the power to do so. The months ahead are the time to get active and urge your representatives to safeguard the progressive environmental laws now being threatened.