The supreme reality of our time is…the vulnerability of our planet. ~ John F. Kennedy
A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people. ~ Theodore Roosevelt
The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we’re contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe. ~ Barack Obama
I believe that the average guy in the street will give up a great deal, if he really understands the cost of not giving it up. In fact, we may find that, while we’re drastically cutting our energy consumption, we’re actually raising our standard of living. ~ David R. Brower
Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not. ~ Dr. Seuss, The Lorax
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. ~ Native American Proverb
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead
There is a sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. ~ Mohandas K. Gandhi
Environmental degradation, overpopulation, refugees, narcotics, terrorism, world crime movements, and organized crime are worldwide problems that don’t stop at a nation’s borders. ~ Warren Christopher
I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend? ~ Robert Redford
And Man created the plastic bag and the tin and aluminum can and the cellophane wrapper and the paper plate, and this was good because Man could then take his automobile and buy all his food in one place and He could save that which was good to eat in the refrigerator and throw away that which had no further use. And soon the earth was covered with plastic bags and aluminum cans and paper plates and disposable bottles and there was nowhere to sit down or walk, and Man shook his head and cried: “Look at this Godawful mess.” ~ Art Buchwald
I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. ~ Elwyn Brooks White
The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river. ~ Ross Perot
It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment. ~ Ansel Adams
You go into a community and they will vote 80 percent to 20 percent in favor of a tougher Clean Air Act, but if you ask them to devote 20 minutes a year to having their car emissions inspected, they will vote 80 to 20 against it. We are a long way in this country from taking individual responsibility for the environmental problem. ~ William D. Ruckelshaus
He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of nature. ~ Socrates
Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. ~ Khalil Gibran
God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools. ~ John Muir
Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land. ~ Aldo Leopold
By polluting clear water with slime you will never find good drinking water. ~ Aeschylus
If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either. ~ Joseph Wood Krutch
Somebody told me it was frightening how much topsoil we are losing each year, but when I told that story around the campfire, nobody got scared. ~ Jack Handey
In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace. ~ Wangari Maathai
Why are ecologists and environmentalists so feared and hated? This is because in part what they have to say is new to the general public, and the new is always alarming. ~ Garrett Hardin
People in Slow Food understand that food is an environmental issue. ~ Michael Pollan
We assume that everything’s becoming more efficient, and in an immediate sense that’s true; our lives are better in many ways. But that improvement has been gained through a massively inefficient use of natural resources. ~ Paul Hawken
When we realize we can make a buck cleaning up the environment, it will be done! ~ Dennis Weaver
We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. ~ Aldo Leopold
We don’t have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment. ~ Dennis Weaver
In today’s world, it is no longer unimaginable to think that business can operate – and even thrive – in an environmentally-friendly manner. ~ Olympia Snowe
Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cell. ~ Edward Abbey
Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals “love” them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more. ~ Edwin Way Teale
Calculating how much carbon is absorbed by which forests and farms is a tricky task, especially when politicians do it. ~ Donella Meadows
Nice selection of quotes. I enjoyed Ansel Adams one the best.