McDonough reflected a similar optimism in his speech.
He started his discussion with the question, "How do we love all the children of all species for all time?"
He said he was satisfied with humans' ability to answer that dilemma, provided that they re-examine their priorities.
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"The filters of the future are in our heads, not on the mouths of pipes," he said. "We should be able to celebrate the abundance of our great resources, not squander and ration them. We must get back to a feeling of kinship with nature."