Thank you for your gracious and thoughtful response, Richard. I agree with everything you said, and I appreciate your insights. You are quite right that we all need to "play the long game"--sow the seeds of regeneration (both literal and figurative) now, while we have the opportunity to do so--and as Gandhi reminded us, "renounce the fruits of action"--that is, let go of success or failure and simply do what needs to be done, since none of us will live to see the outcome of our best efforts--just as our ancestors planted oak trees they would never see, for the benefit of their descendants...