We've sued out-of-state power plants that are polluting our air

Hear the words of Eric Schneiderman, spoken with the weight of justice and the fire of guardianship: “We’ve sued out-of-state power plants that are polluting our air and led a coalition of attorneys general from Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Massachusetts against efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to remove critical environmental regulations that protect New York communities from toxic pollution.” In these words, there is not only the tale of one man’s deeds but a reminder of the eternal struggle between those who exploit the earth without restraint and those who rise as defenders of the people’s breath, water, and soil. It is a declaration that the guardians of law must at times become the warriors of creation itself.

For what are these power plants, far beyond the borders of New York, if not fires that consume not only their own land but also send forth unseen chains of smoke into the lungs of distant children? Pollution knows not the lines drawn on maps; it is a river of poison carried by the winds. Thus, Schneiderman and his allies understood that one state alone cannot stand against the tide; unity is required. So he formed a coalition of attorneys general, weaving together the strength of many states to resist those who would cast aside the laws of protection for the greed of profit. In this we see the old truth: divided, we are weak, but united, even small voices become thunder.

Consider the tale of the Athenian statesman Solon, who in times of great corruption stood before his people and laid down laws that sought to balance the cries of the poor with the power of the rich. He was not merely a lawmaker but a protector of harmony, ensuring that greed did not choke the lifeblood of the city. Schneiderman’s stance echoes Solon’s wisdom: laws are not shackles to progress but shields for the weak, guardians of the common good. To cast them aside in the name of gain is to invite ruin upon both present and future generations.

The meaning of Schneiderman’s words is heroic: that those entrusted with power must wield it not for comfort or applause, but for defense of the communities who cannot defend themselves against invisible toxins. His lawsuit was not merely against companies, but against the very spirit of neglect that would trade health for gold. To protect the air is to protect the breath of life itself; to safeguard regulations is to honor the covenant between humankind and the earth. Without such guardianship, the land becomes barren, the rivers poisoned, the skies dim.

We may recall the story of the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, which in the year 1969 caught fire from the weight of pollution upon its waters. Flames upon a river! Such was the folly of neglect. That moment, terrible and shameful, awakened the conscience of a nation, leading to the birth of the Clean Water Act and the strengthening of the Environmental Protection Agency. From destruction arose reform, proving that the guardianship of the law can turn disaster into renewal. Schneiderman’s battle is but a continuation of this ancient cycle: the fight to preserve creation against the forces of reckless exploitation.

What lesson, then, must the future generations draw from this teaching? It is this: never assume that the air you breathe or the water you drink is safe without vigilance. Every right to clean air, every safeguard for the soil, was bought through struggle. If you neglect it, those who profit from destruction will strip it away. You must support the guardians who defend the land, hold leaders accountable when they falter, and raise your own voice when silence would mean surrender. For the earth does not cry out with human words, but its forests wither and its children cough when it is wounded.

To each listener I say: let your life reflect the spirit of guardianship. Choose energy that does not poison the sky. Lend your strength to movements that fight for justice in environmental law. Teach your children that the regulations so often spoken of with disdain are, in truth, the walls that keep the wolves of pollution from the doors of their homes. And in your own heart, hold reverence for the air and water as sacred gifts, not commodities to be squandered.

Let Schneiderman’s words resound like a trumpet across the ages: laws are not chains upon freedom but the pillars that keep the temple of life from falling. Stand, then, as guardians in your own time, that future generations may inherit skies that are clear, rivers that run pure, and communities that flourish in the harmony of earth and law.