Skip to content

Words of Wisdom — October 5, 2015

A Nation That Destroys Its Environment Destroys Itself

Words of wisdom from President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) was the 32nd president of the United States and longest-serving president, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He was president throughout much of the Great Depression of the 1930s and the United States’ involvement in World War II during the 1940s. He is also well-known for the New Deal, a set of programs for relief, recovery, and reform that expanded the U.S. government’s role in managing the economy.

Most people remember FDR’s cousin Theodore as the conservationist President Roosevelt, though that doesn’t mean Franklin didn’t prioritize America’s environment and frontier. Here are today’s words of wisdom:

“A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people.”

What is the EPA currently doing to build support for environmental awareness? Who better to tell us than its chief, Gina McCarthy:

Sign up for the Smarter Faster newsletter

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Related

The previous experience of every US president since Theodore Roosevelt

What qualifies someone for the top position in American government?

Words of Wisdom

Franklin D. Roosevelt and the (Empty?) Promise of Ending War

Words of wisdom from the 32nd president of the United States: “More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginnings of all wars.” FDR’s words are inspiring, but are they feasible?

Industrial landscape featuring large smokestacks and various structures of an oil refinery, some incorporating cutting-edge carbon removal technology, set under a cloudy sky.

Not all forms of carbon removal are created equal

The carbon market and offsetting system have created “carbon cowboys” and perpetuated forms of neo-colonialism and other inequities.

The letters "AI" appear with a glitch effect in multicolored pixels against a black background.

AI skeptic Gary Marcus on AI’s moral and technical shortcomings

The cognitive scientist argues the current AI environment is failing us as consumers and a society. But it’s not too late to change course.

A digital illustration of a human brain with blue veins and a glowing light at the top, set against a black background.

How Neuralink’s chief competitor is tapping into the brain without surgery

“Neurotech is not just about the brain,” says Synchron CTO Riki Banerjee, explaining how their tech can help with paralysis, brain diseases, and beyond.

Up Next

Surprising Science

What’s More Dishonest: Scientists Taking Corporate Cash or Mudslingers Attacking Them?

Personal attacks on a speaker, especially about their funding, are a sign that the attacker can’t dispute the facts the speaker is presenting. Beware the attacker too.