Sunday, May 17, 2009

Obama, Notre Dame Speech, and Climate

I was just reading Barack Obama's commencement speech at Notre Dame, and I thought he did a great job amidst all of the controversy. He was very eloquent in his approach to sensitive issues and strongly emphasized the themes of common ground and the bond of humanity. I was also very pleased to see a mention of climate change and the environment, noted here:

"We must decide how to save God's creation from a changing climate that threatens to
destroy it. We must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many. And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity - diversity of thought, of culture, and of belief.

In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family.

It is this last challenge that I'd like to talk about today. For the major threats we face in the 21st century - whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease - do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history."

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