Natural Resources Commencement Release No. 0190.99 Remarks As Prepared for Delivery by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman University of Michigan School of Natural Resources Commencement Ann Arbor, Mi May 1, 1999 "Thank you Dean Mazmanian. I am honored to be here today. Thank you for inviting me. It's good to be back in Ann Arbor where I spent four memorable years of my life. I went to Michigan. I met my wife at Michigan. Half our family went here. And of course our son, Jon, he was raised right. I don't think going to any other school even entered his mind. "Without giving away my age, I'll just say that when I was at Michigan one of the great songwriters of the day was Bob Dylan with songs like, "The Times They Are A-Changin'." Well truer words have never been spoken or sang. In my day at Michigan, basketball was king with names like Cazzie Russell, Oliver Darden and Bill Bunton. Students For A Democratic Society were actively recruiting members for their sit-ins against the Viet Nam war, and social and political activism began on this campus in the 1960s. "I must tell you that I have come a long way myself. Back then, I was a kid from a city in Kansas whose connection to the environment and natural resources was virtually nil. That's not to say I didn't spend a good bit of time in the Nelson Arboretum -- but admittedly my attention was focused on living things other than the trees and shrubs. Remember ... I met my wife here. "In those days the closest I came to green was on the golf course. In fact, even though I grew up in Kansas, I had never driven a tractor until I ran for Congress. And I came pretty close to destroying my friend's wheat field when I did it. The truth is that some of my best preparation to be Secretary of Agriculture came on the job during my 18 years in Congress. "And as Agriculture Secretary my mandate is far and wide. I have jurisdiction over farm programs, soil conservation efforts, all federal nutrition programs including food stamps, the national school meals programs, the Women's, Infants and Children's Program; rural development programs and a massive research effort. We ensure the safety of the nation's meat and poultry. We oversee the U.S. Forest Service which manages nearly 200 million acres of public land. In fact, the natural resources and conservation programs at USDA make up about one-half of our nearly 100,000 employees. "As a nation our approach to natural resources and conservation is dramatically different than when I was an undergrad. Back then we saw youth- driven political activism that led to the beginnings of the environmental revolution. Today we are focused on environmental solutions. Back then the word was disposable. Today the word is recyclable Back then the career advice given to Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate" was: "Plastics." Today, I say to you, it's sustainability. "In a single word, sustainability defines how we need to approach life in the new millennium and it is born of the lessons of the 20th century. To live in a sustainable world means all of us must accept that with opportunity comes responsibility, with a growing economy there must be opportunity for all, that in using our natural resources we must also protect and preserve them for future generations. "With sustainability we are putting more humanity into our thinking about the world, the people and the environment. No more recklessness. No more looking the other way. No more dog eat dog. No more thinking that throwing something away, means that it's gone. It's just been relocated and we still have to deal with it. Sustainability reminds us that we can't just take, take, take. We must give something back. But I'm not saying anything new here. "Just go back 60 years to the dust bowl days to see how neglect of the land wiped out many farmers and their ability to feed thousands. Or go back over a century to the words of Chief Seattle who said, "All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life: he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." "Or go back I don't know how long to a Kenyan Proverb which tells us to, "Treat the earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It is lent to you by your children." Or go back thousands of years to the Bible where it commands, "For six years sow your fields, and for six years prune your vineyards and gather their crops. But in the seventh year the land is to have a sabbath of rest ...The land is to have a year of rest." "The point is we've known about sustainability all along. Only now, the risks of not following sustainable practices are greater because of advanced technologies that place huge demands on our natural resources and our people, and excessive consumption on top of a rising world population that is increasing at the equivalent of a New York City every month. "The great American experiment in government brought us modern democracy of, by and for the people. The next great evolution of social change is already under way how we live in relation to each other and our planet. "In the years since I was at Michigan, the way in which we see our planet has changed dramatically. We no longer see earth as invincible. We've come to understand that the vulnerability of earth's resources has direct implications for how we live our lives, and it is that realization that will dominate our thinking well into the next century. It's not like we have a choice. How well we evolve to a sustainable culture will directly affect the kind and quality of life for generations to come. "And that's where you come in. "We are coming to the close of what many have called the "American Century." Because of our economic, military and cultural might, much has been made of America's role as a trend-setter, as the leader among nations. We as Americans have much to be proud of. But, with our role as world leader, comes a great deal of responsibility. The fact is the world as we know it is shrinking. You can't go a day without hearing the phrase, "global economy." It is critical that the United States provide leadership and partner with other nations to help determine what the future is going to look like. "The United States continues to be the world leader -- politically, economically, militarily, in setting trends -- and you, the graduates sitting before me today, will lead the United States. It doesn't matter whether you set public policy in Washington or in your communities, whether you work at the grass roots level developing local solutions to environmental problems, whether you develop a career in research, forest management or wildlife preservation -- what you do and how you do it will help set the standards for the rest of the nation and the world. You are the ones who will create opportunities that will help preserve choices. You are the ones who will ensure that future generations are not limited in their dreams and goals because of the poorly conceived actions of earlier generations. "Starting tomorrow, the President's Council on Sustainable Development will hold a national town meeting in Detroit. It's part of laying the groundwork for all Americans to become more aware and more involved in what sustainability means to them and how each of us must make it a part of our consciousness and a part of how we conduct our lives. Students like you will take the next step and define for future generations what we mean by a sustainable world. "But -- and it's a very important but we can not just talk about the what, we also must consider the how. Knowing what you want to achieve, and achieving those goals are miles apart. The question is how do you get there from here. Your ideas, beliefs, values and goals are important. But your ability to realize them is as important. "It reminds me of the story of the beaver and the rabbit staring up at Hoover Dam. The beaver turned to the rabbit and said, "No, I didn't build it...but it's based on an idea I had." "Probably one of the most important things I've learned over the years has to do with methodology -- how you get done what you want to get done. How you deal with people. How to be persuasive. No matter how right you may be, no matter how obvious your case, no matter how smart you think you are and how well-versed you are in the subject matter of your occupation -- if you can't make a good argument and help others to see what you see, you are not going to get there from here. "Of course, it's important to stay true to your fundamental principles - - what you believe in -- what you stand for. But, it's also important to keep an open mind. There are at least four sides to every story. "You must approach problem solving not as an absolute science, but as a creative art. You never hear anyone talk about the science of negotiating, only the art of negotiating. To achieve meaningful public policy you need consensus. You need to somehow find ways to bridge gaps, diffuse rhetoric and find common ground. "If I've learned anything in my 18 years serving in Congress and 4 years in the Clinton Administration, it's that major issues and ideas and themes and philosophies don't always have to be at cross purposes with each other. I served with hundreds and hundreds of different men and women in my public career. And the ones that accomplished the most for their country were those who worked together to find consensus and common ground. "While many principled people have influenced public policy decisions on a broad array of subjects, it's generally only those who are objective in their perspective and who are solution oriented, who really get things done. In the current Washington political environment of "take no prisoners", where politicians often, not only try to win on the issue, but destroy their adversaries, it's no secret that the principles of toleration and moderation have often gone by the wayside producing more gridlock on a variety of issues. Good leadership means influencing behavior as a partner, not an adversary. "A classic illustration of this is in not looking at the economy and the environment as two diametrically opposed forces. The fact is, and we're proving this over and over again, we can grow the economy and be good to the planet. It's something we work at every day at the Department of Agriculture -- something many of you may end up doing. For example, we try to help farmers remain prosperous while at the same time becoming better stewards of the land by giving them technical assistance on pesticide reduction, or by helping them take fragile farmland out of crop production, or by helping them to plant buffers that absorb pollutants and protect our rivers and streams. Farmers themselves have come to understand that protecting the land base is the only way their descendants will be able to produce food. "In forestry we're creating a middle ground for everyone including loggers and environmentalists by working together to develop sustainable forestry practices. You can harvest timber in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. On climate change we're looking at ways to remove excess carbon dioxide from the air through techniques like carbon sequestration or developing energy from biobased sources. Protecting the earth from the vagaries of climate change does not mean shutting down the economy and throwing millions of people out of work. In fact, if we do it right, we should be creating significant numbers of jobs in the process. The bottom line is, it's not always an either/or proposition. There are solutions good for the economy and the environment and our quality of life. "So I would say to you be bold, be visionary, be driven, but, most of all be open and balanced in your perspective. "Finally, I want to share with you something that is both very personal to me, yet very universal. When asked what is the most important characteristic for any person to have in life, without hesitation V clav Havel said a sense of humor. Mr. Havel, the President of the Czech Republic, spent most of his life as a playwright in a communist regime. I would think that really takes a good sense of humor.But I truly believe a sense of humor is at the heart of not only how we succeed, but ultimately how we survive. Trust me on this, I work in Washington, where humor is part of your survival kit. It's a piece of advice you'll hear often, but not enough. In fact I approach my job every day mindful of the words of the great American humorist, Will Rogers who said, "I don't tell jokes. I watch what the government does and report the facts." "I hope it can be said of my generation that we gave the next generation something to build on, not something to rebuild from. And I hope the same will be said of your generation. "I know your families are very proud of you today. And I know each of you are very proud. You should be. Congratulations, you deserve it. Now go and make America proud of you. " Thank you." #