Part of our essential humanity is paying respect to what God gave us and what will be here a long time after we’re gone.

The remark frames environmental stewardship as a moral and spiritual obligation rather than merely a policy preference. By calling respect for the natural world “essential humanity,” Clinton links care for land, water, and ecosystems to human dignity and character. The reference to “what God gave us” invokes a creation- or gift-based ethic: nature is not solely property to exploit but an inheritance held in trust. The closing contrast—what will remain “a long time after we’re gone”—emphasizes intergenerational responsibility, urging restraint and long-term thinking so that future people can benefit from the same enduring natural goods.