We have inherited a world of relative abundance, one where we can still for the most part meet our needs. We can be thankful for the wisdom of our forebears, who evidently took their responsibility for the future seriously. Yet, imagine a world without the amazing diversity of species from which we now benefit, a world without decent soil to farm, air to breathe, or water to drink. Such a world is one that any generation could inherit if its predecessor did not find wisdom in its responsibility to the future.
What we are today depends to a great extent upon how we have been formed by the generations that have preceded us. When we look to future generations, our position toward them is analogous to the position of past generations toward us. We are the data out of which the future will be formed. What we are and do today will limit or create their options, and in this way we profoundly help to shape their destiny. What kind of world we leave to the future is essentially a question of moral responsibility.
