We have come tardily to the tremendous task of cleaning up our environment. We should have moved with similar zeal at least a decade ago. But no purpose is served by post-mortems. With visionary zeal but the greatest realism, we must now address ourselves to the vast problems that confront us.

Summary

This quote highlights the delayed action taken in addressing environmental issues. It acknowledges that the need to clean up our environment should have been recognized and acted upon much earlier. However, dwelling on past mistakes is futile, and it puts forth the idea of looking ahead with a combination of visionary zeal and practicality. The quote emphasizes the importance of confronting the vast challenges that lie before us to make meaningful progress in safeguarding our environment.