But some people are concerned that using these fuels cannot take place in a way that safeguards the environment. I would like to challenge that view. I believe that achieving the world's environmental, economic and social goals is possible with a responsible, positive approach. Before I make that argument, let me say a few words about the opposite position, which I'll call the partialist point of view. Last week, at the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, we got an impression of just how big a gap exists in the way some groups and some nations view the environment, labor and trade.
Some people also see a split between the environment and energy.
They see the environment as threatened because of the production and use of energy. Their solution is to restrict access to natural resources by energy companies and to curtail energy use by consumers. The problem with this viewpoint is that it reflects neither the aspirations of most people nor the reality of the relationship between the environment and energy. As I travel throughout the world, I find that most people value both a clean, safe environment and strong economies, which require energy. These are universal aspirations.