Top Ten Favourite Green Quotes for 2007

2007 is the year when green issues (especially climate change) are in the spotlight, and we came across numerous noteworthy quotes. Here are our top ten favourites (in no particular order):

One 

“It is the human factor that stands between the unsustainable present and a future sustainable world, not the science, engineering or technology. It is only through people – through the heart, mind, and will of each individual – that the innovation of sustainability will be diffused and adopted within our corporations, our governments and ultimately throughout our world.” – Dancing with the Tiger: Learning Sustainability Step by Natural Step by Brian Nattrass and Mary Altomare

Two 

“Vote. And I don’t mean voting at a voting booth. Anybody of any age can vote because you vote every day that you pay for something. Every time you lay money down on the counter to buy something, you are saying that I approve of this object. I approve of how it was made, the materials that are in it, and what’s going to happen to it when I no longer need it and throw away.” – Gloria Flora, Director of Sustainable Obtainable Solutions, in the film The 11th Hour

Three 

“I hope we can look the coming generations squarely in the eyes and say that we didn’t just do what seemed fashionably good; we massively and thoroughly changed the world for the better through simple, tested, and cool strategies. We didn’t just do something that made us feel good; we did something that actually did good.” – Cool It: The Skeptical Environmentalist’s Guide to Global Warming by Bjorn Lomborg

Four 

“You’re captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.” – Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn

Five 

“I’m an optimist. I don’t look at this as if the world is coming to an end. I see it as a great opportunity to clean up our mess. We’re grownups, we aren’t children, and we can do it.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger

Six 

“What a great time to be born, what a great time to be alive because this generation gets to essentially completely change this world.” – Paul Hawken, Environmentalist, Author, Entrepreneur, in the film The 11th Hour

Seven

“We don’t have to change humankind in order to survive. We only have to change a single culture.” – The Story of B by Daniel Quinn

Eight

“Our future is not merely something that happens to us but something that we participate in creating. If we do this consciously, we can create a world that works.” – The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World by Paul H. Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson

Nine

“Small steps are great, but look for small steps that influence the big systems to which we’re all connected.” – Worldchanging: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century by Alex Steffen

Ten

“We seek your leadership, but if for some reason you are not willing to lead, leave it to the rest of us. Please get out of the way.” – Kevin Conrad, delegate from Papua New Guinea, to the US delegation at the Bali climate change conference

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