TR IV urges his party to conserve
Theodore Roosevelt IV, great-grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, delivered this speech at the Republican National Convention Aug. 1, 2000:
As I look out on this room of good Republicans, I see a group of history buffs. Why? Because you know the United States is the global standard bearer of conservation largely due to the actions of Theodore Roosevelt. You know clean air, clean water, and the EPA, all found their champion in President Nixon. And you know that, in my home state of New York, Governor Pataki is a visionary environmental leader. But in reciting these well-known names in conservation, we overlook the real movers in protecting America’s environment: the American people.Yes, TR established our nation’s wildlife refuge system. But it really began with one stubborn Florida gentleman, Ray Kroegel, who just plain had enough of the senseless killing of pelicans in his backyard. With a ten-gauge double-barreled shotgun, Ray stood guard over those pelicans until the man in the White House took notice. Fortunately for us, that man was no stranger to shotguns and determination. When asked to intercede on behalf of the muddy 3-acre dollop of pelican breeding ground, President Roosevelt essentially asked, "Can anyone stop me?" Apparently, no one could.
There are still many Ray Kroegels among us, like the Mississippi Delta farmer, Lutus Burns. When the forests in his part of the world were being bulldozed into the earth, Lutus Burns came forward. Hard work and hard times etched in his face and body, that farmer said: "We will not see the lands we love go down to the dozers." And together with his neighbors, he fought the hard fight and saved what became Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana.
I could recount dozens of these stories. So could many of you. And ask me: Do I love these Americans? You bet I do. Because this country was not built on the greed of what TR called landskinners; this country was built on the love and service of Americans like these — like yourselves.
Back in the ’50s, the Pelican Island that Ray Kroegel fought so hard to protect was under siege again, this time from developers. The cry went out: "Are you for pelicans or progress?" As it turned out, the American people were for pelicans, and in Florida they got both.
But you all recognize this scenario: the threat that economic growth will be stunted by protecting biodiversity, climate, public health. I know it well. On Wall Street, it used to be that all you had to do was mention two words — "environment or regulation" — and every banker within earshot hit the deck.
No more. We realized that toxic waste doesn’t show up on balance sheets until the shareholder or the taxpayer, in other words you out there, are paying for the clean-up. We realized that companies that don’t deny present realities, such as global warming, are the ones with a future. In short, we realized that environmental drivers bring innovation and profit to American companies and high paying jobs to the American people. Jobs, shareholder value, GDP—all served.
A healthy, intact environment is one of our nation’s greatest strategic assets. It is the bedrock —the bedrock — of a strong economy and a strong nation. And, quite frankly, only whiners and belly-achers will tell you otherwise. Some of the world’s best scientists give us twenty, maybe thirty years, to turn back the tide on ecological devastation. But, I daresay, most conservation advocates are not driven simply by a desire to see our species survive a few more years.
No. Humankind as the great exterminator is simply not a role with which we can live. We recognize that we also have an ethical obligation toward one of God’s most magnificent gifts, this planet, our home.
The Republican Party is not the party of waste, but the party that conserves. I believe that our party can craft a clear strong vision for our environment’s future because we have the courage to acknowledge today’s realities. Our party will listen to the American people and not let our country go down to the bulldozers, go down to the landskinners, go down to the shortsighted and the fearful.
There are many Ray Kroegels and Lutus Burns in this room tonight and, with your help, our party will honor its past leadership and fulfill its promise.